Microlighters

Hi guys

Regarding the deployment of ballistic shute on our microlights. Very interesting video on DSTV discovery channel last night. Think the program was destroyed in seconds. Shows a little 3 axis two stroke microlight doing loops. Guy enters the loop with to much speed and one of the wings break half way through. Video from ground and some onboard footage. Violently spinning down and the guy still managed to pull the shute. Desent looks slow, plus he landed in some soft bushes - and his plane took a hard nock. He lived to tell the tale and to fly again at least. Thinking on my next trike I will want one fitted.

Proofs the point that one still can pull that handle after structural failure occurred. They recon he was doing over the 200km/h when the wing snapped.


Cheers
Karl

now the real question is why was he doing loops

This is not normal flying, this guy was seriously asking for it

The part I loved was when the voice over stated that ALL microlight aircraft are fitted with a recovery chute!

yes i am with Morph, why was he flying like a tard?? you have to remember that here in the U.S until very recently you did not need any training or a licence to fly a microlight unless it was a 2 seater. so all single seaters were, you buy it and fly it. hence the terible safety record here and bad name micros have. Now they have a new system and I am not familiar with them because I now fly blik aeries!!!LOL I miss my trike though!!!! jamie

Morph wrote:now the real question is why was he doing loops

This is not normal flying, this guy was seriously asking for it

Also saw it. Only in America - this was at a microlight airshow. This guy was doing what he was doing always, only this time he pushed it a little further, went faster on the downward part of the loop, and when he pulled back he overdid it a bit. Looked like a MAC CDL kinda microlight.

Scary stuff.

I have always wondered whether a BRS is worth the extra money and weight. I decided at the beggining of this year... it was! I have read Freedom Flight about 12 times and after reading what happend to Alan, and having read and heard stories, it is well worth it! I have also met Ricky a few times and talked about Freedom Flight, and he has always said that one of his biggest regrets was not fitting the chutes!
It may save your life... which sounds better to you: saved weight and money (That could result in death) or a few extra kgs on your plane, and a more money out of your pocket - which could save your life??
I agree with Morph, why was he doing it? Whether at an airshow or not... you HAVE to be careful doing things like that!!
Cheers,

Anyone know if this footage is on Youtube?

I did not see the clip on TV...

This is however what the BRS is made for in IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXQKaxp6Rlk

If I remember correctly that was a tug plane that flew in front of him and he connected the towing cable.

Interesting topic.....

So lets ask this one : I know of 3 accidents in the last couple of years that 8 people died tragically where the BRS WAS NOT DEPLOYED - reason unbeknown to us!

Without fuelling speculation I ask WHY were these systems not deployed? Spending R 20 - 50g's and you don't use the bloody thing!

I think that the benefit is that in certain circumstances, it gives you a chance that you would not otherwise have.

The stupid thing is that I have seen pilots who have a chute but do not always pull the pin out when they fly. So they pay the R30k but would not have the chance anyway.

If you have an engine failure over bush or some other terain where a suitable landing spot is not available then you could deploy. Or if you get caught in mist or above cloud, you have another option.

The only real issue is in the event of structural failure could you deploy it if you wanted to? Hard to say but I would rather have the option.

If you have a structual failure i would guess that the "G" force would be such a force that it would be about impossible to get to the handle even if the handle is right infront of you. I have not talked to Ricky mush about Alan, too sore to talk about. He was my very best bud. However i do wish he had a BRS. If you are flying very long distances I highly recomend a BRS for that "onece off unpredictable" instance. But if you are a pilot who flies a good well proven aerie and fly with in the limits, I do not see spending that kinda tom. But all for themselves. As one of the above coments, yes if you are over a forrest of in cloud but hey you should not be there in the first place!!! If an engine out and there is limited place to land like lets say over the bush in the hoedspruit area i am taking my plane to the ground and will stall it into the rough terrain. I mean what if you pull the BRS and it fails to fully deploy and tangles in your wing?? I skydive and have had 6 malfuctions in 1200 jumps so it can happen.
My 10 cents worth...
Jamie

Also of concern is that false sense of security that a chute can give, in other words, you may just be tempted to fly over that cloud base that you would not consider without a chute, or, you no longer need to plan for or look for that emergency landing field. You could find yourself flying into places that you would not normally do, as said, you should not be there in the first place.
But then, if you have one, and one day you find you need it, and use it, great, but ......,make sure that you don't think you are a better pilot just because you have one.
take care,
Dirk