The growing popularity of flying ex-military aircraft led to the design of the Warbird Seatpack Softie and the Warbird Wedge. Tarasievich has built parachute equipment for some military contracts.

When Julie Clark, a petite air show pilot, tried on one of Tarasievich’s “micro-Softie” emergency parachutes at an air show, she told him, “This is the first parachute I’ve ever put on ...