On Aug 25, 4:23 pm, E. Douglas Whitehead
wrote:
I am interested in the pros and cons of a
parachute lanyard.

My ship is an ASW-27. I am 6ft. 3in. and
the cockpit is somewhat crowded.

Thanks.

Douglas (EDW)

Doug,

There are some benefits of having the lanyard attached. But there are
also some drawbacks. If a pilot is up there in the age group, yes, it
would be a good idea. Under normal circumstances the load on the rip
cord cannot exceed 22 lbs. so it is not that difficult to pull it out,
but: 1.) If you bail out in the high altitude, you might consider a
freefall for some time, lets say 1 minute to get you down to more
dense air. If you have a lanyard (also known as a static line, which
can only be installed by a rigger) you would need some sort of oxygen
supply because the parachute will open immediately. 2.) If you are
very close to the ground, there is an alternate method of leaving your
glider: disconnect seat belts, don't jump but rather turn your back
sideways, pull the rip cord and let the parachute pull you out of the
glider. You might have a broken "something" but chances are more
"survivable", so, if you have a lanyard attached to your glider you
certainly cannot perform that type of exit. 3.) If your bird in
mortally wounded and is spinning like mad, again, you might want to
take a couple of seconds delay before you pull the cord or the glider
will strike you with a tremendous force, more than likely not
survivable. So, we can talk about those issues for hours, however I
would recommend to go to the local DZ (drop zone directory under
uspa.org) and take a tandem jump or maybe even better take a AFFF
(accelerated free fall) and also practice on a regular bases your
emergency exit under various situations, so you know what to do if
things go "south".

Jacek
Pasco, WA