Why don't aeroplanes have parachutes?

The simple answer is that planes don't crash till they hit the ground..... after that i don't think you have enought altitude for the shute to open.
 
Do planes have elevators? Everyone could get in and leave an 'unfortunate one' to count ready steady jump whilst timing the elevator to go up a floor.
 
Maybe the plane should have a giant parachute that shoots out of the top? I'm sure it'd work somehow!
 
6thElement said:
Some planes do, personal ones in jumbo jets would never be viable. Look how long it takes to get everyone on and off the plane...

plane_parachute.jpg
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It takes 78 seconds to evacute a fully laden A380(873 people). Quite quick if you ask me. Course it's still pointless
 
I really wanna see someone try the elevator "jump before you land" thing, I'm refusing to believe it doesn't work until I see someone try it :p
 
when i read the op i thought he ment a plane with a parachute not each person, sat there for 2 mins wondeing how much of a good/bad idea it would be
 
Perhaps when we have flying cars in a couple of years, we will have our own parachutes in event of an emergency.

Untill then just, jump and close your eyes ... oh yeah hold your nose too.
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weringo said:
I really wanna see someone try the elevator "jump before you land" thing, I'm refusing to believe it doesn't work until I see someone try it :p
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If you jump just before the elevator hits the ground, your speed relative to the ground is still basically the speed of the elevator. If whilst you're in the air the elevator hits in the ground, when you land, you will still land at the velocity of the elevator, thus breaking your legs and probably crushing your internal organs.
 
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how about row seating ejection systems? all engines die, plane drops to survivable altitude, each row of 4? seats gets ejected sideways using rockets and has those big capsule like parachutes, land in the ocean and get eaten by hammerheads anyway hehe. still more would survive would'nt they rather than everyone dying as what usually happens.

i'm sure a system could be possible if they tried.
 
Combat squirrel said:
Exactly what im thinking, the plans goin down for whatever reason, (dont understand why they cant glide persay) and open it high enough where the air is thin and wouldnt break the shoot, and yeh float down, no doubt it would be a mother of a wack and break some things but better than total incineration. lol
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Planes can glide. They can't glide well, largely because they are far too heavy, but they can glide. A skilled pilot might be able to make a plane lose altitude slowly enough for a landing to be survivable, in some circumstances. I've read that a pilot once brought a 747 down safely when it suffered total engine failure over the Alps, managing to reach a runway that had been cleared for the emergency and making a rough but adequate landing with no injuries to the passengers or crew.
 
One of things pilots practise on a regular basis, is a total engine failure and finding a suitable landing site as close as possible. Basically the cost of ejection systems isn't viable for commerical aircraft. Military aircraft have a variety of systems.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/eairliner.htm
http://www.ejectionsite.com/b58capsule.htm
http://www.f-111.net/ejection.htm
http://www.ejectionsite.com/f111restore.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_crew_capsule

Basically flying commerically at least is very safe. Your more likely to die from something else.
 
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what about when aeroplanes have hydraulics failures? usually what happens is the pilot gets it on the ground but mostly in lots of small pieces, if everyone had a parachute they could slow it down and everyone jumps out the bottom of the aeroplane? i'd like a parachute just for those times when having one would be useful.
 
Did NASA not have a system that could land a plane reasonably easily that had suffered hydraulics failure, but it was deemed too expensive to implement?
Remember watching an Aircrash Investigation or Seconds From Disaster, must be scary stuff being in that situation!
 
OspreyO said:
One of things pilots practise on a regular basis, is a total engine failure and finding a suitable landing site as close as possible. Basically the cost of ejection systems isn't viable for commerical aircraft. Military aircraft have a variety of systems.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/eairliner.htm
http://www.ejectionsite.com/b58capsule.htm
http://www.f-111.net/ejection.htm
http://www.ejectionsite.com/f111restore.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_crew_capsule

Basically flying commerically at least is very safe. Your more likely to die from something else.
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All very good reasons against ejection 'capsules' or 'pods' except this one:

Possible injuries to passengers due to use
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Well, surely injury is better than exploding in a fireball when the plane hits the ground?

I can see it now though. "Man sues airline for saving his life. He suffers a grazed knee as the capsule landed whilst the plane he was in exploded"
 
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