Re: Why are there flotation devices in seats of planes instead of parachutes?

Greetings:

Parachuting from commercial aircraft was considered during the 1930s; however, at that time aircraft
traveled at less than 320 km per hour (200 miles per hour ) and at altitudes less than 3000 meters (10
thousand feet) and carried less than a dozen people. Today, aircraft fly at 800 km per hour (500+ miles
per hour) at altitudes as high as 14 thousand meters ( 40 thousand feet) and carry 10 to 20 dozen people.

Today when operating an aircraft at low speeds and at altitudes less than 4000 meters (10 thousand feet),
parachuting from an aircraft requires special training and properly designed inflight exit doors so that the
person will clear the aircraft structure. Military pilots parachuting at high speed and high altitudes
require an oxygen source or they will die or be brain dead before falling to below 4000 meters where
oxygen is not required. Also; high speed bailout often causes the aircrew to black out from the tremendous
forces on the human body and automatic opening of the parachute and special helmits that apply oxygen
are necessary.

Today most commercial aircraft accidents happen during takeoff and landing at altitudes to low to
successfully parachute, especially if dozens of people are trying to get out. Also, the time it would take to
properly put on parachutes and have 100 or more people jump would be difficult and dangerous.

Based on all of the reasons above, today the operators of civil aircraft do not provide parachutes for the
passengers or the air crew.

Today the passengers and air crew still ride a troubled commercial aircraft to the ground or water. There
have been many successful emergency landings. When landing in water the aircraft will often will float
for many minutes, so having flotation gear under the seats for these types of emergencies has saved many
lives. I witnessed the rescue of the passengers on a Boeing 727 that lost power during takeoff from Los
Angeles International Airport and landed in Santa Monica Bay about 5 miles off shore. A large number of
fishing boats and private boats successfully rescued all of the passengers and crew,
all of whom were using the onboard flotation gear for as long as 45 minutes before being rescued.

However, being a former military airman, and flying 100 thousand miles each year on commercial
aircraft, I sometimes wish that I still had a small parachute with me which we use to use as seat cushions
in military aircraft. However, the odds are that I would probably ride a disabled aircraft down anyway
instead of parachuting.

Best regards, Your Mad Scientist
Adrian Popa