Parachute Jump

[FTVS]

Ok you are doing a parachute jump and your first, then second chute doesn't open. You collide with someone and their chute has opened and you hang on for dear life. Assuming you both weigh much the same, would the extra weight cause you both to plummet to your mutual deaths or would you both be injured but survive?

[Sam172]

Well, if the other person has a slow or big canopy then you may just get away with a broken leg, however if it's a fast canopy then they will have to steer to avoid hitting the ground too fast....or, well you get the picture... Holding on is hard enough though. You have to wrap your arms arond the chest straps then grab onto your own...the force of opening the chute is usually enough to dislocate or break both your arms.

[sddsddean]

I have seen this on several 'video clip' programmes, where two jumpers in a stack come down on one 'chute. You land hard, but it is perfectly survivable. In your scenario, the main problem would be physically holding on to each other unless you can clip harnesses or something (as Sam said).

[Ewood27]

Assuming you could hang on, it would be the same as having a very heavy person alone on the parachute.

A long time ago, as an RAF pilot, I did a short course at the Army parachute school. No actual jumps, but some theory and practice landing technique etc. The instructor gave us facts about rate of descent, and when someone queried, he said that applied to the 32' paratroop chute. When told we aircrew used a 28' chute, he went white!

It may not be easy to hold on in your scenario, but I'm darned sure I'd find the strength!

[TommyC]

But what I've never understood is, why don't they just make much larger chutes, to slow the rate of descent much further, say to a walking pace...?

[Ewood27]

I'm guessing here, but perhaps there's a maximum size before you risk having the panels of the chute tearing under the strain of snapping open. When the military drop heavy loads on parachutes, they use multiple chutes, not one huge one.
Besides, what do you want the chute to do? For recreational parachuting, yes, perhaps a larger chute could be good. Paratroops want to get down on the ground quickly, to where they can move, take cover and use their weapons, while coming down slowly enough to minimise the risk of injury on landing. Aircrew need the pack to be as small and light as possible (not much space in a military cockpit) and the chute has to save life, not get the user into battle with equipment. If he breaks his ankle on landing, the chute has still worked!
A larger parachute and slower descent would also mean being blown further away by the wind, and more risk of being blown into obstructions. Not so much of a problem, of course, with a steerable recreational chute.

[keltik]

in my great book "the worst case scenario survival handbook" it says u would survive using the correct holding on technique. but no matter how hard you try the best you can hope for is a dislocated arm or 2 or a broken one. the person giving you a ride to the ground would theoretically be fine