Relay-Version: B 2.11 6/12/87; site scolex Path: uunet!olivea!decwrl!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!bunda From: bunda@cs.utexas.edu (John Bunda) Newsgroups: rec.aviation Subject: Re: Emergency Parachuting (long) Summary: Just in case you *do* need it. Message-ID: <215@darkstar.cs.utexas.edu> Date: Fri, 01 Feb 91 15:07:23 PST References: <6736@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> <7BsLw1w163w@qed.uucp> <3990@stl.stc.co.uk> Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 174 In article <3990@stl.stc.co.uk> gbb@stl.stc.co.uk writes: >One of the problems with learning to fly gliders is that we all wear >parachutes at some time or another, but never get any formal training in >their use. This is a problem. As a parachute rigger (my *other* airman certificate), I have repacked emergency rigs for glider and aerobatic pilots. Many of these people regard their parachute as little more than an expensive seat cushion, and, I'd guess, would probably not use it, even if circumstances warranted. However, I usually review instructions on how to use it each time I see them (usually the week before an airshow, competition, or some other event where they are worried about getting checked - the FAA requires inspection and repack of emergency rigs every 120 days). >Personally I would never get in the glider if I thought I would have to use >the parachute, and I am not to keen on even taking a practice jump with a >parachute club. If you know nothing about *modern* parachutes, it might be worth at least looking into. The technology has improved by several orders of magnitude in the last ten years or so - teaching techniques have changed, and tandem jumping essentially allows you to make a jump "dual" in an afternoon. At the very least, you can spend a few hours getting some training - you don't need to actually make a jump. >Can any parachutists out in netland give us any more practical tips which will >help us incase we ever have to rely on our 'cushion' to save our necks ? Well, I'll give it a try. The drill I give my rigging customers is as follows. NOTE: THIS IS NOT A PARACHUTING COURSE. It is what I consider the bare minimum to tell people who have no other and will probably seek no other training in using their equipment. 1. First, I have them put the rig on as they wear it in the plane. I try to make sure it's hooked up and adjusted properly (which can make a huge difference in comfort, especially with old military gear). The modern stuff is much less bulky and a lot more comfortable, but a complete modern rig will set you back $600-$1K. 2. Pick a decision altitude below which you will ride the plane down. This altitude will depend on several things - aircraft, type of flying, anticipated emergencies. Plan on being able to get clear of the aircraft _no_lower_ than 1000' AGL. Raise your decision height according to how long it would take to egress - this can depend on the harnesses, door/canopy configuration of the aircraft, expected airspeed/descent rate in expected evacuation scenarios. In figuring out a reasonable exit time, don't forget, doors and windows can be hard to open against a strong slipstream - try opening them in flight sometime if it's approved for your aircraft). Practice your exit procedure on the ground from a fully strapped in position to exiting the aircraft, and time it. Make sure your estimates are reasonable. For example, picking round numbers, if your exit procedure takes 9 seconds from decision to out the door, and you figure you'll be screaming out of the sky at 2000fpm, your decision height would be 1300' AGL (don't forget the local terrain height). Don't pad the numbers, it will only make you think you have time to spare, and you'll already be in high-stress time-compression. For this estimate, we're assuming you have at least partial aircraft control, and it's a questionable call. In the case of structural failure or other no-hope high descent-rate scenarios, your decision can be made independent of altitude. Your decision to get out vs. guide the plane to a crash that doesn't endanger innocents is a personal one, but in most rural areas, the chance of the crash causing much real damage, or the pilot being able to avoid same are, of course, subject to luck and Murphy's law, but still fairly slight. Save yourself. 3. Once you have the door/canopy open and are in a position to exit, grasp the ripcord handle with both hands, and _then_ exit the aircraft, pushing yourself away if you can (not too important, the l/d difference between you and the screaming hulk will do it for you). Someone in another posting recommended facing into the wind, but don't worry too much about this. Without training, and depending on the aircraft, you won't be able to avoid tumbling anyway; just get out. As soon as you are clear of (i.e. no longer touching) the plane, pull the ripcord with both hands. Keep pulling until the whole ripcord comes free, and you have its entire length extracted from the housing. The pull may be hard, especially with surplus gear. 4. Once the parachute canopy (as they are called) is open, you'll be hanging quietly in the air, possibly watching your beloved bird auger in. Hopefully, you will have gotten instructions from your rigger or someone on how to steer your particular canopy, though with most emergency parachutes, this just means you'll get to pick the way you are facing as you drift downwind. However, all but the oldest (i.e. unsteerable military) canopies will give you 5-10mph forward speed, so you do have some ability to maneuver. 5. For landing, face into the wind. Keep your feet and knees together, and bend your body sideways like a banana - a facing view of you should look like "(" or ")". At touchdown, relax and roll with it. Imagine dropping a banana on end, the way it rolls is the way you should. Never try to stand up a landing with an emergency parachute. Square sport parachutes can give you tippy-toe landings, but emergency rigs are another animal entirely. If it's at all windy, you'll need to get up IMMEDIATELY and chase down the parachute to keep from being dragged. Now, let me say again, THIS IS WOEFULLY INCOMPLETE. Note the absence of advice on choosing a landing spot, avoiding obstacles (trees, power lines, buildings, pavement), how to land in trees if unavoidable, and on and on. A lot of the procedures here are simplified, and not explained in detail. They will *usually* work, but there are exceptions, as in any idiot-proof, military-style, rote-procedure quick-and-dirty training. I don't intend to start a thread debating various emergency parachuting techniques, or the stupidity of requiring parachutes, especially in the absence of training in using them. If you are in the position of having to wear one, why not get some training? You don't actually have to make a jump (though this would help your judgment a lot). Without training, you very likely would not use a parachute even in a bona fide emergency, or would not make a decision to use it in time for it to make any difference. Now, I realize that the chances of needing a parachute in modern aircraft are remote; I've packed a lot of pilot's rigs, and I've _never_ seen one actually used - I've never even known anyone who came close to using one, except for maybe a few fifth-hand spin training stories involving Traumahawks - but I digress. It is possible to take precautions to an extreme, which a lot of us believe requiring parachutes in aircraft amounts to. On the other hand, if you've got to wear a parachute anyway, it seems kind of silly not to learn how to deal with it, like you would any other emergency procedure. At the very least, find out if/how the parachute steers and if it's in date before putting it on (there will be a packing data card in a pocket somewhere on the rig). A word about repacks - the purpose of periodic repacking is inspection against damage; leaving a parachute packed longer will *not* affect its ability to open or function no matter what anybody says. But be aware that pilot emergency rigs tend to take a lot more abuse than sport rigs, especially when owned by a collective rather than an individual. Inspections rarely turn up anything major, but it's still a good idea. As with most synthetics, UV plays hell with nylon. Keep a rig out of the sun when possible; the only real damage I see is usually to rigs left in glider seats without canopy covers. Hardware is cad-plated steel, and will rust where plating is worn off, and rust will attack nylon. Never buy a rig without having a rigger inspect it first. There are some ADs and SBs out on various components, don't get taken. Backpack rigs are the easiest to deal with; the FAA inexplicably classifies rigs by where they are worn, back, chest, seat. You may have trouble finding a rigger with a seat-pack rating any more, but back ratings are common and any sport parachute rigger will usually be able to deal with your rig (parachutes in the yellow pages). The parachute regs in the UK are similar to FAA regs, and in some cases stricter; to the best of my recollection, the Canadians don't certificate riggers, but I think still require periodic inspection and repack, and some Canadian riggers hold FAA certificates. Like any other aviation activity, but the dangers of parachuting tend to be exaggerated or at least misunderstood by the uninformed. Sorry this went on so long.... -John -- John Bunda * bunda@cs.utexas.edu * {uunet,harvard}!cs.utexas.edu!bunda