Originally Posted by
Photonic
Right, the focus on harness designs is irrelevant except for the lawyers at this point. The fix for this situation is simple. Ban tourist flights with people sitting in the door with legs dangling, so they need a harness at all.
So, you think had that happened to professional photographers instead of the touris, they would have been able to free themselves???
Yes I agree, this practice of tourist flights with feet dangling out the cabin should be stopped. But it shouldn't stop there. These kinds of of harnesses should not be allowed anywhere close to a helicopter. In no circumstance.
Edit: If you can't trust people to safely deal with an emergency release and to fall out accidentally well that is then obviously a scenario that can't be done (would probably apply here). /Edit.
The comment from the participant of the Helicopter championships shows to me that there is a wider problem with these harnesses in the industry. When I read that I had pictures of a toppled but largely intact yet burning Robbie with a poor soul strapped to it running through my mind.