BRS Aerospace Whole Aircraft Parachute Rescue System Records 400 Saved Lives
"This milestone and all of the lives saved is a testament to Boris Popov, who conceived the idea and whose vision for the company he founded overcame initial resistance to the very idea of aircraft parachutes from some naysayers," said BRS President/Director Enrique Dillon. "The concept's legacy are the pilots and passengers who survived to continue to live fruitful lives and the thousands of families who have enjoyed added peace of mind when their loved ones fly."
Most Recent Deployment Over Water With Engine Out
The milestone 400th and 401st lives were saved March 5, 2019 when the pilot of a Cirrus aircraft with engine out deployed the whole aircraft rescue system over water more than 20 miles from Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos. Reportedly, both pilot and passenger were not injured and picked up by a cruise ship.
The BRS parachute system is deployed in life threatening situations by a rocket to slow the aircraft in the airstream and then lower it and occupants to the ground in a measured descent. The parachute and solid propellant ballistic rocket assembly are enclosed in a canister mounted inside the fuselage that is activated manually or automatically.
With more than 30,000 systems installed during the past 35 years on aircraft including experimental aircraft, sport aircraft, certified aircraft, and military trainers, approximately one of every 120 systems has been activated as a last resort for pilot and passenger safety in lethal situations.
"While we hope pilots never encounter a troubling situation, we salute BRS Aerospace for the 400 lives its parachute system has saved when something did go awry in the air," said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. "I fly routinely with two different types of aircraft equipped with parachutes and I am a true believer in the safety benefit of these systems"
An Ingenious Invention
"In the chronicle of aircraft safety developments, the very idea of saving an entire aircraft through a deployable parachute system is an ingenious invention that deserves its place in the history of safer flight," said Richard McSpadden, Executive Director of AOPA Air Safety Institute. "BRS pioneered the concept in certified airplanes and deserves recognition for delivering on innovation proven to be a substantial milestone in the ongoing evolution of aviation safety."
Numerous European and U.S. ultralight and experimental aircraft use the system, including Lancair, Carbon Cub, Kitfox, Glassair, Flight Design, Rans, Van's RV 7/9/10, Kolb, Zenair, and Quicksilver. The BRS whole aircraft parachutes are available for light sport aircraft including CTSW, CTLS, Piper Sport Cruiser, Cessna Skycatcher, Bristell, FK-9 and Icon A5. Certified General Aviation aircraft that fly with the system include Cessna 150, 152, 172, 182, and Symphony. It is standard equipment on the Cirrus SR20 and SR232.
BRS is leading the way in new and innovative applications, including vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft. In addition, many new aircraft in development will utilize BRS Aerospace's safety system.
World Leader
BRS Aerospace is the world leader in whole aircraft parachute systems with more than 30,000 systems delivered to aviation segments including Light Sport Aircraft, experimental aircraft, ultralights, unmanned vehicles, military aircraft, and FAA/EASA Type Certified general aviation, including the most popular piston-powered aircraft in production today. The system is designed to be a last resort for pilots and passengers when all other attempts to recover the airplane in case of emergency or pilot incapacitation have failed.
BRS Aerospace's current whole aircraft parachute system for fixed-wing aircraft design calls for a parachute ballistic launcher to be installed in the aircraft with either a pilot-initiated activator located in the cockpit or an automated activation system. Upon activation, a ballistic rocket propels a parachute into the airstream to slow the airplane and float it down into a survivable vertical landing.
BRS Aerospace was founded in 1980 in South St. Paul, Minn. It has manufacturing facilities at the South St. Paul Municipal Airport and in Pine Bluff, N.C. For more information go to www.brsaerospace.com.
