On 9 Feb 2004 23:07:22 -0700, (Mark James Boyd)
wrote:

Was the altitude the bailout or chute opening
altitude? Perhaps a better question is:
Bailout altitude. If the plane is still in a halfways level flight,
it's possible.


If I gave you a 2-22 and asked you to bail out solo,
how low would you do it?
Depends.
On the other hand: If you gave me a 2-22 on a really great day, I
would rather enjoy the Cumulus clouds from the ground...


The 500 ft and 700 ft are simply lucky.
Sure they are. But without the chute the pilots would have needed a
lot more luck.


As I said, no real way of determining that. How many investigators are
willing to say: "at the 23G's encountered at the moment of impact,
the 330 extra pounds exerted by the parachute on the back
of the victim were the difference between serious injuries and
fatality. We therefore conclude that the parachute was a
contributor to the fatality."

I never heard of such a case I have to admit.


Yes, how much does it cost ($$$) to tow an additional 15 pounds
aloft during every glider flight in the US in a year?
If this money were instead spent on flyers mailed to
every pilot about checking the elevator connection
before flight, would more lives be saved?

How much does the life insurance fee cost that covers the dead pilots
who did not wear a chute?

Bye
Andreas