Originally Posted by
BackPacker
Is there any data wrt. the altitude loss from the moment you pull the CAPS handle, to the moment the parachute is fully deployed and you're in a stable descent?
Yes. During certification testing, Cirrus demonstrated the loss of altitude of 400' from level flight and of 920' during recovery from a 1-1/2 turn spin. From recorded flight data we have seen one instance where the altitude loss was 890' from activation while
inverted at 34 KIAS! Amazing that the CAPS system recovers from such an unusual attitude.
Another high-speed deployment at 187 KIAS in a 4000 fpm spiral dive lost about 400' altitude. Interesting that the faster airspeed resulted in a faster deployment.
Cheers
Rick