EMERGENCY PARACHUTE LIFESAVER OR VERY EXPENSIVE CUSHION?

Your first response to the title of this article is probably “I’m a GA pilot why do I care since I will never wear a parachute!” Well, that may be true until you get offered a ride in a warbird, or a glider, or something aerobatic. At that time your pilot is going to give you a parachute. The purpose of this article is to provide a bit of a primer so that in the case of a very unlikely but not impossible event occurring which forces you to bail out, the parachute will be the lifesaver that it is meant to be.

First of a bit of background. There are 2 main types of parachutes you are likely to see, a sport parachute and an emergency parachute.

Emergency parachutes as the name implies are meant to be used in a bail out scenario. It will have a heavy duty round canopy and an oversize drogue which will increase the speed of deployment to allow a lower survivable activation altitude. Sport parachutes in contrast are design for regular use and are optimized for a softer opening and high maneuverability. In addition, emergency parachutes are designed to be worn while sitting in an aircraft seat.

There are 2 main types of emergency parachutes, backpack, and seat pack. In the backpack style the parachute is contained in the fabric container worn on your back while the in the seatpack you sit on the parachute container. Seatpacks are typically found in X-military aircraft while backpacks would normally be worn in GA aircraft.

So, the pilot hands you a parachute and tells you to put it on, what now? Well, if it is indeed going to be a potential lifesaver not a seat cushion, there are some things that need to happen.

1) The parachute should be inspected for general condition and any obvious defects such as rips in the container or frayed straps or bent buckles. You should also ask the owner to check the release pin. This is the pin the D handle is hooked to and when pulled free starts the deployment process. It will be easily accessible under a velco patch on the back (backpack) or top (seatpack) of the parachute container. If this pin is bent, then you may not be able to pull the D ring and the parachute won’t open.

2) When you put the parachute on, the vertical straps should be fairly tight. If the whole rig is loose and hanging low tighten the straps so the back panel is centered high and in the middle of your back. When you stand straight everything should feel a bit too tight. Don’t worry when you are sitting down the straps will feel loser.

3) You should ask the pilot what would cause him to initiate a bailout. I brief that in my Nanchang I will only bailout if the airplane is on fire or has suffered structural damage to an extent that puts aircraft control in doubt.

4) You should then get a bail out brief specific to the airplane. This should start with the bail out command and the specific actions you must take to get out.

For example, my bail out brief in the Nanchang CJ6 is as follows:

1) I will initiate a bail out by saying “bail out” three times on the intercom. If I can’t communicate with you, if you see me initiate the bail out actions, follow me as I perform them

2) Take your headset off and if possible, stow it in a place out of the way, jammed along the right side of the seat is best.

3) Open the canopy full open. Push it back until it locks open.

4) Place your right hand on the forward fixed canopy bow.

5) Place your left hand on the seatbelt release and pull hard to release all the belts.

6) Exit the aircraft on the left side.

7) When clear of the airplane look, locate, pull. That is bend your head down and to the left to look at and locate the D ring, then put both hands on the D ring and pull hard.

8) After deployment look for the steering toggles and keep you legs together and slightly bent for the landing. Some general considerations. The headset cord can impede or even prevent your exit, so you need to get rid of it. It is very important that you open or jettison the canopy or door before you release the seatbelt because if the airplane is tumbling you could be thrown away from the exit. Similarly having a grip on the canopy arch or door frame will allow you to control your body during the exit process. The seat belt should open with a right to left motion;however, you should check to see if it has a nonstandard configuration in which case you would reverse your hands. If you have a choice, the side to bail out is determined by the engine rotation. On airplanes with Western engines go out the right side. Russian, Chinese, or British airplanes with engines rotating in the opposite direction favour going out the left side. This is because the propeller slip stream will push you away from the fuselage not towards it.

I know this seems like a bit of overkill and 99.5% of the time it is not going to matter, but if it turns out to be a really, really bad day for you, without some preparation and planning; it is highly likely you will just be wearing a very expensive seat cushion riding the airplane down to the scene of the accident.