I would like to address rules proposal 12-6, regarding the use of BRS aircraft recovery parachutes. My back groung on the sublect comes from 19 years of being on the Board of directors of BRS, Inc of South St Paul, Minnesota.
Here are some recorded statistics about the use of this type of unit:
1.) The FAA has issued Suplimental Type certificates for these units on, C-150 / 152, C-172, C-182,
Cessna "Skycatcher", Piper "Sport"( Both of which can be ordered as options) .
2.) The Cirus has had the BRS produced recovery system installad as standard equipment starting at the first production aircraft.
3,) The various units produced by BRS Inc. have been installed on many of the Kit A/C, LSA as well as ultri-lights as well as the Standard category aircraft previously mentioned.
4.) To date BRS inc.( the A/C recovery Parachute) has been responsable for saveing 268 ( as in two hundred sixty eight) lives by thier use.
5.) Some additional facts are: sucessfull deployments in in Supplimental certificated, experimental and ultra light A/C
are ..26 from surface to 100', 53 from 101' to 500' 14 between 501 and 1000'
the rest above 3000'.
Sucessful deployments in Cirus A/C are, 4 from 101' to 500', 11 from 501'
to 1000', and 13 above 3000'
6,) The rest of the saves were in the Ultra-Light family of aircraft which as we know do not often get very high
One remark was abought the units usefullnes during an aircraft fire. I agree and in all the deployments there has only been one fire. Scares the heck out of me as well. I guess I would rather land in trees or water under a BRS canopy than a personal chute. This rule change just gives us another option as far as safety is concerned. We can't have enough of those. You can easily google my stats on this
I got them from the founder and 1st president of the company..Hope it helps!
Tom Adams
IAC 1999
Director, SE