Another Cirrus red handle landing

I don't know what they're called but you know those handle thingys that help you steer the parachute when you skydive? it would be cool if the cirrus chute had those.
 
Dana said:
An even happier ending would have been a properly executed forced landing and a reusable airplane.
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I'm gonna assume the odds are pretty high a forced landing in a field from the engine failing will result in the insurance company writing a huge check anyways so might as well pull the handle
 
Glad everyone was OK.

One of these times though one of these things is going to come floating down in top of someone and cause injuries in the ground... then the whole "power of landing vs pulling the chute" debate is going to blow up, not to mention the press completely freaking out about it.

I still think the chute makes sense and all told is almost certainly a net positive, but people will still freak out. Same way autonomous cars will likely be much safer but one of these is still going to run a pedestrian over on its own at some point.
 
If I had a chute equipped plane and the fan quit, then I would be pulling the red handle. Heck with the "real pilots land the plane" bravado. Chute shame me all you want but I'm going to live to fly another day.
 
dell30rb said:
Safer to fly over that big field and pull the Chute than to try and land on it. Hidden ditch or hole could break the nose gear and put the plane on its back.
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I see and you know for a fact the options and wx conditions he had at the time of engine failure ? Or are you just trying to sound like a macho man ? Cuz I know your judgement comes from a huge wealth of experience - right ?
 
Joshuajayg said:
Would Sully have pulled the red handle?
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I cannot presume to speak for Sully but I am in the same line of work as he was and as such I can tell you that unless I was looking at a runway or over a large urban area I WOULD HAVE in an eye blink.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I see and you know for a fact the options and wx conditions he had at the time of engine failure ? Or are you just trying to sound like a macho man ? Cuz I know your judgement comes from a huge wealth of experience - right ?
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I have no clue what you are getting at. Can't tell if you are joking? My point is that coming down under the Chute in the middle of a field is probably safer than attempting a forced landing on the same field. Even a nice, big field could be hiding a rock, ditch or pothole that you don't want to deal with when you are landing an airplane that is hopefully full of 100 octane fuel.
 
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Something tells me that pilots who have walked away from Cirrus parachute landings would proudly wear a pink T-shirt declaring "I am not manly enough to make a forced landing without a parachute" to a fly-in of your choosing. I wouldn't mind being teased about not being a "real pilot" if I had both the fortune to fly a Cirrus and the misfortune to have to pull the red handle. For now, I just have to hope the Arrow keeps running and that I can find a good place to land if it quits on me.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I cannot presume to speak for Sully but I am in the same line of work as he was and as such I can tell you that unless I was looking at a runway or over a large urban area I WOULD HAVE in an eye blink.
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You do Tom Hanks' impersonations too?
 
dell30rb said:
I have no clue what you are getting at. Can't tell if you are joking? My point is that coming down under the Chute in the middle of a field is probably safer than attempting a forced landing on the same field. Even a nice, big field could be hiding a rock, ditch or pothole that you don't want to deal with when you are landing an airplane that is hopefully full of 100 octane fuel.
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I think he misread your post and you guys are in fact on the same side of the argument. FWIW, so am I. The parachute is a great option to have when the SHTF. I like to think that I'm a decent pilot but I'm a terrible gambler. I'll take 99.x% odds of being alive (parachute) over 90% (glide to off field landing) any day in a dodgy situation. Screw the macho armchair pilots who would have glided it in and rescued a busload of orphans from a burning crash on the way home.
 
Dana said:
An even happier ending would have been a properly executed forced landing and a reusable airplane.
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There's been many pilots who've had too much of an ego and decided not to pull the CAPS that have resulted in a fatal outcome. Don't be macho, you have the chute, use it!
 
Ryanb said:
There's been many pilots who've had too much of an ego and decided not to pull the CAPS that have resulted in a fatal outcome. Don't be macho, you have the chute, use it!
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Including my friend Manfred Stolle who, after an engine failure, tried to stretch a glide to the runway, stalled it in and had the panel driven into his skull. I wish he had just pulled the chute and was flying in a new plane today. I know his family wishes that even more so. Think of your spouses, parents, friends and kids - no need to be a hero for the internet or pilot's lounge.
 
RudyP said:
Including my friend Manfred Stolle who, after an engine failure, tried to stretch a glide to the runway, stalled it in and had the panel driven into his skull. I wish he had just pulled the chute and was flying in a new plane today. I know his family wishes that even more so. Think of your spouses, parents, friends and kids - no need to be a hero for the internet or pilot's lounge.
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You got that right!
 
Art VanDelay said:
I cannot presume to speak for Sully but I am in the same line of work as he was and as such I can tell you that unless I was looking at a runway or over a large urban area I WOULD HAVE in an eye blink.
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It was a joke.
 
RudyP said:
I think he misread your post and you guys are in fact on the same side of the argument. FWIW, so am I. The parachute is a great option to have when the SHTF. I like to think that I'm a decent pilot but I'm a terrible gambler. I'll take 99.x% odds of being alive (parachute) over 90% (glide to off field landing) any day in a dodgy situation. Screw the macho armchair pilots who would have glided it in and rescued a busload of orphans from a burning crash on the way home.
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And I believe statistics would show even the 90% of successfully gliding to an off field landing without injury is very optimistic. I know as pilots we all think we are above average, but I would be willing to wager the real number of successful glide to safe landings is much closer to 50%. If I had the chute, I'd pull it and let the insurance company buy a new one.
 
Joshuajayg said:
Would Sully have pulled the red handle?
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One a' them risk management things again.

1. Pull the handle, everyone survives
2. Perform a perfect deadstick landing to a nearby flawless patch of open ground: Everyone survives
3. Don't manage a perfect deadstick landing, 40% chance at least one occupant will die.

Ron Wanttaja
 
I used to not like Cirrus.

Then I realized the functionality of the chute. wish the plane I fly had one.
 
RudyP said:
Screw the macho armchair pilots who would have glided it in and rescued a busload of orphans from a burning crash on the way home.
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HEY!!!!!

The orphans were on a TRAIN, but yes, it was on fire, and yada yada yada, yes a rescue transpired.

Also it was an F-15, but other than that, yes that was me.
 
Would Sully have pulled a chute if available? You betcha he would. What was one of his main concerns after the landing? The people. I fly boxes but my first concern is the other people on board and the people on the ground. A softer with very little forward motion "landing" vs a "controlled crash with forward motion"? With YOUR family in the plane with you? I don't think looking cool in front of your pilot buddies would be high on the priority list.
 
I love the idea of a chute. Just wish I didn't have to fly a Cirrus to get one.
 
Would love to own a Cirrus, but I'm just a poor pauper. Looks like I will have to take my chances without the parachute if I want to fly.
 
CC268 said:
Would love to own a Cirrus, but I'm just a poor pauper. Looks like I will have to take my chances without the parachute if I want to fly.
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I'm in the same boat. Even if I could afford a Cirrus, it's just not a good fit for the kind of recreational flying I do. What I need is a parachute STC for a Cessna 180. :)
 
kayoh190 said:
I'm in the same boat. Even if I could afford a Cirrus, it's just not a good fit for the kind of recreational flying I do. What I need is a parachute STC for a Cessna 180. :)
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I'm sure you can get a ballistic parachute STC for a Cessna 180, for only a little more than the price of a Cirrus.
 
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