Having a parachute, IMO, is probably over-rated. I think in most situations where a parachute would be of any use, you'd be safer riding it out inside the aircraft. (I've read of a couple of crashes involving skydivers where none of the skydivers inside the aircraft managed to make it out.)<br><br>It's likely different in combat aircraft, since there's a real possibility that the aircraft may simply not be flyable. In a non-combat situation, that's only likely to happen in the event of a mid-air collision or impact with the ground/water/vegetation; in the latter case, you have neither altitude nor time to bail out. In the former case, it's questionable whether you'd have time to clamber out of the aircraft wearing a bulky parachute as it spins madly toward the earth. (A surprising number of mid-air collisions don't result in fatalities, btw.) I also suspect most mid-airs happen at low altitude, near airports, since that's where the highest concentrations of aircraft are likely to be found.<br><br>I think helicopters would be less likely to be involved in mid-air collisions, as well. If the helicopter is high enough for you to bail out, it's probably high enough to autorotate.<br><br>Disclaimer: I'm not a helicopter pilot, I'm a private pilot with approx. 200 hours total flight time. Anyone with actual facts is welcome to correct me. :-)<br><br>