Light-Sport Chronicles: Shroud Lines II

Although the deployment was in a Cirrus four-seater, I wrote about it for several reasons. First, it's a great human story. Whose heart would not be moved by the trauma of facing a life-threatening crisis with their own child in tow?

Also, a great many LSA models come with parachute systems made by BRS, GRS, Second Chantz et al as standard or optional equipment. I believe LSA may help bring about a time when most aircraft buyers regard parachutes as "must-have" equipment.

Yet I still hear pilots express, with strong conviction, negatives about airframe parachutes. They worry that pilots now have a too-easy out in situations where good airmanship skills would carry the day. That's an argument that doesn't hold up for a variety of situations: engine seizures, structural failure, mid-air collision, fuel starvation over hostile terrain and many more.

Another oft-trumpeted sentiment is that pilots will be seduced by false confidence and routinely fly into hazardous conditions or take on more risks than they normally would. That concern has some merit, although most of us can readily think of pilots who do stupid things in airplanes anyway, and without parachutes.

Below you'll find more highlights from Dr. McGlaughlin talk at Sun 'n Fun. I suggest you read the article first, then come back. All quotes come from Dr. McGlaughlin.

In answer to how effective practicing 'chute deployment in the Cirrus simulator was, Dr. McGlaughlin answered, "Excellent for pulling the 'chute...except for the very sudden stop once it opens. The sim's nowhere near accurate there: You stop violently.

"In general, I think opening the 'chute in the simulator made me willing to believe that if I ever pulled it in real life, it would work. That's a confidence not all Cirrus pilots seem to share. And many non-Cirrus pilots think having a parachute onboard is foolish...which I think is foolish.

"I've done a lot of flying. I teach in all kinds of multi-engine and taildraggers. I know how to fly a plane, but I wasn't flying too good that day. I have a feeling if that (same emergency) came up again, I once again would not be doing much better.

"This was one of the real take-home points for me: I used to work in an emergency room. If you're having a cardiac arrest or you've been shot, I am just fine. But this was me and my daughter. I was not the same person. I usually have a calm demeanor, but I was tight. My daughter noticed it. I think everybody noticed it. I sure did.

"On the COPA website (Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association: www.cirruspilots.org), there's a great deal of talk about what you'd do in that situation---ways (pilots), will think their way around having to pull the chute and make a safe landing somewhere. And I say, 'Bull****!' You are not going to do that. You are not going to calculate wind vectors appropriately or behave at your best capability. You'd better plan on not being at your best. Presume that it's just going to be harder than you thought. And in a time like that, having some absolute iron-clad 'out' like a parachute...well, that's a pretty good thing to have.

"I had the wings level, I had the nose pointed where I wanted, and I'd preplanned to pull it at around 2,000 feet, because I thought if something goes wrong with the 'chute, I'll still have a little time to recover and do something, if I don't get all tangled up. But you don't get all tangled up. The chute comes right out and does just what it's supposed to do. Some pilots have deployed too low, such as in a spin at 200 feet. But I would say that everyone who pulled the handle within the parameters of the manufacturer's recommendations is here to talk about it. Which is not too shabby."

I asked how he and Elaine feel now. "We've flown in the new Cirrus. She's fine. She didn't wake up every night at three for weeks like I did, thinking 'What did I do? Why did I fly over water so soon after maintenance? Why did I fly with my dear daughter? What was I thinking? It's a lot of water!'---all the things a rational person might think.

"It's hard to get back in an airplane after you've crashed one. I was scared. I went flying with a friend. I said, 'Fly with me for awhile while I get my feet wet, so to speak---or get 'em dry---and on one flight, he pulled the engine on our Cessna 172 at 150 feet over an area with nothing but pine trees, and I had a panic attack. I just couldn't stand it. We had to do that one three or four times.

"I do think it is a comfort to fly in a plane with an airframe parachute. If you're going to fly in a single over a lot of water, I still prefer that idea to ditching."

For a ditch, even in an LSA you'll hit the water at 35 to 45 knots. "That's not vertical speed like under a canopy, but with fixed landing gear, you might flip. I bet that hurts. If you've got your seat belts on right and don't blow a spleen or do something awful, you've still got your daughter upside down underwater. I don't like that idea a bit. Those are the sort of things I wake up thinking about in the night. And basically, I get the strong impression that people think Cirrus pilots are idiots and parachutes are for weenies, and I'm here to tell you...well, we may be idiots and I may be a weenie I'm going to do it again if I need to.

"I do think there's going to be a problem if you pull a 'chute a second time. It's like a second divorce, people look at you and think, 'Hey, maybe it's you!'"

The Coast Guard-approved life jackets were from West Marine, the fanny-pack style. The doctor and his daughter didn't deploy them. "They make versions that deploy automatically, but you should not wear those in an airplane because you really don't want it deploying in the plane; it'll bar your egress. You want to get out on the wing first or in the water, then pull the vest lanyard.

"My laptop computer, cameras and avionics were trashed. It's amazing how quickly and how much corrosion occurs in salt water."

Hats off to Dr. Richard McGlaughlin for having the Right Stuff---and not being afraid to use it.