Parachutes & life expectancy

Although I don't think it generally applies to glider pilots wearing
parachutes, there is a well documented "Airbag Effect" where drivers of big
SUV's with huge crush zones, seat belts and airbags, do tend to drive more
agressively since they have a feeling of invunerability. This behavior has
led to the safety benefits of these devices being statistically less than
was expected.

Speaking from personal experience, if you feel that you are flying more
agressively because you are wearing a parachute, I suggest that you attend a
skydiving school who offeres a course in the use of emergency 'chutes and
make one training jump. That disuaded me from undue reliance on my backpack
since it's an experience I don't want to repeat.

You could also ask anyone who has used an emergency 'chute if they'd like to
repeat the experience

Bill D


"Todd" wrote in message
...
I wear one because my glider handbook says it is required or I must
fit some additional cushion in the seat back. Given the choice
between a piece of safety equipment or a piece of foam, I will take
the safety equipment. Remember, the unlucky pilot is one who has run
out of Altitude, Airspeed and, Options. The parachute is just another
option!

If you extend your logic (which I will agree may have some degree of
truth), then I drive my car differently because I wear seat belts and
have airbags. Accidents are accidents and I am quite certain that we
all strive to avoid them, parachute or not.

On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:12:52 -0600, "Bill Daniels"
bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote:
[snip]

You could also ask anyone who has used an emergency 'chute if they'd like to
repeat the experience

Not counting ejections, of course...years ago I saw a TV documentary
of life among a carrier air group. They ran two interviews with one
pilot, one early in the deployment and one just after he'd had an
engine failure off the cat and ejected into the water.

In the first one he was all charged up, loads of gung-ho, your basic
indestructibility complex. In the second, he was wide-eyed,
off-center, and saying "I don't EVER wanna ride that seat again!"

rj

On Mar 17, 8:12 am, "Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote:
Although I don't think it generally applies to glider pilots wearing
parachutes, there is a well documented "Airbag Effect" where drivers of big
SUV's with huge crush zones, seat belts and airbags, do tend to drive more
agressively since they have a feeling of invunerability. This behavior has
led to the safety benefits of these devices being statistically less than
was expected.

Speaking from personal experience, if you feel that you are flying more
agressively because you are wearing a parachute, I suggest that you attend a
skydiving school who offeres a course in the use of emergency 'chutes and
make one training jump. That disuaded me from undue reliance on my backpack
since it's an experience I don't want to repeat.

You could also ask anyone who has used an emergency 'chute if they'd like to
repeat the experience

Bill D

"Todd" wrote in message

...

I wear one because my glider handbook says it is required or I must
fit some additional cushion in the seat back. Given the choice
between a piece of safety equipment or a piece of foam, I will take
the safety equipment. Remember, the unlucky pilot is one who has run
out of Altitude, Airspeed and, Options. The parachute is just another
option!

If you extend your logic (which I will agree may have some degree of
truth), then I drive my car differently because I wear seat belts and
have airbags. Accidents are accidents and I am quite certain that we
all strive to avoid them, parachute or not.

Add anti-lock brakes and stability assist to the list of car systems
that drivers think will allow them to defy the laws of physics....

Steve