could be unbelievably
violent. Clothing,
shoes, jewelry, etc.
might be ripped away
in the slipstream.
That’s one reason you
need to ensure before
takeoff that your parachute harness straps
are snug, every time.
You can worry about
modesty once the
chute opens.
Based partly on
his military experi-
ence, Byron mentioned the shock of
what it feels like leaving the cockpit.
There will be an assault of noise, wind,
and cold. It’s one of the reasons he has
taken some sport parachute jumps over
the years to supplement his military
static-line jumps. “There’s no question
that it would help, having done it before
in a controlled environment, should I
AT VERY HIGH SPEED,
THERE IS SOME
CONCERN ABOUT STUFF
YOU’RE WEARING
STAYING WITH YOU,
INCLUDING THE
PARACHUTE.
wisdom is—do whatever it takes. That can
vary a lot depending on a number of fac-
tors, including the attitude, speed, and
degree of damage to the aircraft.
High-wing, strutted aircraft are not
easy to get out of, and diving headlong
through the vacated door opening is the
best bet. Byron Hamby teaches aerobatics
in a Citabria Champion at Somerset
Airport in New Jersey. He’s also a
veteran of the 82nd Airborne ( 15
jumps) and has made a couple of
sport parachute jumps to further
familiarize himself with the
practice. He explained about
briefing and practicing with stu-
dents flying in his airplane: “If
you’re in the front seat of a tan-
dem airplane such as a Citabria
during a low-level emergency,
this is not the time to be con-
cerned with me in back. If I give
the command, just jump! I can’t
leave until you do, and the sec-
ond or two it takes to check on
me could cost both of us the
chance to survive.”
At very high speed, there is
some concern about stuff you’re
wearing staying with you,
including the parachute. Your
body will slow to its terminal
velocity of around 120 mph
within a few seconds, so there’s
not much need to worry about
opening the chute at too high a
speed. But if you start out at 250
or 300 mph, this deceleration
ever need to bail out in an emergency,”
he said.
