Ballistic recovery Chute

[Guest Guest]

Hello,

 

Has anybody or does anybody have experiance with installing a BRS or GRS into a low wing ultralight?. I would like to hear from anybody who has designed a exit point for a system.

 

 

[bushpilot]

I haven't had the fitting experience - but I have been investigating one for my trike.

 

My instructor has told me that their have been more deaths and injuries from accidental deployments and 'over-use', than lives saved by them being needed. i.e. re the 'over-use' he means deliberate deployments when there where other options to recover from the incident.. leading to crash landings into objects, water, etc.

 

So, if this is true, it becomes a bit of a disincentive to considering ballistics.

 

Also,theimporters (into Oz)of each of the two main brands no longer stock them - only bring them in to order; so you have to assume that the take-up rate is very low..

 

Having said that, I spent 2 years flying ultralights (trikes) in theU.S. -and EVERYONE has them. It seems that they have a lot more issues with mountain generated rotors and other strange climatic things in parts of the U.S. - But it's still interesting that it has been become an almost mandatory thing over there...

 

Any thoughts or views from others on the pros and cons??

 

Chris bushpilot

 

 

[hiperlight]

I did 'basic' flying in the RAAF-Nasho (13th Intake) in 1955 to PPL level (we kept two logbooks - RAAF and Civil) and I made an executive decision (at the ripe old age of 18) not to be tempted to jump out of a Tiger Moth or a Chipmunk. I decided I would ride the beast to terra firma,so I sat on a cushion - not a parachute (except once or twice).

 

A BRS sounds great and I can probably think of times, when, with the benefit of hindsight, it could be life saving. However, once it is deployed you are committed to ride it to the ground which may be blocked by objects not of your preference (e.g. large trees, power lines, buildings, tiger country, etc. etc.). It's called 'Murphy's Law'.

 

If a BRS gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, that's great, but the best solution, in my humble opinion, is to fly the aircraft (of thesize we fly)to a stop, and that requires the use of enough grey matter, in a relatively short period of time, without having to decide whether it is safe to deploy a BRS or not.

 

Also, think of more than half a tonne swinging on a parachute......!

 

If the machine catches fire, then 'repeat after me...'

 

Unless, of course, you have exclusive, personal contact.

 

Bruce

 

 

[Admin]

After having a very scary incident of hitting clear air turbulance all of a sudden flying up to Narromine this year where if I had not been wearing my seat belt I would have fractured my neck/spine by the force of my head hitting the roof, it made me think that a chute may be worth it simply just for the peace of mind - purely psychological. Although I later found out that the CT has had wing flex testing where the wings can flex to a movement of 1 metre I feel a chute could save your life in a large structural failure. I keep thinking what a shame it would be that if say a wing snapped and as you are on your way down your last words were "Damn, I should have bought that chute".

 

I have to spec out my new CTsw in the next week or so and I am very seriously thinking of taking the chute option but the only negative is that whilst you hope you may never need it, flying around all the time having to carry an extra 13 or 19kg (depending on chute type) just for the chute is a problem.

 

Just my thoughts and I think like everything with our aircraft it is a personal choice thing.

 

 

[River]

G'day "team",

 

At the 'fear or treading on angels'... After viewing some video taken of a GA accident in the Archerfield aerodrome area (Brisbane, Queensland) with a Cessna 182 a few days back - on the vision viewed one could think that if the aircraft was equipped with a BPS both the pilot and those on the ground may have benefited from the incident.

 

As the aircraft was (originally at 1500 feet I believe) and over a residential area the aircraft may have 'landed' in the housing area area under a BPS with considerably less damage to all concerned.

 

Yes, I know it’s a long-shot with this incident but the carriage and use of a BPS is something we all should seriously consider fitting to new aircraft. Retro-fitting to older aircraft should also be seriously considered too.

 

Remember when everyone laughed and coughed when vehicle airbags were just starting to arrive on the automotive scene! Today – standard feature…

 

Yours in recreational aviation,

 

Rodger

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

you can laugh and cough again. Airbags are are coming for aircraft.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

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<TD vAlign=bottom align=left>SportairUSA Pioneers With Yet Another First -- Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) Airbag Restraints; Will Showcase StingSport at Camarillo CA EAA Sport Pilot Tour</TD></TR>

 

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SportairUSA LC, North American distributors of Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), announced another industry first -- availability of airbag restraints on an LSA. This week, SportairUSA’s StingSport became the first LSA to incorporate the AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraints (AAIR) system into its aircraft safety features.

 

Little Rock, AR (PRWEB) November 30, 2005 -- SportairUSA LC, North American distributors of Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), announced another industry first -- availability of airbag restraints on an LSA. This week, SportairUSA’s StingSport became the first LSA to incorporate the AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraints (AAIR) system into its aircraft safety features.

 

The AAIR is a self-contained modular restraint system designed to improve occupant protection from serious head impact injury during a survivable aircraft accident and enhance the occupant’s ability to exit the aircraft. The AAIR system (http://amsafeaviation.com/inflatablega.htm), manufactured by AmSafe Aviation, performs essentially the same as conventional seatbelts.

 

“The AAIR system delivers a progressive new approach in which the airbag restraints deploy away from the occupant instead of towards them†cites Bill Canino of SportairUSA. “We are quite impressed with the years of research and development and rigorous testing of the AAIR system and believe its addition to our safety feature portfolio greatly enhances StingSport pilot and passenger safety.â€Â

 

The AAIR system joins a Ballistic Recovery Parachute System and over 30 safety based features to augment StingSport occupant protection. Adds Canino, “SportairUSA upholds a never-ending commitment to customer safety and will continue to evaluate and implement new features with safety as our primary goal.â€Â

 

StingSport, the premier performance, best-equipped and safety conscious value in sport aircraft will headline this Saturday’s EAA Sport Pilot Tour aircraft exhibit at the Camarillo Airport (CMA) in California. Sport aircraft enthusiasts are invited to experience the SLSA certified StingSport first hand at the EAA sponsored event this Saturday December 3rd, call 1-866-FLY-STING or visit http://sportair-usa.com/stingprices.htm for more information. Additional information on the EAA Sport Pilot Tour can be found at http://sportpilot.org.

 

SportairUSA distributes exceptional international sport aircraft via an unparalleled regional sales and service dealer network throughout North America.

 

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[bushpilot]

The way them thaYankees self-promote had me standing to attention looking for a stars and stripes flag to salute.... ;-)

 

 

[hiperlight]

I think all LSA's and Ultralights should be radio controlled, with the pilot sitting in an armchair on the ground,surrounded by cushions (in case he/she falls out of the chair), with an inflatible doll of the appropriate sex (depending on the pilot's sexual orientation) sitting on his/her knee. The cushions could be dispensed with if the armchair is fitted with an approved four point harness. The pilot should wear a full length flakjacket and a bone-dome (with an approved face protector) just in case he/she loses control and the aircraft crashes nearbyspraying the pilot withbits from the disintegrating wreck.

 

If the aircraft is made of foam rubber,damage to third party life and property could be avoided, provided the propellor is made of safety glass, propulsion is by rubber bands, and the radio control unit is made of indian rubber and is automatically ejected and floats gently to the ground, like a wounded butterfly, after deployment of its own dedicated BRS.

 

Of course, all thiswould be unnecessaryif LSA/Ultralight flying was confined to simulators bolted to a slab of concrete.

 

Bruce

 

 

[Admin]

[pylon500]

Careful, you might give DOTARS ideas!!

 

Arthur.

 

 

[River]

Its pleasing to see we all still have a good sence of humour... Good shot!

 

Cheers,

 

Rodger

 

 

[Geoff]

Best laugh I'v had today