Hi All,
Much has been usefully written about parachutes and their care. How
would you like a few reluctant comments from someone who has used one to
save ones life?
Firstly, exiting from a disabled glider descending at 100 feet per
second ( as recorded by the data logger) is totally different from a
jumping from a stable platform in level flight.
After finally exiting the glider I found myself rotating as in a spin
dryer. The chute, although attached as one normally would, moved around
violently making finding the D ring difficult and is was necessary to
look carefully for it. I would recommend that a pilot get a hand on the
D ring as he was exiting.
On exiting I remembered to adopt a position with the arms and legs
outstretched and wait until ones position stabilized. Quickly realized
that I would reach the ground before this happened due to the violent
rotation. My understanding now is that it is best to pull the D ring as
soon as you are clear of the glider.
Exiting a glider while it is unstable and you are probably subject to G
forces can be quite difficult. If moving the control column forward
inverts the glider a good chance you will fall out.
A recommendation I have heard is if it appears you will reach the ground
before exiting is to lean forward and pull the D ring. A good chance
the chute will pull you from the glider.
The statistics are that 50% of uninjured glider pilots successfully
deploy their chute when the accident occurs at 3,000 ft. Below this the
chances diminish rapidly. Age also plays apart. I now have an
inflatable bag underneath me, economically supplied by Paul Mander.
Commercial units, although expensive are available. ( how much would you
be prepared to pay as you struggle to exit a glider)
Prevention is better than cure. A functioning Flarm and even more
importantly, a disciplined lookout are prerequisites to flying safely.
Competition conditions which reduce gaggling also reduce the chances of
a midair collision.
These comments are quite apart from the usual advice given to pilots re
exiting a glider when it is disabled. I hope they are of interest
Harry Medlicott
On 25/10/2017 7:14 PM, Mike Borgelt wrote:
Here's the story on the National Parachutes we've sold for the last 28
years.
They are lightweight and comfortable and while some details have
changed they are the same basic design/size/weight in all that time
The factory considers a life of 20 years is reasonable and won't
repack them after that but your rigger can inspect the parachute and
can return it to service if it is in his/her opinion revealed to be in
airworthy condition as THERE IS NO LIFE LIMITING AD ON NATIONAL
PARACHUTES.
National parachutes also come in 4 canopy sizes to suit all weights of
pilots. The N360 is suitable for up to 75 Kg pilots, the N425 up to
95Kg, the National Flat to 100Kg and the N490 to 110Kg.
While National chute packs are available in Navy, Black and Red we
recommend the Black or Navy as the colours seem more durable.
The condition of the parachute depends on use and care. In a 7 day
commercial operation it is doubtful if a parachute will last 20 years.
In private operation where the thing is unlikely to do more than 2000
hours in actual use and you keep it in a bag until ready to wear
and put it back in the bag after wearing it will likely be fine.
Consider also that the parachute may be stored in a dry cupboard for
some years of that time and is probably flown for only half the year
or a bit more. Hard calender life limits are stupid.
Yes, probably parachutes aren't taken seriously enough by glider
pilots. Is there any proper training done, like before the first
lesson in a glider? We've seen people wearing National chutes where
the leg straps weren't tightened and the chest strap was a "chin" strap.
Too bad about your head when you pull the ripcord but your headless
body should make it to the ground just fine.
Also asked competition pilots what they will do if they hear a bang
and the glider pitches down and doesn't respond to the elevator. The
first went and bought a new parachute and rehearsed the bailout
procedure and admitted he hadn't paid any attention to that before.
The second was a real smartarse and laughed it off by making a joke of
it to cover up his lack of forethought and preparation.
Do remember that bailing out of a damaged glider is "attempted suicide
to avoid certain death". The US military reckoned the ejection seat in
the F-15 saved the pilot's life 75% of the time it was used. The
outstanding Russian K36D seat was better at 93%.
I'm pretty sure gliding is somewhere between those numbers.
Mike
At 05:41 PM 10/25/2017, you wrote:
Point taken.Â
I have the highest regard for Nigel Brennan. If he says the chute
is ok I am happy to wear it.
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 6:28 PM, Ron Sanders <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Do you mind if i forward your comments to Mr Nigel Brennan who re
packed and inspected the chute??
Ron
On 25 October 2017 at 13:52, DMcD <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>Hi guys, do not bother sold in 6 minutes!!
Lets hope the buyer does not have to use it!
Hang glider parachutes have a slightly harder time than glider
parachutes, partially because the pack is less dense and lets
in more
UV, though many parachute manufacturers wrap the parachute
inside a
foil folder to help protect it. The fabric is also degraded
by sweat
and other factors. Some fabric and some colours degrade much
faster
than others too. What colour is your chute? Is it nice and
bright so
it can be spotted easily in the air or on the ground or have
you ever
looked?
I don't think most of us take parachutes particularly seriously
enough. For example, your parachute size should be related to
several
factors, including your age and weight. Most parachute sizes
are for
young people weighing an ISO standard 75 kgs who can jump off a 4
metre wall and not suffer any injury. And you?
The older you are and the heavier you are, the larger the
area of your
canopy needs to be. Of course, there's a trade off in that larger
canopies open more slowly, so the older you are, the higher
you need
to be to safely deploy your canopy.
I guess it is like Harley riders. They wear poor quality open
face
helmets to protect poor quality brains.
"I'm a licensed rigger. In my experience, the life will be
limited primarily
by how much direct sunlight, dust, and grit the parachute
sees. If you take
good care of the canopy and container, and keep the system
out of the direct
sunlight, it'll last quite a while. Other responders have
suggested a
practical life span of 15-20 years, and that's not too bad a
range, IMHO.
However, if the system has been abused, it could be unusable
after just a few
years.
Pay attention to the harness too, as it tends to suffer from
abrasion and from
the pilot's sweat. It's not that unusual to see harnesses
and containers that
become unusable before the canopy."
"In the UK the parachute manufacturers and riggers are not
allowed to
re-pack parachutes over 25 years old. ie once over 25
years, you have to
throw it away...... in any event most parachutes that age
that I have
seen are big, heavy, and very uncomfortable to wear. "
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