Originally Posted by barit1
I distinctly remember the 747-200 has a cockpit roof hatch with escape ropes - that must be quite a ride sliding down from that height!
Well, they aren’t “ropes” … they’re inertia reels, unwinding ribbon tape – and, at one time (perhaps still?) that ribbon was actually metal. It was always A LOT more preferred to be first out, because later users had to contend with the already dispensed “ribbon” from the previous users, and getting sliced on the way down was not a particularly attractive prospect, particularly noting what part of your anatomy was most vulnerable!
But you are right about it being “quite a ride.” Those of you old enough to remember, may be familiar with the old Disney Land Park ticket structure … using that reference we affectionately referred to the “B747 escape system” as “an E-Ticket ride!”