KCMA, Camarillo? Too far from my house.

We have lots of open fields down here in central FL, perfect for little airplanes, and if I do get one, I'll put it on floats and keep it in my backyard. I can also mow the lawn with it!

http://lightsportaircraftpilot.com/kolb_flyer_ultralight/images/flyer/kolbflyer.JPG

The airplane I fly at work costs $262 Million, holds 269 passengers and 15 crew, yet NO parachutes!

The air, like the sea, is a harsh mistress but even more so.

I came across this article the other day, its about an inventions conference and one of the inventions is a parachute system for airplanes:
[url=]http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/t...LyPT_story.html[/url]

Do you think would work?

That's a joke, right? It would take a MUCH larger parachute to bring down a heavy jet, softly enough for anyone to live.

And unless the airplane was in a deep stall when the chute was deployed (like that Air France A330 over the Atlantic) if the chute was deployed at anything over about 150kts, (and that's very slow for a passenger jet) it would snap the lanyards holding it to the jet, or damage the jet. But if it didn't snap the lanyards, it would give everyone inside the jet a broken neck, when they suddenly went from 450 to 100 kts. The Air France guys could have used a tail drouge to get their nose pointed down.

In the Fighter Community (the pussy pilots, with ejection seats!) they call it "Opening Shock", when the parchute opens and you rapidly slow down. But if you punch out above about 500 kts., you are going to die of flail injuries anyway, but if you live through the ejection, you are supposed to wait until you slow down in the free fall, to about 150 to open your chute, or you'll never father another child!

Here's some ejection seat test vids. but they are not going very fast, less than 100mph. Now, imagine the opening shock at at say, 300.

No, they are not real pilots, it's 'crash test dummies' hard at work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgcPhl1UIhA


I'm having trouble imagining under what circumstances you would need a parachute on a large jet. About the worst thing that can happen to you is have a motor blow up on takeoff, you are heavy, slow, you just left the runway behind you and now...KaBam!

Like that Delta 757 coming out of JFK a couple days ago, or Sully and his landing on the Hudson, or these guys:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47133601/ns/travel-news/

But that's why they started putting more than one motor on airliners, a long time ago, right? Redundancey = safety.

So...under what scenario would a jet need to pop a parachute? Even Sully was able to glide to a safe landing.

If it were a realistic option, and do-able, I'm sure the Military would already be doing it.

Yeup, Camarillo... You ever make it out this way look me up.... will go have some fun in a Citabria

Luv that ole Bell Helmet...

You got a Citabria?? I love flying the tailwheels!
Or I should say, Landing the tailwheels, in a good crosswind of course! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlsNDtKZqhk

Same thing, only different, in my Day Job, but much more fun in a tailwheeel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvypv_twqfY&feature=related

I am not sure where to jump into this conversation butttttt,
The cost of construction does not normally take into acount the externalities. Cheap labor overseas, no healthcare for the workers, exposure to harmfull/fatal chemicals and conditions, pollution in the form of unregulated waste disposal. This is why we send production to emerging countries, the governments are so corrupt that they have no concern for the environment or the health, wellfare and future of their citizens, but only for their own finacial interest.
We have been living on cheap oil for way too long.... Things must change. F-18 cost way more than you think when you consider all of the impact costs that it takes to produce one.
Escuse the typos por favor

I do think that cats have gotten more expensive over the years but you also get a lot more boat than a few years ago, and they are more race ready as well.
Someone brought up the price of a Tiger, but remember how much you would have to spend out of the box to make it race ready? €2000+
Remember that yellow and black rope/mainsheet they used to be shipped with?

And with the introduction of the Hobie Wildcat F18, I'm guessing they (Hobie) are admitting the Tiger is no longer 'fast enough', so a new (faster) hull design was needed, which only adds to the cost.