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#11
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Parachute use in single seat gliders
I guess it's not necessary to mention here FAR 91.307.
Aerobatics without a parachute pass the 91.307 test as long as you are alone in the aircraft. I bring this up only because sometimes walk-on rides request an "exciting" flight and it can be tempting to do what 91.307 would define as "aerobatic" without putting on parachutes - and being responsible for instructing the ride on how to safely use the parachute if the need arises. I (CFIG) certainly do not consider myself qualified to instruct on the use of parachutes. |
#12
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Parachute use in single seat gliders
On Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 6:06:38 PM UTC+3, BobW wrote:
On 5/19/2016 7:05 AM, N97MT wrote: On Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 11:25:37 PM UTC-5, Surge wrote: On Thursday, 19 May 2016 02:46:16 UTC+2, wrote: Best answer, just get it re-packed. Several years ago someone on the west coast left their chute on the ground because it was out of date. Got caught in the clouds in wave and ripped the wings off killing themselves. Kevin 92 That's a good example of where the decisions of authorities trumps logic. I can only understand that sort of reasoning if you actually plan to use your chute for the flight (skydiving). I have flown with expired chutes (just a couple of days past repacking - it was club equipment) and I'd rather be bust with an expired chute than find myself without one in an emergency like the poor sod mentioned above. In sport flying I have yet to experience an emergency of such magnitude where I was forced to commence a flight with an expired parachute. Or to decide to fly VFR in wave without one in the first place. Kevin is spot on. A parachute is worn like any item of clothing, and handled as such when we climb in and out of the glider. Yet, we spend more money replacing clothes when the smallest defect appears, than knowing that our emergency parachute is really functional. Locally a re-pack costs us $65. Cheap insurance -- especially in a club setting -- for probably the most neglected item on any glider. Continuing this (should-oughta be!) thought-provoking thread drift... Having experienced the changes in "societal thinking" from pre-ubiquitous - (and ultimately, in the U.S.) mandated - automobile seatbelts, and somewhat similarly, the trend toward common (also often mandated) use of motorcycle helmets, the "of *course*!" sensibility of both those devices was "immediately obvious" to me once I reached my early twenties and realized I wasn't immortal. Likewise parachute use in gliders...*regardless* of official mandate. If you care about easily and relatively inexpensively actively minimizing risk-to-self in driving, motorcycling or soaring (to use 3 common examples) - soaring also being arguably purely self-indulgent and thus completely "unnecessary" - seat belts, helmets and parachutes are "Duh!" choices in my view. And to be redundantly clear - I don't give a hoot WHAT officialdom says or mandates. Years ago, my personal parachute was out for repacking, and - not being a member of the local club at that time - rather than not go soaring that day, I flew atop a 4-inch-thick pad of foam I had lying about. Talk about feeling naked! Point being, when it comes to "acceptable soaring risk," about the last thing I'd be worrying about is being "busted by the FAA" for an out-of-pack-date parachute. Sure, if you're detected when being about to launch at the field, it would be like waving a red flag at a bull to launch anyway, but - in the absence of that unlikely (at non-contest launch settings) scenario - there's a lot to be said for the philosophy: it's easier to beg forgiveness afterward, than permission beforehand. In my view, there's no substitute for good sense combined with a willingness to "informedly as possible" self-decide your own levels of acceptable risk. (And, yes, I understand risk decisions have potential to affect family and friends...) To turn the thought around, the idea of letting unknown bureaucrats decide my personal "acceptable level of societal/family/self risk" is beyond bizarre to me. Darwinism - not fear of bureaucratic disapproval - is sufficiently motivating! I note that under New Zealand regulations, the parachute repack interval is a year, not six months as in the USA. Is there a practical difference in level of safety? Almost certainly not. Would a longer period, such as two years, be near enough to equally safe? Probably. Maybe parachutes in the USA are subjected to greater environmental extremes, possibly causing items such as rubber bands to perish more quickly. But probably it's just bureaucratic arbitrariness. |
#13
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Parachute use in single seat gliders
There was a flight out of Truckee a number of years ago where a glider and Aero Commander collied, with the boom of the glider nearly severed, but it stayed attached. The pilot was not wearing a chute and he landed safely, but....
Boy it sure would suck to need a chute and not have one! |
#14
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Parachute use in single seat gliders
The manual that came with my parachute, not one of the "standard"
brands, calls for a 1-year inspect and repack cycle unless your country's regulations require more frequent inspections. Unfortunately, we're stuck with 6 months. I understand that in the olden days, it was 1 month. On 5/20/2016 1:36 AM, Bruce Hoult wrote: On Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 6:06:38 PM UTC+3, BobW wrote: On 5/19/2016 7:05 AM, N97MT wrote: On Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 11:25:37 PM UTC-5, Surge wrote: On Thursday, 19 May 2016 02:46:16 UTC+2, wrote: Best answer, just get it re-packed. Several years ago someone on the west coast left their chute on the ground because it was out of date. Got caught in the clouds in wave and ripped the wings off killing themselves. Kevin 92 That's a good example of where the decisions of authorities trumps logic. I can only understand that sort of reasoning if you actually plan to use your chute for the flight (skydiving). I have flown with expired chutes (just a couple of days past repacking - it was club equipment) and I'd rather be bust with an expired chute than find myself without one in an emergency like the poor sod mentioned above. In sport flying I have yet to experience an emergency of such magnitude where I was forced to commence a flight with an expired parachute. Or to decide to fly VFR in wave without one in the first place. Kevin is spot on. A parachute is worn like any item of clothing, and handled as such when we climb in and out of the glider. Yet, we spend more money replacing clothes when the smallest defect appears, than knowing that our emergency parachute is really functional. Locally a re-pack costs us $65. Cheap insurance -- especially in a club setting -- for probably the most neglected item on any glider. Continuing this (should-oughta be!) thought-provoking thread drift... Having experienced the changes in "societal thinking" from pre-ubiquitous - (and ultimately, in the U.S.) mandated - automobile seatbelts, and somewhat similarly, the trend toward common (also often mandated) use of motorcycle helmets, the "of *course*!" sensibility of both those devices was "immediately obvious" to me once I reached my early twenties and realized I wasn't immortal. Likewise parachute use in gliders...*regardless* of official mandate. If you care about easily and relatively inexpensively actively minimizing risk-to-self in driving, motorcycling or soaring (to use 3 common examples) - soaring also being arguably purely self-indulgent and thus completely "unnecessary" - seat belts, helmets and parachutes are "Duh!" choices in my view. And to be redundantly clear - I don't give a hoot WHAT officialdom says or mandates. Years ago, my personal parachute was out for repacking, and - not being a member of the local club at that time - rather than not go soaring that day, I flew atop a 4-inch-thick pad of foam I had lying about. Talk about feeling naked! Point being, when it comes to "acceptable soaring risk," about the last thing I'd be worrying about is being "busted by the FAA" for an out-of-pack-date parachute. Sure, if you're detected when being about to launch at the field, it would be like waving a red flag at a bull to launch anyway, but - in the absence of that unlikely (at non-contest launch settings) scenario - there's a lot to be said for the philosophy: it's easier to beg forgiveness afterward, than permission beforehand. In my view, there's no substitute for good sense combined with a willingness to "informedly as possible" self-decide your own levels of acceptable risk. (And, yes, I understand risk decisions have potential to affect family and friends...) To turn the thought around, the idea of letting unknown bureaucrats decide my personal "acceptable level of societal/family/self risk" is beyond bizarre to me. Darwinism - not fear of bureaucratic disapproval - is sufficiently motivating! I note that under New Zealand regulations, the parachute repack interval is a year, not six months as in the USA. Is there a practical difference in level of safety? Almost certainly not. Would a longer period, such as two years, be near enough to equally safe? Probably. Maybe parachutes in the USA are subjected to greater environmental extremes, possibly causing items such as rubber bands to perish more quickly. But probably it's just bureaucratic arbitrariness. -- Dan, 5J |
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