First Australian Cirrus Chute Pull Ends Well
Anyone see this or other articles on the event? Though we can only see a little bit of background, it looks *pretty* flat. If the airplane is within gliding range of the chute, I'd wager you're within---well gliding range.
I have never flown a Cirrus or any other aircraft with a ballistic recovery chute installed, so I don't know first hand what the training is, or what the de facto chute pulling mentality is. I've heard second hand some 'horror' stories about a sort of 'pull the chute and ask questions later' mentality.
I'm not trying to stir up anger on the forums and I'm glad he commanded his aircraft to a safe outcome--but I am genuinely curious as to what other folks on here think and what you have observed.
Finally, to the guy's credit, he did look for other places to land-"an airstrip or country road to set down on," but he also ended up in what seems to be an open field. Also, I find interesting his qoute, "We were on the ground
less than a minute after the
oil gauge indicated the problem.'' Wow! (my emphasis added to that qoute)