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The Parachute
The BRS parachute had to be extremely lightweight and capable of being packed into a small container. It needed to deploy quickly at slow speeds to allow for low altitude emergency saves, but more slowly at high speeds to prevent structural failure of the canopy in high-speed diving emergencies.
In 1993, after seven years and $1.5 million of engineering research, BRS was granted the first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to install a parachute on a certified aircraft, the Cessna 150/152 aircraft. The installation on this aircraft was another giant step forward in establishing credibility and acceptance from the general aviation public, acknowledged BRS CEO & President Larry Williams. “When we got into the certified market and we installed parachutes on aircraft that everybody could identify with, that really changed BRS," said Williams.
The key to the success of this project was the ingenious development of a parachute reefing system. BRS engineers repeatedly deployed a device consisting of a sliding ring that performed all the functions required. The patented “slider” has been instrumental in saving the lives of many pilots and their passengers throughout the world. This innovation has enabled BRS to create larger chutes for faster, more technologically advanced aircraft.
Soaring Success
BRS has been awarded four Phase I and II SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) Awards from NASA to develop new lightweight parachute cloth materials that eventually may reduce the chute weight by up to 50 percent. Another recently completed SBIR grant had BRS engineers actively investigating and testing designs that could be used for light jet aircraft.
Today, BRS is a company of 23 employees with annual sales of approximately $7 million. BRS has sold more than 20,000 of its parachute systems and has saved more than 177 lives. In July 2004, the FAA certified a BRS parachute system for the Cessna 182 models. In addition, the European Aviation Safety Agency granted BRS approval for an STC to install the company’s system on the Cessna 172 in Europe.
BRS believes that adding more superior products to its expanding line of aviation safety devices is a natural progression. “It’s not always groundbreaking every time we come up with a new installation for our product,” said Williams. “What’s important is that we continue to find applications that complement our company’s 25-year history of finding ways to enhance safety in more and more aircraft.” |
