@Hyperspace
Any object entering the Earth's atmosphere from orbit or from anywhere else in space experiences frictional heating. This depends largely on the approach speed and shape of the object. There are other factors, but these are the main ones. The thin outer atmosphere provides enough friction to evaporate a dust particle travelling at 50 Km/sec, hence we see shooting stars. Objects presenting a large face to the atmosphere will heat up quickly, but they will also be slowed down quickly (hence the shape and composition of re-entry heat sheilds). An aerodynamically efficient shape (like a bullet for example) would not heat so quickly (other factors apart). But it would certainly heat up (like Concorde's nose cone).
If the plunging object has enough substance/mass to not burn up completely, it will eventually be slowed down by the denser lower atmosphere and it might reach terminal velocity before landing on the Earth. Hence we get meteorites.
We don't experience hot parachutes because the velocity is too small to generate enough frictional heating, but it does happen. The surface of the chute will get warmer by maybe a few thousandths of a degree, as do the soles of man/woman's shoes, but not enough to notice. Anyone free-falling from say 250,000 feet will eventually reach terminal velocity but will also feel pretty warm (mainly from the adrenalin I suspect!)
JaX
