The parachute myth ignores aircraft tradeoffs

John Bull acknowledges records arguing that parachutes would encourage pilots to abandon aircraft, then sets those comments beside the equipment's practical disadvantages. The early parachutes he describes were bulky external systems that added weight while pilots were trying to improve aircraft performance. Escape could require climbing onto a wing, attaching to the system, and jumping. An aircraft stable enough for that procedure could often still be glided down; an aircraft spinning out of control did not offer the same opportunity. He argues that pilots therefore accepted the policy, while Alex reinforces the point about the relationship between gliding and the feasibility of escape.