Don't know about static lines, but someone on the group (maybe Kirk Stant?) made a suggestion that if all else failed when trying to exit an aircraft in distress, lean all the way forward and pull the ripcord. He said you would get hurt, but you'd also be out. A last resort tip I'm going to remember!

Wearing a parachute I struggle to get out of my LS8 while sitting on the ground. I can't see me making it out in the air with increased lateral or positive vertical loading, but hopefully adrenalin can work wonders if I'm ever unlucky enough to need to exit...

-John

On Tuesday, May 1, 2012 11:00:02 AM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
John,

I watched a number of pilots trying to get out of their gliders at Perry on the ground. Between an excess of personal ballast and declining muscle strength, I'd be willing to bet half of them could never get out with any increased lateral or positive, vertical loading.

Related to this, I'm curious why static lines aren't prevalent in the US. It seems all of the European made gliders have a provision for the static line. Any of our Euro friends care to illuminate us on whether use of static lines is common there?