On Aug 28, 11:00 am, Marc Ramsey wrote:
wrote:
There is the perception among glider pilots, that the parachute
lanyard is being attached to the ripcord handle. That is wrong. The
parachute lanyard is attached directly to your closing pins, so if you
don't disconnect before you get out of the cockpit, chances are pretty
good you might accidentally open the container and get the pilot chute
to pup up and the canopy fabric coming out.

Actually, the rigger with who I discussed using a lanyard said he could
fabricate an attachment on the cable near the closing pins, such that
both the lanyard and the handle would be functional. He also suggested
that I not do it...

Marc

Marc,

This is illegal, but ask your rigger if he would demonstrate the
device by him self, lets say simply, by letting him jump that altered
system.

The parachutes that we are wearing on our backs were designed under
TSO C23b in 1949 and it was based on National Aircraft Standards NAS
804. The NAS was rather design standard than performance standard and
its language used the words "LOW SPEED" that means under 150 MPH.
Having said that, (I mean the standard) it would permit some tweaking.
So, some of the manufacturers, in order to obtain the certification,
were quite creative and would for example drop a 600 pound weight at
only 80 MPH and that would make them legal. During the years it was
reported that a 5000 lbs shock load can be very easy exceeded with
small, low porosity canopies at 100 mph with 400 lbs suspended.
In recent years parachute manufacturers neglected the pilot emergency
rig and concentrated on sports skydiving. The standard went from TSO
C23b to TSO C23c and now (since 1994 I believe) we have TSO C23d. The
so called "modern emergency parachute system" is only rated for speeds
ranging up 140-150. But that applies in the US. I don't know the
status of emergency parachutes from different countries. That is why
some of the parachutes (I am not going to name them) are no longer on
the market and riggers with some knowledge will not pack them. I just
wish that manufacturers like Performance Designs (I made over 900
jumps on one of their canopies without any problems) would engage in
pilot emergency parachutes, but I think the market might be to small
for them or the price tag would put a rig like that out of reach of
many pilots.

Jacek
Pasco, WA