This is a photo of me doing a 40 foot High Fall into a 40' foot test Air Pack model.  Air Bags were invented by Bob Yerkes out of necessity as stuntmen were falling higher and higher.  Usually made of nylon with velco pocket closures for baffles.  When a stunt performer hits the bag, he/she forces the air our of the baffles for a safe landing.  Air is usually pumped into the bag using specially made fans. 

AIR RAMS:  A piston driven apparatus that propels a stunt performer through the air.  By simply stepping on the flat surface that triggers the device, one can take off from the ground and travel a great distance.  Very dangerous.  Usually a SCUBA tank is attached for the system as it is run on air compression. 

WINCHES:  There are several types of winches being used in the stunt business today.  From a simple, easy to use Capstan Winch and a Thern Winch to the faster computerized Fisher type.  Of course, a lot of stunt coordinators can make their own high spend winch.  A winch is simply a way to raise or lower a person at variable speeds (fast or slow) on a wire.  Winches are being used today instead of ratchets.

CABLE ASSISTS/HAND-PULLS:  Using just ropes or cable and no ratchets or winches, one can "fly" through the air with a simple assist from 2 or more stunt team members.  The "flyer" is in a harness and hooked-up to a rope or cable that goes up to a pulley and over to a change of direction pulley and down to the rigger(2) pulling down on the rig.  Rigging is essential to perfecting this  type of stunt.  Although simple in nature, this type of wire work can get very complicated and tricky fast! 

 ......more coming later.