"Gene Seibel" wrote in message
ups.com...


That's the way it used to be. Now the pilot has a resignation handle.
--

That's one way to look at it. Another is that this is simply one more
back-up system to deal with certain failure modes that are otherwise
unrecoverable. The real mistake is thinking that this will be a *huge*
improvement to safety. The lay public thinks that if only people had
parachutes (including on airliners), nobody would get killed in airplane
accidents. To them, an airplane with a parachute should be 100% safe. In
fact the types of accidents where this can help are relatively rare, as seen
by the ratio of accidents to saves. I maintain that airbags, such as those
being installed in new Cessnas, will do a lot more to reduce misery by
helping in a far wider range of situations. But the smart thing obviously is
to do both. If we're talking pilot incapacitation, structural failure,
engine loss at night or over hostile terrain, the 'chute is a great option
that will save some lives. It certainly won't kill anybody who didn't start
digging their own hole.

-cwk.