Hi Mike,
A couple of years ago I went searching for a parachute to use in my glider. I
wasn't so much worried about the glider failing as I was having a bird strike
or accidentally hitting another glider in a thermal. It was a tight fit in
the cockpit without one on, so the 'chute needed to be pretty compact. I looked
at Strong, National, and Precision Aerodynamics (built right here in Dunlap),
but all were too thick and my head hit the canopy. I ended up buying a Softie
made by Para-phernalia, Inc. www.softieparachutes.com
This particular 'chute is made so that it becomes the seat cushion. The
container bag extends from your shoulders down to about the back of your knee.
They
even offer a sheepskin liner that makes it very comfortable and it's still
only about 2"-3" thick. I've flown my glider in excess of 5 hours with no
problems with comfort. The quality is first rate and they even gave me an
airshow
discount when I bought it at S-n-F.
On thing to consider, should you ever have to leave your plane, is your exit
strategy. On most sailplanes you pull two levers and the canopy is released
leaving a clear path for exit. The Europa might be a little bit different given
the door placement. Having given it some thought, I reckon a good exit
maneuver might be to open the door, put your feet on the floor just in front of
the
seat and lift yourself towards the door by pushing back against the seat and
roll out, hopefully not hitting the stab on your way out.
I definitely will be wearing my 'chute when the time comes to do my test
flying.
Regards,
John Lawton
Dunlap, TN
A-245
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