Investigation into Reaction Time in Skiing Accidents

Mark, Ian.

The original post did state "Any views you have on the project that you would like to share would also be very helpful and valuable"
I dont think anyone here would want to deliberately slate this guys hard work. I commend him for it.....but my view is that it cannot possibly be 'feasible' and he asked for our views.

Mark....Ejector seat?? Com'on mate, lets be serious. They are serious pieces of hardware with serious weight and serious explosive capability. Comparing them to a ski parachute is plain silly.
Even so, the ejector seats ejection time is for the seat to be clear of the aircraft and not the inflation of the chute. The inflation of the canopy still quite slow compared to that.

Ian, i agree....awareness is the thing. If you are 'aware' then you are probably going to have time to react and to avoid problems. If you are unaware then a chute is simply no use.

I think a parachute could be very useful for when you fall on your back on a steep slope and you can't stop. This happened to me last week, and I have no idea about how it happened. Suddenly I was on my back with my skis and legs in the air and hurtling down a steep slope. I was afraid to try putting my legs down in case I twisted my leg and ditto for my arms. Eventually I came to a stop totally unharmed and still with my skis on.

I also saw someone else hurtling down an extremely steep off piste mogul slope on their back (from the chair lift) and they were clearly totally unable to stop and they went a very long way like that and were still in fact moving when they went out of sight.

Either of us could have hit someone else and caused a serious collison. A parachute breaking system of some sort would have been great.

Ally

mark203 wrote:not to worry about people coming behind me, it is there problem I was told.

Which will become your problem when you are lying in a hospital bed after they have wiped you out.

I look at skiing a bit like driving....i check all my mirrors and blind spots 8)

mark203 wrote:I was taught to look over my shoulder on the dry ski slop in Rossandale but when I took lessons in Livigno the instructor kept telling me not to worry about people coming behind me, it is there problem I was told.

What the Instructor said was correct you are supposed to give way from above, but the stupid part of the statement is that it is also the direction you will get hit from ,when I spot idiots I have been known to just pull over to the side of the piste and let them go 8)
Did you enjoy Livigno 8)

AllyG wrote:I think a parachute could be very useful for when you fall on your back on a steep slope and you can't stop. This happened to me last week, and I have no idea about how it happened. Suddenly I was on my back with my skis and legs in the air and hurtling down a steep slope. I was afraid to try putting my legs down in case I twisted my leg and ditto for my arms. Eventually I came to a stop totally unharmed and still with my skis on.

I also saw someone else hurtling down an extremely steep off piste mogul slope on their back (from the chair lift) and they were clearly totally unable to stop and they went a very long way like that and were still in fact moving when they went out of sight.

Either of us could have hit someone else and caused a serious collison. A parachute breaking system of some sort would have been great.

Ally

Ally,

I kinda agree that a breaking system for such a senario would be great but a chute wouldn't inflate. It needs lots of clean fast air to do that, i think you would just end up dragging a pile of washing behind you . I guess you would need something like an ice axe and use it like climbers do, roll over and dig it in.
Also if you are hurtling down a slope on your back how would a chute deploy??

I have some decent experience of parachutes and although they are simple devices you do need certain criteria to be fulfilled for a successful deployment.

Snapzz,
Design me a decent breaking system then, please, and I will test it for you next time I'm ski-ing. It was a very strange sensation totally being unable to stop, and I don't think I'd have been able to use an ice axe - some sort of anchor might have been better ?

Ally

There is a proven self arrest technique which has been in existence for many years. It is routinely taught to skiers who take higher level and off piste instruction.

Snapzzz wrote:Mark, Ian.

The original post did state "Any views you have on the project that you would like to share would also be very helpful and valuable"
I dont think anyone here would want to deliberately slate this guys hard work. I commend him for it.....but my view is that it cannot possibly be 'feasible' and he asked for our views.

Mark....Ejector seat?? Com'on mate, lets be serious. They are serious pieces of hardware with serious weight and serious explosive capability. Comparing them to a ski parachute is plain silly.
Even so, the ejector seats ejection time is for the seat to be clear of the aircraft and not the inflation of the chute. The inflation of the canopy still quite slow compared to that.

Ian, i agree....awareness is the thing. If you are 'aware' then you are probably going to have time to react and to avoid problems. If you are unaware then a chute is simply no use.

But that is my point it can be taught, and lets be honest it could cave your life 8)