Will BRS system make me feel safe?

Hi, everyone.

I'm wondering about BRS(Ballistic Recovery System).

All Cirrus' airplanes have BRS, due to it does not have spin recovery
or resistance like Cessna 400(Columbia400) & DA40(DA50 in near
future).

But, by just installing parachute(like airbag in cars), will it
really save lives? or just make feel safe?

When I asked about this to some pilots at AOPA EXPO, SanJose, they
didn't mind flying without parachute because they believed their
experience and aircrafts(spin recovery/resistance).

How about 350hp engine? will it be better than 310hp with turbo
charger?

-- Junyoung Yun, November 14, 2008

Answers

The parachute in the Cirrus seems to have encouraged reckless behavior that has led to fatal accidents, starting with very inexperienced pilots buying the SR22. The 'chute has saved a few lives, but overall the Cessna 172/182 are safer statistically.

-- Philip Greenspun, December 30, 2008

I can't tell you how you will feel, but a plane with BRS is likely safer than the same model plane without one. Pilots are divided on the issue mainly because Cirrus had a bad record early on. Non pilots almost universally feel safer with BRS.

-- Eric Warren, December 11, 2008

I'm a relatively new pilot and have recently installed a BRS in my Cessna 172. Most old pilots shake their heads and wonder where I'll needlessly spend my money next and most new pilots think it's a great and relatively inexpensive form of insurance.

Has it led to reckless behaviour on my part? No, but it's not in my nature to be reckless.

Do I feel safer? That's a harder question to answer. I didn't feel especially unsafe before, but where I do my flying is mostly mountains, water and trees; straight flat spaces can be rare (southwestern British Columbia). What the BRS does for me is to provide an awareness that, even though I fly conservatively, if something goes horribly wrong (i.e. the iron noisemaker in the front goes silent) I have a last chance to survive.

And it makes my wife feel better, especially if she's in the plane :-)

-- John Condon, July 3, 2010