July 11, 2008
They must be kidding
There's a great story about this guy who went on a skydiving course. He loved the first dive and could not wait to get back in the plane, and out of it. He wasn't lucky with the second dive because that day the wind was blowing too hard (an expression very alien to a kitesurfer) and he had to just wait on the airfield the whole day. And then another day a week later. Third time he got all the way to the plane and 100 meters in the air, and then the engine of AN-2 died. 100 meters is just enough to open your parachute but it will not have much effect on your speed. So if there is any benefit from a parachute at 100 meters it is probably that if you jump and immediately open the shoot it will elegantly cover your very flat body on the ground. Anyway, this guy and 12 other novices were scared as hell because the pilot was swearing in Russian and plane was gliding towards the ground shakily. The emergency landed in the bushes and the lot had to walk back to the base about 3 kilometers away. A happy ending!
I'd consider this a funny story had the guy not been me. With that experience behind my belt (and almost touching my underpants) this flyer seems hilarious. I mean, what the hell was this Photoshop-loving designer thinking. Why show freefalling 2 meters above the air, so-far-so-good style. Then again, maybe it's me.
Two important bits, both of which were probably unknown to you at the time of your adventurous experience:
1. The minimum permitted operating altitude of Z-5 reserve parachute (the one you had on your belly) at flight speeds exceeding 80 km/h is 50 meters above ground level. If I remember correctly then the MPOA of the D-5 main at 80 km/h+ was 80 m AGL.
2. An-2 is designed to be able to land safely after engine failure. Of course there must be enough altitude for the pilot to be able to find a suitable alternate landing area.
Posted by: wolli at July 14, 2008 10:38 AM
