Ballistic Recovery System
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Ballistic Recovery System
Hi all,
Am after some advice with regards to the recording of which aircraft are fitted with BRS. Am a firefighter in the UK and as part of our normal training we cover among many things accidents involving light aircraft.As we have learned more and more GA aircraft have these systems fitted so it could be quite handy to know what we could be turning upto. So is there a register of sorts?, or do we have to rely on looking for the little stickers??? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.
Nick.
Am after some advice with regards to the recording of which aircraft are fitted with BRS. Am a firefighter in the UK and as part of our normal training we cover among many things accidents involving light aircraft.As we have learned more and more GA aircraft have these systems fitted so it could be quite handy to know what we could be turning upto. So is there a register of sorts?, or do we have to rely on looking for the little stickers??? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.
Nick.
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In the grandscale of things they are not that common and if you do get called to an incident involving one away from the airport its most likely will have been fired already.
SO far they have only been fitted I think to low wing type aircraft so if it has the wing on the top of the aircraft it won't have one.
If it has two engines again it won't have one.
If its made out of metal again it won't have one.
If it low wing made out of fiberglass looking stuff look for the sticker it should have a red box round the dangerous bit.
SO far they have only been fitted I think to low wing type aircraft so if it has the wing on the top of the aircraft it won't have one.
If it has two engines again it won't have one.
If its made out of metal again it won't have one.
If it low wing made out of fiberglass looking stuff look for the sticker it should have a red box round the dangerous bit.
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BRS
All Cirrus aircraft have BRS.
Some Sport Crusers
A number of microlights.
From a firefighting point of view there is the danger from fire cooking off the truly impressive rocket and the danger of the rocket becoming almost actuated by the disruption of the structure in an accident being activated when rescue is attempted by further disruption due to cutting into the structure.
Some Sport Crusers
A number of microlights.
From a firefighting point of view there is the danger from fire cooking off the truly impressive rocket and the danger of the rocket becoming almost actuated by the disruption of the structure in an accident being activated when rescue is attempted by further disruption due to cutting into the structure.
They are definitely not just restricted to low wing monoplanes. They have been fitted to Cessnas for example. But increasingly they are to be found on homebuilts and particularly ultralights. There are even ultralight gliders with them (pipistrel for example). They usually have clear warning signs and safety pins for disarming which is important to know when attending a crash.
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Here is a link to a Cirrus video for first responders.
The username is cirrus and the password CAPS
Cirrus Advisory Guide for First Responders Login Page
The username is cirrus and the password CAPS
Cirrus Advisory Guide for First Responders Login Page
Last edited by Jonzarno; 11th Nov 2014 at 14:43. Reason: Edited username in response to post below.
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Guys,
Thanks for the speedy replies. Have just watched the cirrus clip,very usefull will be showing to the rest of my shift over the next couple of days.
So the bottom line is treat all light aircraft,including homebuilds and microlites as if they have a system until we can confirm it dosent. Again thanks for your help ,knew the pprune community would have the answers.
Safe flying.
Nick.
Thanks for the speedy replies. Have just watched the cirrus clip,very usefull will be showing to the rest of my shift over the next couple of days.
So the bottom line is treat all light aircraft,including homebuilds and microlites as if they have a system until we can confirm it dosent. Again thanks for your help ,knew the pprune community would have the answers.
Safe flying.
Nick.
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As far as I understood, BRS is mandatory for EASA registered microlights. Thene there are the Cirrus fractions and the retrofitted ones - these usually have the mentioned little stickers. At almost all certified old machines it should be easy to rescue people, as there are no BRS. The number of retrofitted Cessna for example is homeopathic.
Experimentals may be a problem, but I would assume they have the stickers.
As a fireman myself I can only report on our training session back when I was in Europe. There were only 3 or 4 manufacturers of BRS than, and we called them up for training material - which they provided to us to learn how to handle such blood things. Even one of them sent an instructor to give lessons for first steps before the bomb squat arrives to get rid of the BRS.
Experimentals may be a problem, but I would assume they have the stickers.
As a fireman myself I can only report on our training session back when I was in Europe. There were only 3 or 4 manufacturers of BRS than, and we called them up for training material - which they provided to us to learn how to handle such blood things. Even one of them sent an instructor to give lessons for first steps before the bomb squat arrives to get rid of the BRS.
BRS is mandatory for EASA registered microlights.
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before the bomb squat arrives to get rid of the BRS.
Wonder how the hell they would deal with it.
You could pig stick it I suppose...
blow it in situe...
Suppose you could pull it... but then that would disrupt the crash site.
Or do they do put a point charge on and drill it?
Germany mandates them, they're variably permitted across the rest of Europe. They've been legal in the UK on microlights since 1998, but adoption hasn't been huge. They've become more popular since the UK microlight rules were changed to add 22.5kg to the permitted MTOW with a BRS carried.
Types most likely to have them in the UK are the Cirrus family, C42, CT, but there are others, even flexwings. There are mods for Cessnas as well.
You could potentially fit one to a light twin, but I don't think that anybody actually has.
I have seen them fitted "illegally" to UK registered aircraft as well, with no formal modification approval. I'm past being a policeman, but that does mean that there are aeroplanes flying in this country with explosive devices fitted which have never been through any form of safety approval system. I'm sure that'd worry me if I was a fireman !
Most usually look for a cylinder like this...
Or a marking on the outside of the aircraft, usually a large triangle, showing the rocket exit point. See page 21 of this document.
G
Types most likely to have them in the UK are the Cirrus family, C42, CT, but there are others, even flexwings. There are mods for Cessnas as well.
You could potentially fit one to a light twin, but I don't think that anybody actually has.
I have seen them fitted "illegally" to UK registered aircraft as well, with no formal modification approval. I'm past being a policeman, but that does mean that there are aeroplanes flying in this country with explosive devices fitted which have never been through any form of safety approval system. I'm sure that'd worry me if I was a fireman !
Most usually look for a cylinder like this...
Or a marking on the outside of the aircraft, usually a large triangle, showing the rocket exit point. See page 21 of this document.
G
You could put it back in but you couldn't presume that it would render it safe
So I wonder what the 'experts' do to make a BRS safe after a crash, short of the rather drastic 'IED' type solutions you suggest?
MJ
Not all systems have a pin. Many microlight systems use a "one-shot" twist system that breaks some cable ties. A few older systems just have a single pull-handle.
Plus, post-crash, I'd not trust the pin to keep it safe anyhow given likely internal distortions to the system and operating cable.
I am not a rescue expert, but I wrote the original safety regs or ballistic chutes in the UK, and have signed a number of systems off as a CAA design signatory, which probably makes me an expert in something.
The best you can do, in my opinion, is identify the drogue / rocket exit route, and keep everybody well out of the way of it during the rescue and subsequently cut it out of the aircraft working carefully to the sides of the rocket and find an explosives expert to take it away for you and do whatever explosives experts do to things like that.
G
Plus, post-crash, I'd not trust the pin to keep it safe anyhow given likely internal distortions to the system and operating cable.
I am not a rescue expert, but I wrote the original safety regs or ballistic chutes in the UK, and have signed a number of systems off as a CAA design signatory, which probably makes me an expert in something.
The best you can do, in my opinion, is identify the drogue / rocket exit route, and keep everybody well out of the way of it during the rescue and subsequently cut it out of the aircraft working carefully to the sides of the rocket and find an explosives expert to take it away for you and do whatever explosives experts do to things like that.
G
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Its basically a large bore firearm. And the integrity of the barrell wouldn't be known. So if it did fire and was bent the thing would explode and throw shrapenel everywhere.
Water disrupter (pig stick) wouldn't get through the metal. You wouldn't want to handle it. So i reckon they would point charge it.
Water disrupter (pig stick) wouldn't get through the metal. You wouldn't want to handle it. So i reckon they would point charge it.
I thought that there may be something useful on the BRS Aerospace website.
BRS Aerospace
But, unfortunately the 'Safety' section won't open.
MJ
Ps. It's not just the rocket motor that's dangerous. If you happen to be standing astride one of the aircraft support cables, (Ie. one foot inside, one foot outside the cockpit) when it fires, you will get a nasty surprise!
BRS Aerospace
But, unfortunately the 'Safety' section won't open.
MJ
Ps. It's not just the rocket motor that's dangerous. If you happen to be standing astride one of the aircraft support cables, (Ie. one foot inside, one foot outside the cockpit) when it fires, you will get a nasty surprise!
Last edited by Mach Jump; 11th Nov 2014 at 22:45. Reason: Added Ps.