Rigid body dynamics are used to describe the motion of parachute‐payload systems released from aircraft. Two models are developed to describe the transitional and rotational degrees of freedom using the dynamical equations of Newton and Lagrange. The latter mechanics treats the parachute and payload as two rigid bodies in contact, while the former mechanics treats the entire system as a single rigid body. Finally, the equations of motion deduced from the Newtonian approach are numerically solved for a stabilization parachute to show the effects of wind and of suspension line length on damping.