Fire Safety

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[David]

This reminds me of a related discussion on a topic with less serious consequences: flight suits. Much commentary about looking like a 'poser' but very little rationale offered for not wearing one. Are they practical? You only have to look at my shorts (I fly a fair bit in Florida) and pants (I fly elsewhere also) to see they are. They're made in many cloth weights, of many materials, to many price points - it would seem we would see at least a few on the flightline each time we fly. But of course we don't. As pilots, I guess we're still in denial like Gordy Howe and that hockey face mask.

A little thread drift - Ok I admit I have a flight suit and I'm officially a dork



I agree with you Jack, "Much commentary about looking like a 'poser' but very little rationale offered for not wearing one" Christmas gift for cold weather and I love it to fly in. One size up fits over jeans and a sweatshirt. More comfortable that a bulky coat to fly in, but come warm weather shorts and t-shirt.

Right now with the currently temps on the east coast Spring can't come to soon. Jack you may have a visitor for a few months if it doesn't get warm

[drseti]

OK, I confess I'm a flight suit kinda guy, dorky enough to not care how I look. And, I still have one left over from my Air Force days (though, admittedly, i haven't been able to get it to zip around me for at least thirty years).

That said, I should point out that the second most common cause of GA accidents, behind VFR into IMC, is fuel exhaustion. And when you run out of go-juice, fire is so unlikely that Nomex is hardly necessary.

[drseti]

I was just discussing this thread with my wife, who is very actively involved in fantasy role-playing games. When I mentioned Nomex, she asked, "made from the skins of gnomes?"

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[David]

I was just discussing this thread with my wife, who is very actively involved in fantasy role-playing games.

You may have posted that on the wrong internet site.

you beat me to the post, my thoughts also

[MrMorden]

I was just discussing this thread with my wife, who is very actively involved in fantasy role-playing games.

You may have posted that on the wrong internet site.

Not at all, I have been playing pen and paper RPGs for 30 years, and am currently writing my own game system.

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[drseti]

I have been playing pen and paper RPGs for 30 years,

Muriel has you beat by four years, Andy. She started with D&D in the white box, and still uses her original dice!

[drseti]

The RPG's I'm thinking of don't use pen and paper.

OK, I'll admit she's quite active online with Everquest, but still plays with her old-school D&D group every Sunday afternoon. She says, "before there were mice, there were dice."

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[toolman]

That said, I should point out that the second most common cause of GA accidents, behind VFR into IMC, is fuel exhaustion. And when you run out of go-juice, fire is so unlikely that Nomex is hardly necessary.

If that is the case then why are parachutes either the new ones on the aircraft or on the pilot and passengers so very rare in GA? Over time I have picked up the impression that it is somehow more dangerous to bail out of civilian aircraft, other than gliders and aerobatic, than gliding them in, though it might be a cost or appearance thing. It seems like the situation in WW-I where parachutes were not considered acceptable fixed wing combat pilots equipment http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/PROJ ... 914_18.htm I would like to see a reasoned argument backed by good statistics rather than just anecdotes for or against. BTW can you define VFR and IMC for noobs like me?

this is a checklist of optional things form the top of my head that I would like to hear feedback on
-nomex coveralls (fire)
-flame hood (fire)
-nomex gloves (fire)
-high top leather/nomex boots (fire and escape)
-helmet with visor (collision/impact and some protection in bird strikes)
-aircraft ELT
-personal EPIRB on your person
-seatback or seat cushion parachute on your person
-shroud/harness cutter on your person
-basic signal/survival kit on your person
-first aid kit with burn and trauma in mind on your person
-practice in escaping the aircraft
-something to prevent inhalation of hot gases from fire
-flotation device on your person
-fire extinguisher secured in aircraft

[Jack Tyler]

toolman, to my mind your list rolls together at least three distinct issues:
-- departing an a/c is skill set, all by itself...and generally, I imagine you either control the aircraft to maximize your opportunity for safety in an off-airport landing -or- you attempt to depart from an a/c not under control
-- the ditching/survival aspect; you can look for a thread here on ditch kits to see what some of us keep readily at hand
-- the expense and weight of the equipment we fly with, which the stats say is highly unlikely to be used and argues against them, let alone seasonal weather conditions (e.g. a southeastern U.S. summer where I do much of my flying)

And FWIW my head wouldn't clear the sliding canopy of my Grumman while sitting on a parachute unless I removed my seat cushion. So from a practical standpoint, just how comfortable am I willing to be on each of my flights (some of 3-4 hr duration) to have that expensive chute available?

[drseti]

Sorry, toolman:

VFR = Visual Flight Rules (the operating procedures and weather for which Sport Pilots, and many Private Pilots, are trained and qualified).

IMC = Instrument Meteorological Conditions (weather not good enough for VFR flight).

So. VFR into IMC means the pilot blundered into weather conditions beyond his or her capability. Happens all too often, sadly.

[toolman]

Actually I am sorry, I misread the comment and thought you were using them in a funny way, read 'to' as 'and' for some reason.