Emergency Chutes for glider pilot

[Sebb_Glider 0]

Helo,

I was wondering if anybody could provide me with his experenices with TSE parachutes. As a glider pilot I would be interested in the TSE Pop Top emergency parachute. Is TSE recomendable? And why, or why not?

Also, I don't know if anybody here knows about ATL parachutes. It's a Czech brand (http://www.marsjev.cz). They also produce (emergency) parachutes and they would be cheaper. However I've heard rumours of minor quality of used material and harness. Does anybody have expriences with these parachutes?

Or maybe somebody can pass me a good review (site) of one of these parachutes?

thanks in advance

[riggerrob 561]

What type of glider are you flying. Seat shape determines which models (seat, back, chair, etc.) of Pilot Emergency Parachutes (PEP) will fit in your glider. It also depends upon how close you are to the size of the original owner.
zPEP manufacturers are often asked to build parachutes for "well-nourished Texans" who bought airplanes originally designed for jockeys.
Hee!
Hee!

www.bulterparachutes.com has an excellent article on "Selecting a Parachute."

Just a caveat, not all TSE products are covered by a Type Standard Order (TSO), while the ATL is. With the European Union rapidly adopting TSO/JTSO standards, a few years from now, it might be difficult to maintain a non-TSOed parachute???

[Sebb_Glider 0]

It would certainly have to be a back parachute.
And as being a Belgian pilot I'm not suffering the "well-nourished" Texan syndrome

[riggerrob 561]

So you have narrowed it down to a back type parachute. Now we have to decide between the two dozen different versions of back type parachutes.

What type of glider are you flying?
What is the top speed of your glider?
How much do you weigh?
Does it have upright seating?
Does it have reclined seating?
How much extra space between the canopy and your head?
How much extra space between the rudder pedals and your feet?
How much extra space between the instrument panel and your knees?
Has a Ballistic Recovery System ever been approved on your glider?

[fcajump 153]

No experience with that brand, and Riggerrob has hit most of the good questions.

Only thing to add is that Manley Butler (Bulter Parachutes) has always impressed me with his knowledge of gliders/sailplanes and the individual variations in the seat-pan configurations. You might give him a call (e-mail) to discuss your requirements.

Jim

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[Sebb_Glider 0]

I thank you both for your comments.
Now what concerns the usage of the parachute and the type of glider; we are considering buying these parachutes for our club, as our current ones our approaching their end of life.
So these parachutes should fit for both upright as reclined seatings, max top speed of 280 km/hour, and limited spacings between canopy and head. No ballistic recovery system are installed on our club gliders.

So basicly, the parachute should be as thin as possible, and must carry approximately a max weight of 115 kilograms (as this is the current max we target)

We thought of the TSE chute (for gliders) because our current rigger recommended this chute. The ATL's are considered because of positive real life usage by a belgian pilot last summer and we can have them at a relative cheap price.

[JPDECHENE 0]

You can contact Pierre Van Mensel in Berchem Antwerp who, as a Rigger, does a lot of work on glider pilots parachutes.

If you are on the french speaking part, you can get in touch with me at Spa anytime ([email: [email protected]]

safe flying,

JPD

[riggerrob 561]

So these parachutes should fit for both upright as reclined seatings, max top speed of 280 km/hour, and limited spacings between canopy and head. No ballistic recovery system are installed on our club gliders.

So basicly, the parachute should be as thin as possible, and must carry approximately a max weight of 115 kilograms (as this is the current max we target)

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Your seat configuration limits you to a tapered back pack (i.e. Aviator is 2" thick at top, tapering to zero at the bottom) or a chair type (i.e. Long Softie).

Your weight (254 pounds) and speed limits (175 mph) put you squarely in the Standard Category.

While the Aviator (Rigging Innovations) comes standard as a reverse-tapered back pack, Butler also makes similar containers and most Softie back types can be packed thick across the top and thin across the bottom.
Avoid "aerobatic" or "wedge" shaped containers because they are tapered in the wrong direction (zero thickness at top but 2 or 3 inches thick at the bottom) and will give you a sore back after a few minutes.
Chair type containers are available from most PEP manufacturers: Butler, GQ Defense, National, Para-Phernalia, Spekon, Strong, etc.
National and Butler's 102 series chair containers are tapered the opposite of most other chair types, because they are thin across the back, but thick under the knees. This works great for long-legged pilots, but may make it difficult for short pilots to reach the rudder pedals.
Don't many modern gliders have adjustable rudder pedals?

As for canopies, my bias is towards large squares (i.e P124A/Aviator 290), but most of my colleagues will recommend some sort of conical round parachute: ATL, Butler's HX-series, Strong's LoPo series, Preserve 1, etc.
To save your "better-nourished" club members, stick with Standard Category (254 pounds) canopies.
Avoid Phantoms or Aerostars because they really should be counted in the low-speed category.