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Posted for Kevin Kossi <kevin@airforcemechanical.com>:
I don't understand why some people are against others using something that
is proven to save lives. I guess it's a matter of guilt and misery loves
company. Just because one does not have the foresight or want to make the
effort to take into consideration something that is proven to save lives,
(although I realize not under all circumstances) does not mean they have to
try to convince others it is fruitless to have the foresight and to make the
effort
Kevin,
If you are interested in understanding, I can explain what is obvious to most others. Yes, parachutes can and do save lives. But they are not the panacea that you are trying to make them out to be. It is better to discover that now, rather than at a point when you put yourself in a box where that is your only out.
You position is that "[parachutes] save lives, (although I realize not under all circumstances)" When looking at the whole picture dispassionately and critically, the analysis clearly shows that parachutes do save lives, although in a relatively unusual and infrequent set of circumstances. Even in the accident that you cite, only one of the two pilots was able to bail out and that is from an airplane that most probably had provisions to make bailing out easier. It is also not known what the extent of the damage to the airplane was -- the fact that the pilot chose to bail out does not mean that that was his only option.
I doubt that there is any disagreement (even between you and me) that there are situation where bailing out is simply not possible. Similarly, there is little disagreement that bailing may be the only viable option in other situations. The root of the disagreement lies in how likely each of these two events is. My position is that in normal everyday GA flying, mostly cross country travel, the likelihood of events where a parachute is the only thing that can save your life is quite small to the point of being unlikely. The likelihood is a bit higher in training, but there, spending time training with a good instructor is far more valuable than hanging all your eggs under a a parachute that you can not practice with, an egress plan that you can not rehearse and have no way of knowing is even viable.
As others, far more knowledgeable about parachutes than I, have pointed out, some of your assumptions about altitude, airspeed and equipment capability are not grounded in reality. They have also pointed out that you have not accounted for issues like body position (I did not know that that was an issue), tumbling, and a host of other issues.
If you are intent on making this personal and questioning people's motives, then let me question yours: You seem to have placed all your faith in the belief that a parachute will save you in whatever jam you find yourself in. When faced with facts that question the validity of your belief, you attack others and claim that they are not as smart and conscientious as you because they have not seen the light. I guess that says more about your position than anything I can say.
Regards,
Hamid
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