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Old July 8th 04, 07:46 AM
ShawnD2112
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You certainly have answered some questions for me, Ernie. Thanks very much.
I wish I could try one on before buying but being in the UK makes it a bit
inconvenient. However, Jim said they'd keep working until I was happy, no
matter how many times I had to send it back to them for refitting or
whatever. You can't argue with a deal like that.

Cheers,
Shawn
"Ernest C. Byars" wrote in message
om...
"ShawnD2112" wrote in message

...
Ernie,
I think Jim was telling me about you. He mentioned making one special

for a
C when I spoke to him last week. He suggested I go for a seatpack since

I'm
sitting on about 4" of cushion at the moment. Only being 5 10" I've got

a
bit of headroom to play with. Which harness rig did you go for? How
satisfied were you with their customer service? How comfortable is your

rig
during aerobatics?

Thanks for the tips,
Shawn
"Ernest C. Byars" wrote in message
om...
"ShawnD2112" wrote in message

news:AnZDc.1369$Dq1.851@newsfe6-win...
Was hoping to get a bit of expertise here. I'm in the market for an
emergency bailout chute for flying in my Pitts S-1D. The top US

contenders
seem to be National and Softie but with no experience in the field,

and
parachutes not exactly being the kind of object you can try on for

size
in
the shop, I don't really know what to look for and what to avoid.

I'd
appreciate any tips anyone out there could provide. Are there any

European
models that anyone has any experience with? Obviously comfort and

space
in
the cockpit are major considerations.

Thanks!
Shawn

Shawn,

I just bought a softie chute for my Pitts S1C. It is a special one
made for the Pitts S1. It is a seatpack in the shape of a wedge. Its
not listed on their web site but they will make you one. I'm a big guy
and the S1C is the smallest Pitts. If it works for me in my plane it
should work for you in yours. Call Dan or Jim at Parapania and ask
about it.

Good Luck,
Ernie


Shawn,

I am very satisfied with their service. Dan said he would take the
chute back if I was not happy with it. I don't think you will find
much better service than that. If you can use a 4" cushion you won't
have a problem. I was sitting on a 2" cushion before. With the wedge
seat pack I can even move it foreword to sit lower than a 2" cushion.
My plane is open cockpit so if I sit too high I am out in the
slipstream. If you have a canopy you should be able to sit higher than
me. I am 5' 11" so that gives you another inch to work with. You may
not even need the wedge option. I like the wedge because I can adjust
my height in the cockpit by moving the chute foreword or back. I went
for the standard harness instead of the aerobatic harness. I asked Jim
this question. What is the disadvantage of the aerobatic harness? His
answer, the disadvantage of the aerobatic harness vs. the normal is it
takes more time to put the aerobatic harness on. The plus is the
normal harness may be uncomfortable during extended negative G
maneuvers if your seat belts go across the quick releases. Negative G
maneuvers may cause the quick releases to press hard into your thighs
causing pain or even bruises. My seatbelts did not interfere with the
quick releases so I opted for the standard harness. They provided me a
chute to try out before purchase. I initially wanted the aerobatic
harness but the standard harness was comfortable. So I ordered the
standard one. I don't think a chute will ever be as comfortable as a
cushion though. But the added safety factor is a real plus when you
are doing maneuvers for the first time or in the event of an airframe
failure. I hope I have answered some of your questions. If I can be of
more help please let me know.

Ernie