In article ,
"Bill Daniels" wrote:

Actually, I hate USING parachutes, WEARING one is a good idea.

Bill Daniels

wrote in message ...
Howdy All,

What is the consensus among homebuilders on using parachutes: either
personal
or ballistic for the whole airplane?

While they are expensive, it seems like they might be pretty cheap
insurance.

All thoughts and ideas welcome,

tom pettit


I am NOT a fan of ballistic parachutes for anything other than
ultralights, where engine/structure may be substandard.

Even for a 2-place homebuilt, a ballistic parachute has a limited value.

It will eat 50-75 lbs of your useful load;

it is expensive to maintain, as the pyrotechnics have to be replaced
every 5 years or so;

it is expensive to buy($5000-$10000);

The pyrotechnics may present a safety hazard (rember flares? they caused
more hangar fires than lives saved -- I even know of two lives LOST
because the flare hung up on a wing strut.)