Which one....

[Bettina]

My dad and I sometimes chat about the wierdest things and he began to talk about things that are mechanical and electronic and when I told him that I like every single thing to be electronic, he gave me the following question and I am interested in your input. This is not a puzzle or game....

 

You are the only person in a plane along with a pilot. You are flying at 7000 feet when the plane loses both engines. With mountains all around and no place to land, the pilot orders you to go in back, take one of the two parachutes and bail out. He will hold the plane steady until you go then he will take the other and follow. You crawl to the rear and as you look at the parachutes you see that one is very old and the other is new.

 

The old one is the standard version with a manual ripcord and a guage to show you when to pull it. It has some slight marks on it and is quite dusty. It has a tag that says "packed 1986 by No.17".

 

The new one has no ripcord or user controls. It is a fully automatic electronic version and says "tested 2006 by No.27". There is a green indicator on it that says "good".

 

Which one would you take.... you can only take one, and you must bail out.

 

Bettina

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I would just grab whichever was closest and jump.

[Forensicmad]

Exactly, I wouldn't wait around reading what the parachute has to say. As long as it it a parachute and not a knapsack, its good enough for me. If you don't jump you're dead anyway, no need to worry over which one to take.

I'd just take the closest one - probably wouldn't have even read them.

[Phi for All]

Meh, you guys aren't in the spirit of the question.

 

I'm going to assume that the age and dustiness of the first parachute suggests only that it has been used many times but not recently. I'm further going to assume that parachute materials aren't going to be rotten and useless after 20 years of non-use.

 

The part I wrestled with was the ripcord. Not having ever skydived before, I thought having the newer automatic control would save me if I panicked and froze. But in the end I would choose the older model because it has the ripcord (and a backup chute, I believe) that I can pull to save myself. The older one was also "packed" by a human instead of "tested" by unknown means.

[AzurePhoenix]

Definately the dusty old chute. I ain't gunna trust my hide to some newfangled doohicky scribbled together by good-for-nothin' rabble rousin' young'ins on thar' satan-inspired com-poo-tohrs.

[Bettina]

To clarify...... Neither has a reserve chute (which I think are usually separate) and they were never used.

 

Bee

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Reserve chutes are always built in to parachute packs.

[Skye]

I'd take them both because, yes, I'm just that mean.

[AzurePhoenix]

not mean, just.... ruthlessly brilliant. It's common sense really, I'm ashamed for not realizing it.

[Steph]

I'd take them both because, yes, I'm just that mean.

 

My thoughts exactly!

 

I'd try to the new 'chute first though as I personnally find that more reliable. (Then I'd sell the old one on ebay )

[1veedo]

You cant strap both on to you though. Maybe if you put one on front and one on your back.

 

But assuming the question doesn't allow you to take both, I'd go for the new one cause it wouldn't have been able to rot or anything. If it's been tested then you know it works so it isn't like it's some prototype that may or may not work.

 

Plus the pilot should know how to operate the older one and you might slip up.

[Bettina]

I'd go for the new one cause it wouldn't have been able to rot or anything. If it's been tested then you know it works so it isn't like it's some prototype that may or may not work.

 

said the spider to the fly....... aka bill gates. hehe

 

For the rest of you.....you CANT TAKE BOTH!....

 

Bee

[Steph]

said the spider to the fly....... aka bill gates. hehe

 

For the rest of you.....you CANT TAKE BOTH!....

 

Bee

 

then I'll use the new one. Really, its more logical. I mean, what can go wrong? the only thing that can happen is it not opening. The old one could, not open, rip apart, the cords can tear, it might just be inefficient, etc.

[scicop]

I'll take the "packed".

[GutZ]

not mean[/i'], just.... ruthlessly brilliant. It's common sense really, I'm ashamed for not realizing it.

 

You better hope the pilot sucks at flying and he doesn't see you though. he/she could turn that plane around and play chicken with the parachuter.

[YT2095]

yup, take them Both, hedge your bets.

 

"Better safe than sorry"

"Better to have and not need, than need and not have"

 

the pilot`s welcome to hang on if he/she wants to and I would alert them to this fact that I`m taking both (after I`de already put them on), a chute can carry 2 ppl (rough landing, but it can).

 

but within the parameters a Version of the above would be that we each have one and hang onto each other and jump at the same time, ensuring we Both survive.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

but within the parameters a Version of the above would be that we each have one and hang onto each other and jump at the same time, ensuring we Both survive.

But if both parachutes deployed, they'd become tangled and you'd both die.

 

You'd have to wait until the electronic one opened or failed before opening the manual one, I suppose.

[YT2095]

indeed

 

and as it does you deploy the manual one, if they both work, you`ll break naturaly

if one fails, you hang on tight!

tethering`s viable too

[scicop]

well, she said we could only take one.....so I'll go with the "packed in 1986", rather than the "tested in 2006"...at least in the "packed in 1986" there's a parachute...in the "tested in 2006"..what does tested mean? Is there still a chute in there after its been "tested"?

 

but..i can fly, so I don't need to stinking parachute.

[YT2095]

I can fly Some aircraft also, and we Would only take one each, but we`de jump TOGETHER, until one or both deployed.

 

it`s breaking NO rules and is the most logical choice, flying the plane to a "safe" crash was NOT an option.

[scicop]

I can fly Some aircraft also' date=' and we Would only take one each, but we`de jump TOGETHER, until one or both deployed.

 

it`s breaking NO rules and is the most logical choice, flying the plane to a "safe" crash was NOT an option.[/quote']

 

Very true, I don't think YT can be disputed.

[Bettina]

Very true, I don't think YT can be disputed.

 

Actually he can... The pilot ordered you out first and would hold the plane steady until you jumped, then he would follow (as he was more experienced in jumping from a pilotless plane.)

 

Also, one parachute would not safely land both of you together. Its not one of those that trainers use.

 

BTW, the real point to the OP was whether you would take an old manual chute vs a new electronic one.

 

And remember, you have no time to think out the scenario of each one. You have to jump and quickly.

 

Bee

[Phi for All]

You are the only person in a plane along with a pilot. You are flying at 7000 feet when the plane loses both engines.

but..i can fly' date=' so I don't need to stinking parachute.[/quote']With both engines gone, wouldn't your arms get tired?

[scicop]

I'll take the old manual controlled one thats been packed.

 

The electronic one might need batteries. And if the plane was hit by lightning, or lightning stricked close by the EMP may have fried the circuits. We don't know why the planes engines don't work.

 

But if YT was flying I'd stay in. He'd probably know some sort of flaring technique to glide the plane safely down.

[Bettina]

But if YT was flying I'd stay in. He'd probably know some sort of flaring technique to glide the plane safely down.

 

"With mountains all around and no place to land........." tsk tsk tsk..

 

Bettina