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Re: Parachutes

To: <webmaster@landracing.com>, James Tone <gmc6power@earthlink.net>,
Subject: Re: Parachutes
From: W S Potter <wester6935@attbi.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2002 08:52:37 -0700
As secretive as Nolan may be or has been, he is friendly with other builders
who have gone very fast on the salt like Gene Burkland.  These friendships
go back before you were born Jon.  He has learned from his mistakes.  He and
Rick are in the safety business building roll cages.  Along with that
business comes the responsibility to their customers to explain what is
needed to be safe.  He may not be publishing a book but I am willing to bet
there will be some good information coming from him.  His chutes DID ALL
deploy.  He did something right to have that happen ... you see a lot of
fast cars that can't claim that for the latest run.

My take on this whole business is that there will be more attention focused
on stopping cars.  Just as Ted Halibrand made the jet airliner possible with
the invention of the spot brake, there's going to be someone who comes up
with a solution for this problem.  Until then the sponsoring organizations
have to work to increase the reliability of the present systems.  Perhaps
inspection will have to enter into the equation somewhere to enforce better
stopping.  As you report, the E Z Hook liner is working on parachute
problems and testing, testing, testing every meet.  Somewhere there is a
solution and I hope we find it soon.

Wes

on 10/19/02 9:40 PM, webmaster@landracing.com at webmaster@landracing.com
wrote:

> Well a couple of views here.
> Mayf, how can you say what might be wrong when you have not inspected the
> failure of the chutes at any particular occasion. Do you know that they may
> have tore cords, wern't installed properly and so on. There are too many
> different failure problems, some are deploying properly due to dynamics of
> vehicle etc etc. I always will respect you mayf that just my thoughts.
> 
> James Tone, what makes you think Nolan will campaign any information, he has
> always been the most secretive player on the salt flats ever?
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> 
>> It is a problem for vehicles over 400 mph. Nolan is a supplier of safety
>> equitpment and I'm sure he has looked at everything possible since his
>> problem at August SpeedWeek.  This week was catastrophic for him and his
>> land speed attempts.  After his recovery I'm sure he will champion this
>> problem for the other "real" fast land speed vehicles. All of us at the
>> list should take a wait and see position,  instead of try to solve this type
>> a problem in this forum....J.D  ps.We can't change rules to rule out cockpit
>> problems with parachutes.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> Subject: Parachutes

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