I am not a skydiver.....that's the wife's fortay. I have built my Europa
and will probably do the first flight and flight testing. I have purchase
d an slim backpack emergency parachute and will put up with it's uncomfort
able seating while I am flying off my 40 hours and putting my project thro
ugh it's paces. If the unforseen happens then I would prefer to try and fi
ght to get out of the aircraft rather than just sit and wait for the groun
d to come up at me. I figure if I have an inflight fire and don't have a
parachute, then I don't have any other option than to stay with the plane
. I remember a movie about WWI flyers that carried a pistol for just such
events. So along that train of thought. I would prefer to have a parachut
e, contemplate my options, and decide whether or not to use it, rather tha
n not have the choice. So I guess it's personal opinion.
Mike Duane
XS Conventional Gear
Redding, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Churchill-Coleman <richard.churchill-coleman@sky.com>
Sent: Mon, Dec 14, 2009 12:45 pm
Subject: RE: Europa-List: Emergency parachutes, opinions?
richard.churchill-coleman@sky.com>
Hi Frans,
I'm one of those rare pilots who also enjoys baling out of serviceable
ircraft as a pastime. I have only made about a 100 jumps from about 10'k
ach. I own and pack my own main parachute, which is a square, ram air
therefore steerable) type wing. My deployment system allows for hand
eployment of the drogue chute when clear of the airframe. Most
ilot/gliding reserve parachutes tend to be round (barely steerable) and
eployed by a rip cord that releases a spring loaded drogue. My comments
herefore need to be taken in the context of what I am used to, rather than
aving practised departing a spinning, broken aircraft:
1) What are the chances of getting out of a Europa in level flight (frozen
ontrols). Will you get hit by the tailplane if you just climb out and let
o?
If the aircraft was in straight and level flight, getting out is simple.
pen the door, let it get ripped off in the slipstream, reduce speed to jus
t
bove stall if possible, stand up on the seat, step out onto the wing, usin
g
he cockpit rim as a handhold, sit on the trailing edge and drop off. If
ou have time and are alone, climb further out on the wing so that either
he aircraft rolls and drops you off the wing tip (preferably head first so
,
f anything, it's your feet that strike the tailplane) or else if it doesn'
t
oll then get far enough out along the wing to definitely avoid the
ailplane when you leave the aircraft. However, steady flight IMHO seems
ike the least likely scenario in which you would find yourself needing to
eave the aircraft.
2) What are the chances of getting out of a Europa after some sort of
tructural failure where the aircraft may be spinning and tumbling? Will
-forces pin you down in your seat?
Again, once the doors are opened and gone, it's surprising how motivated
you
ill be to get yourself out of the aircraft. However, there is a high risk
f being struck by the aircraft as you leave it. Broken limbs you will
urvive, but skydivers wear helmets and if you are struck and left
nconscious then you won't be pulling the rip cord. Skydivers fit
lectronic "life savers" that fire the reserve if you at freefall speeds
elow 750'. For obvious reasons you won't want one of those on your
arachute.
3) Is there any statistics about the amount of lifes saved due to parachut
es
n General Aviation applications?
No information on this sorry.
Personal opinions, in case of being forced to make an emergency landing:
1) Over water, would you opt for being the first one to try to land the
uropa on open water, or rather jump out by parachute?
Land on water - aircraft float if they land intact, parachutes tangle you
up
nd drown you unless you are trained in water landing emergencies and carry
cut away knife.
2) In non-hospitalised area's (like mountainous terrain), would you try to
ake the best of it and land in the trees or river down the valley, or
ather jump out?
Pretty even odds on this - on a round chute with minimum steerage you coul
d
nd up in a nasty place and injured landing in trees or on high rocky areas
.
t least the airframe will take some of the impact - if it's still flying.
f there is a mid-air break up, definitely take the parachute option!
All in all, I have not considered flying with an emergency parachute for
the
ollowing reasons:
a) They are heavy, require regular maintenance and without modification
hey will not sit comfortably in a Europa seat.
b) Gliders and aerobatic pilots wear them because of the risk of mid-air
ollision (when thermalling) and loss of control - a properly maintained
uropa flown within limits shouldn't do either of these.
c) Most light aircraft flying is done in the 2'k to 4'k height bands. You
eed a comfortable 1,500' decision height to allow you to get clear of the
ircraft to deploy your parachute and have it open safely. That's not much
ime to make the decision to abandon the aircraft and execute it. Unless
here is a very obvious sign that the aircraft is unflyable, you probably
on't have made the abandon aircraft decision before you get below 1,500'.
Essentially, while there are circumstances where you will avoid death or
erious injury by using a parachute, they are rare in normal flight
perations. It is usually the lower risk option to stay with and fly the
irframe. There is at least one example in the UK of a glider instructor
elling his pupil to bale out and then going on to land the aircraft safely
.
Given the choice, I would spend the money and the weight allowance on a fi
re
xtinguisher, first aid kit and EPIRB instead.
Hope that helps,
est wishes
ichard C-C
-RPCC
12S Mono - well more of a wheel chock and 2 canoes at the moment......
-----Original Message-----
rom: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Frans Veldman
ent: 14 December 2009 11:48
o: europa-list@matronics.com
ubject: Europa-List: Emergency parachutes, opinions?
-> <frans@paardnatuurlijk.nl>
Dear fellow experimental aviators,
I'm looking at the pro's and con's of emergency parachutes. I'm sure some
eople on this forums have thought about this subject and formed opinions
bout it, and I would like to hear more about it. I have no experience with
arachutes nor any opinion further than that I can imagine that there are
a
ew occasions where parachutes could save ones life. Even this could be
nrealistic imagination of course.
Questions are:
Any opinions welcome,
rans
hecked by AVG - www.avg.com
7:37:00
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