How safe are parachutes? [Archive]

Hitcher

16th November 2005, 18:42

The attachment is from a recent copy of the British Medical Journal. It raises some interesting issues about the "scientific method"...

Ixion

16th November 2005, 18:49

Not only has parachute use not been scientifically proven, there are also NO laws governing their use.

It seems to me that the government should IMMEDIATELY pass laws to ensure that anyone jumping out of a aeroplane must be wearing an approved parachute. With inspectors in each plane to check, and a licensing (and fine/demerit system) to ensure that people jumping out of aeroplanes are properly tested and qualified

Swoop

16th November 2005, 21:18

MacD

16th November 2005, 21:22

The attachment is from a recent copy of the British Medical Journal. It raises some interesting issues about the "scientific method"...

I wonder what a placebo parachute would look like?

MacD

16th November 2005, 21:23

On the other hand, why would you jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane in the first place!?

Swoop

16th November 2005, 21:24

On the other hand, why would you jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane in the first place!?

Because the door was open.

SARGE

16th November 2005, 21:31

On the other hand, why would you jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane in the first place!?

i have over 300 jumps under a Mil-Spec canopy.. worst i ever got was a kick in the balls from a loose groin strap..

MacD

16th November 2005, 21:32

The attachment is from a recent copy of the British Medical Journal. It raises some interesting issues about the "scientific method"...

"Scientific method" is a bit broad really, I'll settle for "randomised controlled clinical trials"...

However the responses (http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/327/7429/1459)are quite fun to read (if you like this sort of thing ;)

MacD

16th November 2005, 21:33

i have over 300 jumps under a Mil-Spec canopy.. worst i ever got was a kick in the balls from a loose groin strap..

Yeah, but did you jump or were you (metaphorically) pushed!? ;)

Swoop

16th November 2005, 21:40

I think we can arrange a little "quantitive study trial" quite easily. There seems to be an excess of public servants at the moment, so we could chuck them out of the plane at various heights to see if the results quoted are quantifyable in any way......:blip:

SARGE

16th November 2005, 22:03

Yeah, but did you jump or were you (metaphorically) pushed!? ;)

im a mad bastard to begin with ... i jumped.. best i ever jumped was a HALO jump..(High Altitude, Low Opening ..)

HAHO's arent as much of a rush, but you get to look around for longer and you can saturate the LZ with frags on the way down too... :2thumbsup

also been airlocked out of a sub at 50 metres..(THAT hurt...)

DMNTD

16th November 2005, 22:14

Have jumped at 9000ft strapped to a burly bloke and paid good money for it too..:whistle: :shake:
Freak of a rush I gotta say! Will definately do it again:yes:

MacD

16th November 2005, 22:16

also been airlocked out of a sub at 50 metres..(THAT hurt...)

What air pressure do subs run at internally? Near atmospheric? I guess flooding the airlock would be pretty hard on the ears/sinuses then!?

SARGE

16th November 2005, 22:54

What air pressure do subs run at internally? Near atmospheric? I guess flooding the airlock would be pretty hard on the ears/sinuses then!?

every 10 metres a diver is underwater.. he gets hit with another bar of pressure ( 50 metres = 5 athmospheres pressure.. = about 75psi or so)

a sub stays at 1 bar internally (approx)

from 14.7 psi to 75 psi within a few minutes really feels like youve just had a car drop on you..

after depths like that, your teeth dont fit together right ( dead serious..)

What?

17th November 2005, 05:32

There are laws governing their use.
Yes, they must be "approved" to a TSO Standard.
There is a licencing structure for the users of the parachutes.
Maybe not in Pomgolia, circa 2003, though

Your point here is?????
Ixion was practicing the art of sarcasm - a worthwhile cause IMO.

MacD

17th November 2005, 07:13

from 14.7 psi to 75 psi within a few minutes really feels like youve just had a car drop on you..

after depths like that, your teeth dont fit together right ( dead serious..)

Considering how much a reverse sinus squeeze hurts (I'm a diver) that sounds rather unpleasant!

Swoop

17th November 2005, 07:59

Maybe not in Pomgolia, circa 2003, though.

Incorrect, the BPA (british parachute association) regulate their gear and jumpers - some would say too much...

Ixion was practicing the art of sarcasm - a worthwhile cause IMO.

How clever of him then.

SARGE

17th November 2005, 08:16

Considering how much a reverse sinus squeeze hurts (I'm a diver) that sounds rather unpleasant!

at 50m.. its really hard to exhale.. we normaly didnt stay down there for too long.. that was more for the stealth insertions ( so the sub couldnt bee seen..) lockout.. slow ascent, EQ every 10 m to a depth of 10-15 m and swim in. we had electric underwater "scooters" for the real long swims.. torpedo shaped with a set of handlebars and a prop at the rear.. about 3x the size of a rugby ball or so

i havn't had a pair of tanks on in a few years but i really want to get back into it.. maybe this time without a rifle and selection of grenades

maybe not..

Dadpole

17th November 2005, 09:31

i havn't had a pair of tanks on in a few years but i really want to get back into it.. maybe this time without a rifle and selection of grenades

maybe not..

Go for it - sort out a few of those bastard giant kingfish out at East Cape.
LGB rod and a funny walk for a week You can guess what happened :eek:

What?

17th November 2005, 19:18

[QUOTE=Swoop]Incorrect, the BPA (british parachute association) regulate their gear and jumpers - some would say too much...[QUOTE]
Then the document ain't for real.

Swoop

17th November 2005, 22:15

[QUOTE=Swoop]Incorrect, the BPA (british parachute association) regulate their gear and jumpers - some would say too much...[QUOTE]
Then the document ain't for real.

Clever boy.