r/theydidthemath • u/Fizzerolli • 3d ago

[request] Assuming fresh powdery snow, how deep would it have to be for the paratrooper to survive, if possible?

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My son sent me this. My immediate thought based on nothing is that it’s unsurvivable regardless of the depth.

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u/CaptainRex8669 3d ago

I have some flight training (just over 20 hours, which is half of what you need for licence here in the UK).

In slow flight, with the ground that close to you, which you can use as a visual reference point, any pilot would be able to maintain altitude without deviating more than a foot, so flying at 20 feet, or even lower, would be achievable.

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u/Nukethepandas 3d ago

At that point could you just land the plane on the spot? Like a vertical takeoff/landing plane but using the wind? 

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u/Mercury_Madulller 2d ago

Yes. That is why smart pilots tie down their planes when storing them outside at an airport, especially when windy conditions are expected.

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u/Relative_Ranger7640 1d ago

Existence of non smart pilots upset me