On 10/24/2012 3:28 PM, Piet Barber wrote:
Snip...

However, I was horrified to see some of the experienced instructors get out
of the gliders by unbelting the aircraft harnesses, then unfastening the
parachute, and getting out, leaving the parachute in the glider. (I won't
say the name of the club to protect the guilty). I scolded them, "You
shouldn't do that, you'll get in the habit, and someday, when the need
arises, you'll have to bail out in an emergency. You'll follow that habit
and jump out of the aircraft without the parachute."

But then I thought about it: Surely nobody would ever *actually* do that in
an emergency! Right?

Earlier today, while reading this blog at soaring cafe,
http://soaringcafe.com/2012/05/the-b...e-you-ready/4/ and
watching the video he
http://www.eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=1404862537001

...the master parachute rigger in that video claimed that there were
documented cases of pilots bailing out without parachutes; after having
fallen back to their habitual procedure of unfastening the aircraft
harness, then unfastening the parachute harness, then bailing out sans
parachute.

Does anybody actually know about this ever happening?

(I've also e-mailed the guy who did that excellent presentation, asking him
to back up the claim).

A few years ago I had the opportunity - and was happy for it - to attend an
Allen Silver presentation (same topic as on the EAA video). All I knew of him
going in was that he was a Master Rigger.

Color me Seriously Impressed at the end of the presentation.

He was: understated; matter of factly wryly hummorous; seriously qualified at
many levels to make such a presentation; entirely believable based on my
background as a "show me" engineer with a (long, long ago) history of one
bailout from a single-seat sailplane (because it seemed like the thing to do
at the time).

Let us know what he says in reply to your query, because I, too, wondered of
the background to the claim (but lacked the gumption to ask!). That said, I'd
been following his advice for decades before I heard it, because "it seemed
like a good idea." Still does. Habits being powerful things, my nickel is on
his claim having real basis in fact...

In any event, who among us would want to be the first to prove him right, if
he's playing a bit fast and loose with the facts on this particular claim. :-)

Bob W.