This subject touches a nerve with many pilots and I've seen heated discussions arise because of it. I believe the -12 should at least have a BRS as optional equipement. I brought up the subject of ballistic parachutes on another forum already so instead of formulating a new paragraph I'll just cut and paste if you guys dont mind....
"I first heard of the use of BRS several years ago but it was one of
my pilgramages to Mecca (Oshkosh) in 2003 that my wife and I watched
a demonstration film in the BRS tent that I decided to consider using
one on my homebuilt. Though I `considered' it, my wife decided in her
mind that `if' I was going to do something as `crazy' as build and
fly my own airplane that it would not leave the ground without a BRS
installed. So, in order to enjoy the rest of my (ok, our) stay at
Osh, I promised to install one on my homebuilt even though at the
time I wasn't convinced I really wanted the extra weight penalty.
Like I said, that was years ago. Any mention of installing a BRS on a
homebuilt back then was usually met with critisism's such as, `if you
plan on building a `real' airplane and not an Ultralight then you
obviously intend to be a `real' pilot so your not going to need
one'or `if you plan on crashing why are you building a plane?', ect,
ect. However nowadays BRS units are becoming commonplace and in fact
standard equipement on some aircraft. I think there is good reason
for this.
One of the past critisisms of having a ballistic parachute onboard
was that many felt (from what I had read on various Forums) that by
having a `quick way out' should a pilot `percieve' he/she is in dire
circumstances, that pilot would be more likely to just pull
the `panic' handle (to the BRS) as opposed to use the skill
they `should' have to fly and recover the aircraft. I agree with
this. I've read of BRS deployments occuring at the hands of novice or
paniced pilots that probably were not in actual non-recoverable
situations (and had that deployment chalked up as a `save'). And I
agree that having a ballistic recovery system at hand is absolutely
no excuse for good piloting skills. A BRS is simply a safety tool and
tools can fail. You cannot depend on anyone or anything else to get
you out of trouble. Your PIC and it's up to you to have the skills to
keep yourself (and others) out of trouble.
However, I also know s**t happens and that at least some of those
over 200 documented (I bring up `documented' because I wouldn't be
surprised if there were non-reported deployments in which a panicked
pilot was too embarrased to report their mistake) `saves' were indeed
legit and it only takes one, and only one, letigimate catastrophic
occurance to make you wish you had ignored the machismo in you long
enough to have installed a recovery system. I believe many pilots
that wear parachutes do so for the same letigimate reasons.
I know keeping your skills up and being the best pilot you
can `should' keep you out of trouble. You never stop learning nor
should you get to the point where you think you `know it all'. I'm
sure 99.9% of pilots will never find themselves in a catastrophic
situation in which a ballistic recovery system would have saved their
lives and therefore what are the chances any of us will ever need
such a device.
Unfortunately, some have found out too late and lost their lives for
it. One of those was known to be one of the best pilots in history, a
legend in aviation and a pilot possesing more skill and aeronautical
knowledge than anyone of us will ever have. Scott Crossfield's Cessna
had a catastrophic failure while attempting to circumvent inclimate
weather. The tail section departed the fuselage from 8,000ft. and
left one of the most skilled aviators in the world with no option but
to ride his wreck to his death. "It was an incongruous end for such
an accomplished aviator, a death akin to a NASCAR driver being killed
in a minivan on the way to the supermarket. This was a pilot who had
flown supersonic rocket planes, broke Mach 2 and helped design the X-
15, a rocket plane that touched the edge of space. He made the cover
of Life magazine in 1958 and was profiled in Tom Wolfe's
bestseller "The Right Stuff."
Unlike his many years as a record breaking test pilot where he had a
safety system on board supersonic aircraft that saved his life during
catastrophic events in the past, in his subsonic civilian
recreational aircraft he had no parachute or ejection seat to count
on. Had his aircraft been equiped with a ballistic recovery system
would he be alive? I don't know, but I'm certain what happened
without it.
Scott Crossfield's death is a rather `dramatic'example given who he
was but none the less, an aircraft had a catastrophic structural
failure and the pilot, without any other option, was killed.
What it comes down to is personal choice. I have no problem with
someone that disagree's with me on this, that's their own opinion and
I'm sure they have their own good reason for it. I figure out of the
$45,000 or so dollars I'm going to spend building my aircraft, $5,000
for a proven `last chance' safety device is worth it to me (and keeps
the wife off my back
."
Mike