Parachutes for airplanes....

[Jon P. Inghram]

Yes, but do you really know the question?

[IM_Riktar]

Originally posted by Wombat
....sometimes.

The article makes it sound like it's not that reliable.

Nothing is 100% For that matter seatbelts are not 100% reliable but I still wear them.

And of course one does always have the option of not pulling the handle since "It probably won't work anyway" when it's needed.

That must be the thinning of the herd that natures uses to keep cynical people in check.

[William]

People have been doing this for some time now -and suggesting A380 capable versions (that one was multiple parachutes; 7 IIRC).

The two biggest problems that I am aware of in the system on an airliner are that mostly a glide landing using the wings will be better than a parachute landing.

If the wings have been removed, is there much chance of the fuselage actually taking the stresses from parachutes attached at unusual load points?

I always laugh when I hear about NASA researching the "new concept" of steerable parachutes though -Francis Rogallo did most of the ground work quite a few years ago when he was employed by them.

[Lizzard[MPE]]

i would take small commercial jets more often if this was in place