Ok, so I should know better than to stick my neck out
but at least that's prompted some learning:
Datasheet here:
http://www.airborne-sys.com/pdfs/_AS-Website_Marketing_PDFs/11-EMERGENCY%20ESCAPE%20SYSTEMS/Parachute%20Assembly%20650%20range%20(Silhouette)/Silhouette.pdf
So, it does have steering (and yes I do know what to do with those, or at least think I do. Have on occasion flown a paraglider). I'm slightly confused now as to what is meant by stabilised - I'd taken that to mean the canopy being stable / not. If you mean stable freefall.. well, all my advice has been of the don't delay, pull the handle before you start tumbling or anything. Given it's somewhat rare to be >5000ft agl, and few pilots are practiced at freefall, that *seems* reasonable - I'm not sure how much time you'd have to mess around.
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting there's anything wrong with round parachutes. As per the above link, at my circa 100kg fully loaded, that's a descent rate just shy of 7m/s. Nothing to do with roundness, everything to do with size/practicality tradeoff. Broken bones is probably an exaggeration, but that's not what I would consider comfortable or gentle, and not dissimilar to the bus anaolgy.
Very interested in how one should stop the thing once on the ground. Also mulling over the 12000ft max opening alt, and what one would do in the intervening with no experience of freefall..
Rightly or wrongly I think most folks (myself included) consider it a bit like an airbag in a car - to be avoided at all times. If needed, it may save your life, but don't count on it.