"The Best Letdown We Know..."

As EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and the entire nation celebrates 100 years of powered aviation, Ballistic Recovery Systems is pleased to join the celebration with 20 years of saving lives.

When BRS organized in business in 1980, company officials hoped they would sell thousands of units and save hundreds of lives. The South St. Paul company was pleased to record its first save almost exactly 20 years ago. Since that time, BRS has indeed sold many thousands of units and saved over 150 lives. "It's easily our most satisfying achievement," stated Gregg Ellsworth, BRS Director of Sales.

The first save was logged by Colorado pilot, Jay Tipton, on August 7th, 1983. His letter reveals an obvious depth of emotion: "I can't tell you how much I valued the BRS when I needed it. It might sound melodramatic but when I climbed out of the wreckage and saw my wife and 3-year-old daughter running to me from across the field, I could have cried. I absolutely wouldn't have ever seen them again if it hadn't been for your BRS."

Tipton's modified Ascender ultralight failed to respond when a thermal lifted one wing. Jay writes, I lowered the nose a little and added opposite rudder-but nothing happened. It continued to rise higher and higher. I had the stick full forward and opposite rudder… nothing!" He hit the thermal at 300 feet AGL and he had  descended to 200 feet above ground level. His left wing was now at 90°. The ground was coming up fast.

"Do I give it full power to try to fly out and maybe worsen my present condition," Jay asked himself? "Or do I pull the parachute I had installed just a week ago?"  He pulled the handle. "The BRS parachute deployed instantly," Jay reflected later. "I walked away. The BRS saved my life and I am eternally grateful."

BRS president and CEO, Mark Thomas, said, "These kinds of heartfelt stories make our work a pleasure." Now, 20 years after Jay Tipton pulled his parachute handle in a situation he could no longer control, parachutes have become an integral part of aviation.

Since the early 1980s BRS has delivered over 18,000 parachute systems to aircraft owners around the world including FAA-certified production models like the Cessna 150, Cessna 172, Cirrus SR20 and Cirrus SR22, and hundreds of non-certified recreational aircraft. Actual documented uses of these systems are credited with saving the lives of 157 persons through the end of July 2003. BRS is a publicly-traded company based in South St. Paul, Minnesota.

Note: One of the lives saved is none other than ANN Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell (due to a severe control malfunction), who also was a test pilot on the BRS Cessna deployments several years ago. Campbell highly recommends the use of the BRS... simply because he wouldn't be here otherwise.

FMI: www.brsparachutes.com