Would a parachute make you feel safer?

Jhernandez04

Jhernandez04

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TheHulk
Hey guys, I was talking to a few non pilot buddies and it got me thinking because no matter who I ask they always bring up the parachute subject. Some planes have them built in so obviously they are used from time to time in that manner.

I also watched a video the other day on here when a NASA pilot couldnt recover from a spin, he had a parachute on his back and bailed. I believe he was in a baron.


So, for a low time pilot or even high time.... if your in a single/double prop plane would having a parachute in the plane or on your back make you feel at ease while flying? Seems like a silly question with an obvious answer, but any time I have discussed this with a pilot they always say "why would you leave a perfectly good airplane?" or "fly it to the ground."

My line of thought is, if im thinking about using a chute, its not a perfect airplane..... anyways, what do you guys think? I'm almost ready to purchase one just for piece of mind.:yesnod:
 
If you get in to an unrecoverable spin/stall accident, it's normally going to be at low level maneuvering in the TPA where a chute won't do you any good. So, not particularly.
 
I think I would be far better served taking the funds that would have gone into the parachute and investing them instead into flight training. Airplanes seldom break, most crashes are the result of poor piloting.
 
The standard litany of "why you should pull the chute" is fire, flight control failure, structural failure and engine failure over hostile terrain. No sure why additional training would help you much with those issues.

My CTSW has a chute. I do feel a little more comfortable flying over the mountains with it. OTOH, there's times I wished it were out and I had the 30lbs it weighs in extra carrying capacity.
 
Yes, but I don't feel unsafe with out one either. Another option, and one I wouldn't mind having.
 
Old Geek said:
The standard litany of "why you should pull the chute" is fire, flight control failure, structural failure and engine failure over hostile terrain. No sure why additional training would help you much with those issues.
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Because the vast majority of crashes are caused not by malfunction, but pilot error. Most aircraft were well built and are hopefully well maintained.

I've never seen the point of making the majority of my preparations based on the minority outcome.
 
steingar said:
Because the vast majority of crashes are caused not by malfunction, but pilot error. Most aircraft were well built and are hopefully well maintained.

I've never seen the point of making the majority of my preparations based on the minority outcome.
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I think the line of thinking towards "id rather have it and not need it then not have it when I needed it" trumps any argument, but im just a lowly 70 hr pilot
 
steingar said:
Because the vast majority of crashes are caused not by malfunction, but pilot error. Most aircraft were well built and are hopefully well maintained.

I've never seen the point of making the majority of my preparations based on the minority outcome.
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I missed the post that claimed that a whole-plane parachute is a substitute for, or makes impossible or difficult, other forms of safety preparations. Did it get deleted?
 
If you as a pilot are wearing one, what will your passengers think when you take them for a ride but don't have parachutes for them as well?
 
Mike I said:
If you as a pilot are wearing one, what will your passengers think when you take them for a ride but don't have parachutes for them as well?
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Usually I'm by myself. But on the rare occasion I'm not I guess they would get the parachute and id try to land the plane. Or buy themselves one ;)
 
steingar said:
Most aircraft were well built and are hopefully well maintained.

I've never seen the point of making the majority of my preparations based on the minority outcome.
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Don't fly many flight school aircraft, do you? ;)

Personally, I NEVER get into an aircraft of any kind, even if it's just to taxi to a hanger, without planning for the "minority outcome".

:yes:
 
Jhernandez04 said:
I think the line of thinking towards "id rather have it and not need it then not have it when I needed it" trumps any argument, but im just a lowly 70 hr pilot
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That is indeed my line of thinking.

I'm not rushing to but the BRS STC into my plane either though
 
Old Geek said:
The standard litany of "why you should pull the chute" is fire, flight control failure, structural failure and engine failure over hostile terrain.
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Add to that: pilot incapacitation, and night off-field emergency.
Having a 'chute, I can tell you... I feel much safer, and every passenger I've had tells me they feel much safer.

But I do fear being drug across a mile of cacti, only to end up in some high-tension power lines!
 
Old Geek said:
My CTSW has a chute. I do feel a little more comfortable flying over the mountains with it....
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The idea that a completely uncontrolled 1500 fpm vertical descent over sheer mountains could feel "comfortable" escapes me. I think that unless the aircraft was already completely uncontrollable for one reason or another pulling the chute will make you a passenger with severely limited options.

As for wearing a chute full time: unless you are doing aerobatics or some sort of risky test flying it seems highly unlikely that you are ever going to encounter a situation where wearing a parachute would save your life. Most closed cabin general aviation aircraft are difficult to get out of while parked on the ramp without wearing a chute let alone in flight with one strapped on your back.
 
Round parachute no. Ramair parachute yes. Those things are more reliable then airplanes.
 
Mike I said:
If you as a pilot are wearing one, what will your passengers think when you take them for a ride but don't have parachutes for them as well?
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What good is it for the passengers to have a parachute if something happens to the pilot because the pilot does not have one? LOL

David
 
Yes, because if something happens that I cannot control, I have the chute as a last resort. If something happens to me while flying, and my family cannot handle the plane they have the chute as a last resort.
 
How does one exit a Baron while wearing a parachute pack? It's hard to get the door open more than a few inches while in flight. Of course, the NASA guy might have had the door removed and was flying with a waiver for test flight purposes.

Bob Gardner
 
Safer, NO

I would recommend getting into jumping at your local DZ, very fun, not super expensive (you can get your A license for less then buying a emergincy parachute) and a REALLY great way to meet folks. As a licensed jumper you can go to any DZ and have a instant group of friends (way more to then in aviation). Fly to some new town and jump, or when you're board away on business, get on dropzone.com and look up a DZ to check out.
 
I have no need for one for flying in a GA aircraft. If I had one, I would probably hit the tail and either kill myself or get knocked out and not open the chute. I have flown a failed engine to the ground successfully with no further damage after it ate a valve.

OTOH, the ejection seat in the F-14 was very comforting, especially on cat shots.

Cheers
 
Jim Logajan said:
I missed the post that claimed that a whole-plane parachute is a substitute for, or makes impossible or difficult, other forms of safety preparations. Did it get deleted?
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For most of us with limited resources the nut is only so big. My post indicated that pilot training was far more likely to save your bacon than a parachute. Were my resources sufficiently inclusive I would vote for a more aggressive maintenance schedule than a parachute. The parachute would be a distant last well behind just about any other safety initiative I can imagine.

And which of you really think that jumping out of a stricken airplane in a parachute that you may never have used before is inherently safe? Lots of meat bombs with way more experience die skydiving every year.
 
wouldn't fly a single seat glider without one. don't ask me why, it's just what i'm used to. It's a $2000 seat cushion, parachute, and security blanket all rolled into one. 5 years ago was the last time i flew a single seater without a parachute and i was on edge the whole flight.
 
tonycondon said:
wouldn't fly a single seat glider without one. don't ask me why, it's just what i'm used to. It's a $2000 seat cushion, parachute, and security blanket all rolled into one. 5 years ago was the last time i flew a single seater without a parachute and i was on edge the whole flight.
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What about a dual seat glider is more inherently safe than a single seat glider? They all seem rather perilous to me.
 
steingar said:
What about a dual seat glider is more inherently safe than a single seat glider? They all seem rather perilous to me.
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usually the two seater is not assembled before each flight. Gliders are just as strong or stronger than your Piper. Especially the early fiberglass ships, they are very strong.

Also, the Schweizers are really not designed with the extra space for a parachute. Most European two seaters have seats designed for chutes and I often wear mine when instructing in them and especially when flying XC. Chutes are required in soaring competition and that has just led to a culture of wearing them all the time for most pilots, even those who don't compete.
 
There is a funny cultural bit in american soaring private gliders we wear parachutes in club gliders we don't.
 
Doesn't hurt to have it available and yep I would feel safer.
 
tonycondon said:
wouldn't fly a single seat glider without one...
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I recently sat in one without a parachute and it wasn't very comfortable but I'd like to ask why chutes are somewhat standard in single seat gliders? Is there any sort of high altitude failure scenario that is being insured against. Even if you were landing out wouldn't you be pretty low by the time you made a decision that there is no way but to jump? Also, do the canopies have releases for this purpose?
 
Silvaire said:
I recently sat in one without a parachute and it wasn't very comfortable but I'd like to ask why chutes are somewhat standard in single seat gliders? Is there any sort of high altitude failure scenario that is being insured against. Even if you were landing out wouldn't you be pretty low by the time you made a decision that there is no way but to jump? Also, do the canopies have releases for this purpose?
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the canopies are easy to release.

mid air collision, control failure, and in flight breakup i suppose are the main failures being insured against. The last bailout that I know of was last summer when a rudder cable broke on a glider flying in Northeast New Mexico. The pilot of the glider that got whacked by the business jet in Reno was saved by his parachute.
 
As far as rental a/c are concerned, they are arguably more well maintained than many owners. As far as the chute. Dont see a reason for one in any small a/c during normal ops. Unless you are doing flight testing of an experimental, doing acrobatics etc. Even then, for me, it would be more of a security blanket than actually a risk management device. I am not a trained jumper. As far as losing an engine over hostile terrain. In a single engine a/c, that was just poor planning. Should always be able to glide to safety. Or else line up with all the people who took a single engine across the ocean and didn't return. In that case, they needed a raft and an eperb, not a parachute.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
I had to cancel my flight lesson due to a sinus infection. Today at the doctor, on my way out of the exam room, the doc said "do they have parachutes?" I said "Not the ones I am flying." She replied "Well good luck to you, then."

I got a chuckle out of that.
 
I have a hard enough time getting in and out of the warrior now. I NEVER fly with a winter weight coat on either. A parachute would make it impossible to exit in a timely enough manner to save my life.
As to a fire onboard, AOPA ASF had a video course on an inflight fire. It's worth watching. I wear flame resistant shoes and cotton clothing (or better put, not synthetic). That's the best I can do.
Rental aircraft undergo a 100 hour service which is pretty close to an annual. While they look pretty beaten up (and they are), I'd take them up against your 30-50 hour a year aircraft any time. The worst part of rental aircraft is people do not treat them like they own them. These are NOT cheap beater cars you are using. They often cost more than most people make a year. Take care of it as if you BORROWED a friends car! They really are not HERTZ rentals.
 
denverpilot said:
So you'd have stayed in the Bonanza in the video mentioned?
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I think his point is, he wouldn't have been in the bonanza mentioned as it was a test flight. IIRC

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
Depends on the plane. Ercoupe = no; Fly Baby = yes.
 
steingar said:
Because the vast majority of crashes are caused not by malfunction, but pilot error.
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Depending on the study, about 85% are ultimately deemed pilot error by the NTSB. That figure may be slightly higher in reality because some portion of the roughly 3% that remain undetermined is due to pilot error.

So, things outside the pilot's control is perhaps 1 in 10 of reported accidents. Not sure I'd want to write off 10% quick that quickly.
 
Having a parachute does not equate to safety, nor does it necessarily make sense in terms of cost vs. risk mitigation.

I'm not familiar with the size of parachutes, but I'm not even sure I could fit in my plane and still have full range of control manipulation with a chute on my back or under my butt. I think either my belly or my knees would be in the way of the yoke.

I have a hard time thinking of when I would make the decision to abandon ship, and once I did, how long it would take me to cross the passenger's seat, get out the door, and get off the wing. I don't know where I could practice that maneuver in any sort of dynamically-realistic simulator setup.

Thus, it's a tool that I would not necessarily be confident I could use when I actually needed it. I would not feel safer with a parachute.

Not to mention that I only fly about 20% of my flights solo.

Someone else said it early on: My personal opinion is that whatever time and expense would be required to purchase, maintain, and fly a parachute on every flight would be better spent on additional flight or ground training, maintenance on the plane, flight planning, etc.
 
A parachute would make me feel safer.
However that's not realistic with passengers.
 
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