Parachute question (technicality)

[Bill Greenwood]

Steve, maybe I am not the norm, but I sure don't take off my seat belt, EVER, while I am flying. And that includes when I am in a plane capable of acro , or just my Bonanza or an airliner unless I am going to the restroom. And I wear it all the time I am driving, not just on freeways or weekdays or any other bad reason.
Sure, I may have not have it as tight as it will go all the time, and part of my landing checklist is to snug it up, but I don't unbuckle it. What purpose does that serve? I can't imagine wanting to fly along with a chute half on and half off.That would be like having fire insurance on your house that was only good for every other day.

In Joe's case, he got out, even at low altitude, he did pull the ripcord, and the chute did open, but pulled off of him. I am not certain if it was the leg straps or the chest strap left undone, but that it what I was told. I don't think it is known what went wrong with his engine leading to the bailout. I can't write all I'd like to on a public site on this, but maybe we will meet at Osh or somewhere. The end result was as tragic as if he'd not had a chute at all, and probably could have been avoided.

I have done a lot of T-34 flying. It is sort of on the edge of the spectrum of really needing a chute. It is as reliable as a simple Bonanza and if I had to do a forced emergency landing, it would be my first choice of plane. You may do acro, but aren't really likely to do the all out hammerhead or Pitts type inverted spins, so one may be less likely to need to bail out of a 34. But I could never understand the few owners who don't wear chutes in their 34s. You've go to sit on something, why not sit on something that can save your life? You can have a big cushion for your butt in case you don't eat as many donuts as I do, and have that cushion be part of the chute. Having to bail out as a civilian is rare, but I know a few people that have been saved that way, like Sean Tucker.

For those who fly all out acro ,where a broken plane or unrecoverable spin is not unknown, a chute really is a must. For other experimental and warbird types it is a good idea. I actually feel a little uneasy sometimes because I don't wear one in the Bonanza, where there is no good way to get out the door.

My idea on safety is that it is up to me to cut down the danger by not doing dumb stuff, like low level vertical acro, or too much scud running or imc sneaking through or takiing off with a dead mag, or going with my chute half buckled,
For the rest of the danger spectrum ,that is up to luck or God or whatever, and that part is something we can't control all the time.