Do you know the true reasons why commercial airlines don’t have parachutes for passengers to use jump out in the event of a pending plane crash?.
Every nervous flyer makes sure to listen to the complete safety guidelines conveyed to the passengers before the take-off, even if they know it by heart by now, and check all the safety equipment provided by the airline. Amidst all these safety rituals, these nervous passengers cannot help but ponder over the absence of parachutes in commercial airlines. Well, to summarize, it is because jumping off with a parachute is a thrill and as risky as staying aboard on a crashing commercial plane!
“The optimist invented the airplane, the pessimist, the parachute.”
That queer feeling of sinking can be experienced nowhere but in an airplane when it takes off. After taking off, you get to see a few amazing sights – the view of the city from the window, and how rivers seem to be pieces of ribbon. Then, suddenly, you have broken through the cloud barrier, and can only see the top of the clouds. This is when you quit looking out of the window, and sit back to relax for the rest of your flight. Before you plug in your iPod, you hear the pilot announcing that the plane is cruising at 35,000 feet above sea level. You barely lose yourself in the music, when you hear a dull thud, and feel a slight jerk. This is what is called turbulence, and in most cases, it is nothing serious. However, it does make you think of all the things that can go wrong at 35,000 feet in the air.
The first thing that you think of is a plane crash. And if it does, what will happen to the passengers? Well, this is a legitimate thought, as planes do crash from time to time, due to various reasons. Your next thought is that if the plane was equipped with parachutes, then all the passengers could be saved, and wouldn’t have to worry so much. But while this seems like a valid argument, it is actually for the good of the passengers that commercial aircraft do not carry parachutes.
Surprised? Well, don’t be. This Buzzle article will help you understand the reasons behind this seemingly harsh and uncaring decision.
In addition, getting off the plane anyhow won’t help you survive. A person can’t jump off a plane at any speed and at any height. For a successful jump, the speed and height should be sufficiently slow and low, respectively.
Then, not every passenger on board has the fitness level to jump with a parachute. Imagine a granny with health issues, or a mother with a toddler; not everybody can simply be pushed off with a parachute. The diver has to know about the exact height at which the parachute has to be opened and the correct way to steer the canopy, so that he/she lands successfully.
