At 10:31 PM 5/11/2016, you wrote: > That is 60 feet for a paraglider >chute and 400 ft for a normal emergency chute operated by a complete novice, >not the staggering 4,000 ft that was quoted. The chutes we use hear >at the gliding club are 12 lb and they indeed have a rated >minimum deployment altitude of 400ft. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I don't recall anyone making that statement, certainly not me. My statement was "I would suggest that anything happening to warrant an exit would have to happen at or above 3000 feet if you were to have any chance of a clean exit, stabilize and pull the rip cord, and get a good canopy". To use the example of the Mustang pilot surviving a low altitude bailout and suggesting any or all low altitude bailouts are survivable gives one a false sense of security. It took the Mustang pilot 17 seconds after impact to even exit the aircraft. The reason he even had 17 seconds was the aircraft maintained stable horizontal flight after the impact and he had horizontal speed to help deploy the chute. Had the aircraft gone in to uncontrollable flight the probabilities are he would be a dead man. Having to depart the aircraft at low altitude and getting those ideal conditions is going to be very rare. The other examples given give no indication of how high the aircraft were when the need arose to exit. The human body will reach terminal velocity of 176 feet per second in the first 4 or 5 seconds of free fall and that is in a stabilized arch position. Tumbling, head first, feet first will increase the decent rate. That translate to 5.5 seconds for every 1000 feet of altitude. You decide your minimum exit altitude. While it may be standard training at some glider fields to deploy the chute while in the cockpit, that has to be one of those "hell, I'm going to die anyway" decisions and should not be considered to be a viable option. Before the door on a jump plane is opened at altitude there is an "equipment check". If all chutes are not securely in the pack, the door is never opened and the entire load rides back down with the pilot. Jumpers have been known to exit through the side of an aircraft when their pack opened in the aircraft, the canopy sucked out the door, and the lines slicing thought the thin metal of the aircraft skin. The jump master at the local drop zone once had his chute open outside the aircraft while still on the step. He was very lucky that the chute did not hang up on the tail assembly but when it pulled him off the step he went up side down under the horizontal stabilizer and his shin hit the lead edge, tearing the horizontal stab loose and giving him a huge lump on his leg. He was fortunate that both he and the aircraft survived. While wearing a chute might someday save your life, don't let it lull you in to making questionable decisions that put you in a situation where you need it, thinking you'll just bail if things don't work out. It should only be used in a "I'm going to die anyway" moment. Colin's type of long distance flying probably makes his wearing a chute a good decision but that's not the typical realm of the average KR. Larry Flesner
