Acro Chutes??

[BankAccount=0$]

Just wondering if anybody here has any experience with different brands of emergency parachutes for acro flying. I've been on the websites for National and Para Phanalia (sp), but I was hoping for some first hand info on the different brands out there on the market. I'm going to be using it in a Pitts S2C, S2B and perhaps a single holer as well. Also does anybody actually intentionaly jump on their acro chute to try it out, or is it not something that is recommended.

Thanks for the help in advance, I never thought in my flying career I'd have to buy a parachute but now that the need is there I want to do as much homework on the subject as possible.

TJ

 

[avbug]

Any TSO'd modern rig will be fine. Only one make currently carries a ram-air canopy; if I were choosing a rig, I'd take a ram air canopy over a round canopy.

You can jump a pilot rig, but there are disadvantages to jumping it. Pilot rigs usually don't come with riser releases, meaning you won't be cutting it away during a malfunction. Riser rigs are the reserve parpachute...you don't have a reserve and will have to borrow a second parachute to back you up. You'll need to make it a subterminal opening, or should, if you intend to continue using the canopy for an emergency rig.

If you are going to wear a parachute, you should seek instruction and make several parachute jumps. There is no requirement to do so, but it's a very wise thing to do. Your first time under canopy really shouldn't be the time you elect to use your parachute in an emergency; that's not such a good time to be teaching yourself anything. Go get some skydive instruction; get a few tandems, get some accelerated free fall training, get some canopy instruction, landing instruction, and practice recognizing and clearing emergencies. If you do end up getting a round reserve, then find a place that can get you some jumps on a round parachute (not easy to do any more).

 

[PA-44Typed]

Not only is it a bad idea to jump a pilot emergency rig but its illegal( far 105) If you are going to make an intentional jump, you must have a reserve. If you want any control over where you land, then you will want a ram air style canopy.

 

[avbug]

It's not illegal to intentionally jump a pilot rig.

Additional parachutes can be fitted as a chest or belly mount. For intentional cutaway training, fitting a tertiary rig is SOP; the same can be applied as a reserve for an intentional jump of a pilot rig.

A bigger issue is the inability to cut away a malfunction.

Legally there is nothing to prohibit jumping a pilot rig. 14 CFR Part 105 does not prohibit it.

 

[BankAccount=0$]

Thanks for the input Avbug and Typed. I'll have to do some more hunting around to find the ram air type chutes I guess. National has riser releases as on option on their chutes, and I'll probably get them as long as they don't get in the way of the shoulder harness and I decide to go with a National chute. I'm planning on getting some practice in jumping since I really don't want the first trip I make under a canopy to be from bailing out of a sick aircraft. Like I said, I never thought that I'd have the need to be parachute shopping so any advice is much appreciated. Ya'll fly (and jump) safe out there...............

TJ