With certain exceptions, when must each occupant of an aircraft wear an approved parachute?

• A. When intentionally pitching the nose of the aircraft up or down 30 degrees or more
• B. Always during flight
• C. Only during takeoff and landing
• D. When flying above 10,000 feet

Answer: (A)

Parachute use is required only during specific high-risk flight attitudes, not for every moment in flight. The rule focuses on when the aircraft is intentionally flown into an extreme pitch, because at large nose-up or nose-down attitudes (30 degrees or more) the potential for loss of control or structural upset increases and the consequences of an abrupt outcome are more severe. Wearing an approved parachute during those maneuvers provides protection if an upset occurs or if egress becomes necessary. In normal flight with smaller pitch changes, there’s no regulatory need to wear a parachute. Altitude alone doesn’t trigger the requirement, and parachutes aren’t mandated only for takeoff and landing.