Many pilots have asked this same question Bob. If you really want to bail
out of an aircraft and try your chute, I would suggest a large open area
field preferably just plowed, far away from reporting eyes, it makes for a
softer landing. Use a dual airplane, i.e. Citabria, take the door off, have
the back seat pilot hold the aircraft steady, upwind of the landing area,
and jump. Your altitude should be around 2,500 feet. Pull the ripcord as
soon as your clear of the aircraft. I am assuming the chute your using is
steerable, land into the wind, feet and knees together. I have had only two
pilots do this (I forget their names) , and both did just fine. The
parachute works. This must be called an emergency jump, otherwise if it is
intentional you must wear a dual parachute system.

Round parachutes of every description were used from the 1950's to the early
1970's. Granted we would carry a backup chute, but that was mostly because
the non rigger jumper packed his own chute and not a Parachute Rigger. With
about 500 jumps on a round chute, I had problems on just one jump, a line
over, and I landed ok. It was when I started into the early high performance
canopies that I had to use my reserve more often than I wanted to.

Make sure after you land to gather up your chute very carefully and it must
be keep clean or the rigger will not pack it again. Good luck.
--
Don Mayer
Parachute Shop
Pepperell, Ma 01463
1-978-433-8550
E-Mail: donmayer@parachuteshop.com

"Rich Stowell" <rich@richstowell.com> wrote in message
news:77e002cf.0203291857.1bbde8ef@posting.google.com...
> Bob Esser <esser@nrl.navy.mil> wrote in message
news:<3CA4D18F.2030907@nrl.navy.mil>...
> > Since I am getting into aerobatics, I will be looking into buying my own
> > parachute at some time in the near future. This is a good and necessary
> > expense. However, I would like to get more than just peace of mind out
> > of the repacking costs every 120 days. What I would like to do is be
> > able to jump with the chute just before the expiration. I think this
> > would make me a bit safer since I would have confidence in the chute and
> > be experienced in actually jumping.
> >
> > The problem is, most of the aerobatics chutes are reserve parachutes
> > only and apparently not recommended to jump in. I find this a bit
> > bothersome since their sole purpose is to save your life by jumping with
> > them.
> >
> > Are there rigs that allow dual use as a light duty recreational
> > parachute and as a full time aerobatics safety parachute?
> >
> > I am not looking to do precision jumps, just land in the general
> > vicinity of the DZ. I noticed that even aerobatic chutes are sometimes
> > advertised as having controllability.
> >
> > Maybe I am just hoping for too much, but, if I buy and maintain a
> > parachute, I would like to at least use it.
> >
> > Thanks for any suggestions.
> >
>
> > Bob Esser
>
>
> The problem is this:
>
> When skydiving, you jump with two chutes -- a main (which you can
> repack yourself afterwards) AND a reserve chute (which must be
> repacked every 120 days by an approved/certified rigger).
>
> As you noted, the chute you wear in an aerobatic airplane is a reserve
> chute only. No main chute as part of the package. No intentional
> skydives with it because there is no back-up.
>
> In fact, if you really think about it, in an aerobatic airplane the
> airplane itself is your "main," and so if you have to cut away from
> your main, you have one and only one shot left -- the
> reserve/emergency chute.
>
> I'd recommend taking a tandem jump or even an accelerated free fall
> (AFF) course to see what it's like to bail out of an airplane, use the
> chute. etc. In that case, you will have two chutes on your back --
> main and reserve -- vs. the reserve only as your aerobatic "emergency
> chute."
>
> In some cases, you can--with appropriate training--get an
> "emergency/aerobatic" reserve chute that is rectangular/ram air chute
> (instead of the basic round canopy), fully steerable. But you'd still
> only have one chute in the bag...
>
> Rich
> http://www.richstowell.com
>

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