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Older parachutes?

bkilby

Well Known Member
Would you wear an older parachute (+ 20 years old)? Or is this a case of no way would I buy/wear a 20 year old parachute? Assuming it has been stored properly and inspected and repacked on schedule. Just curious what others think.
 
Would you wear an older parachute (+ 20 years old)? Or is this a case of no way would I buy/wear a 20 year old parachute? Assuming it has been stored properly and inspected and repacked on schedule. Just curious what others think.
Yes, I would and yes I do. Parachutes are like airplanes, if they are inspected and repaired by a qualified person they should be good regardless of age.
 
Have it inspected...

If I knew that it was stored properly (wasn't exposed to UV or moisture), knew the owner, and had a reserve packing card that showed the repack cycle history, maintenance, etc, I might consider using it. I would definitely also have an experienced rigger look at the canopy, harness, and container as a pre-buy inspection, and also determine if there were any other issues. Especially a rigger that has been around +20 years... I know for a fact that back in the '80's there were some canopies that were treated with a fire retardant (by mistake) that was also used on tent fabric consequently weakening the materials. Those canopies should have been grounded and had the lines cut off them. Who know where those canopies really ended up though...:eek:
Just my $.02
 
http://www.silverparachutes.com/

Allen has alot of good information on his site. "Is Your Life Worth $80.00 A Year?" This is one reason i got a new chute from him. I don't want to jump only to see the chute not work ... my life is worth the full price of the chute.
 
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I would definitely also have an experienced rigger look at the canopy, harness, and container as a pre-buy inspection, and also determine if there were any other issues. Especially a rigger that has been around +20 years... I know for a fact that back in the '80's there were some canopies that were treated with a fire retardant (by mistake) that was also used on tent fabric consequently weakening the materials. Those canopies should have been grounded and had the lines cut off them. Who know where those canopies really ended up though...:eek:
Joe, I have a SAC in a box in my shop right now, I've even used it before!:p

The biggest issue with older parachute equipment is that there's no non-destructive way to test the materials for UV degredation, so that's why some companies and riggers put a time limit on parachute equipment. Simply handling the parachute fabric can be harmful due to the oils and salt in perspiration.
 
Its not age its condition and that applies to pilots to!

Would you wear an older parachute (+ 20 years old)? Or is this a case of no way would I buy/wear a 20 year old parachute? Assuming it has been stored properly and inspected and repacked on schedule. Just curious what others think.
It is not age its condition.

It is recommended you never leave your parachute in your plane.

You should store it as much as possible in temp, humidity controlled environment, like in your house.

You should also have a container for it. Old luggage makes a fine case to store it in; I especially like an old hard case style luggage.

Ditto on: http://www.silverparachutes.com/ Allen's site. I have been to a few of his lectures. I have posted many links from his site. Well worth a read through. He's a real jumper that caters to emergency parachute crowd. For a round chute there is no need to ever jump, to use it in an emergency, BUT!!! you better do some reading, thinking and dry runs on the ground. Read my previous post on the subject.

My "silk" is military surplus 28 foot C-9 in paraphernalia softie shell/harness. The canopy is in perfect condition after many years. I was told there was no life limit, and military canopies have higher opening speed limits.

Why would there be any UV damage?

Are you storing it in a sealed luggage container in your house? If you leave it laying around in the sun, dirt, heat and humidity, than it might not last very long.

Of course I never have "used it" except to get packed on occasion.
 
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I have bought several chutes from Allen Silver and respect his opinion. As I recall from our last conversation any chute over 20 years old is only good as a car (or plane) cover.
 
It is not age its condition.

It is recommended you never leave your parachute in your plane.

Why would there be any UV damage?
I tend to agree with you, George, but the harness will get UV exposure every time it is worn, and with many colors of webbing, it is hard to tell how much exposure it has had, and even then, some dye lots hold color better than others. There are ongoing debates in the parachute industry about life limits and liability exposure. It seems that "personnal experience and judgement" won't be much of a defense if a parachute rigger is drawn into court if one of his customers dies.

Personally, I would wear a harness/container/parachute that was over 20 years old if it met my needs. However, I would be the one packing it, so there would be no one to sue if it failed;) To me, it's a game of odds- the odds of needing to leave you plane in flight are pretty low, as are the odds of the parachute failing after you get out of the plane. You're surely safer wearing a 1930's parachute than you are wearing nothing at all;)
 
If it's made from modern materials (nylon) and has a current repack by a qualified rigger I'd say absolutely. An inspection and simple pull-test would determine it's integrity.

(30 years of jump experience and senior parachute rigger)
 
No Thanks

http://www.silverparachutes.com/

Allen has alot of good information on his site. "Is Your Life Worth $80.00 A Year?" This is one reason i got a new chute from him. I don't want to jump only to see the chute not work ... my life is worth the full price of the chute.

I've heard Allen speak at Sun-N-Fun and agree that the purchase of a new, or modern chute is a better choice.

First off, I would say that a properly packed and stored chute will probably work fine. But think about that... *probably*. Materials break down over time, and while a rigger will check the material, a weak area may go undetected. I've jumped old sport chutes and never had a problem, but then I had a reserve chute.

Secondly, the technology of the materials have advanced, making for a lighter and smaller packing chute. I'm amazed at the size of the new chutes.

Finally, when purchasing new, you can get one sized to your weight and even get a square over a round. That's what I did...
 
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If you are not a qualified jumper, getting a square versus a round may be an unwise choice (serious injury on landing).
 
Would you wear an older parachute (+ 20 years old)? Or is this a case of no way would I buy/wear a 20 year old parachute? Assuming it has been stored properly and inspected and repacked on schedule. Just curious what others think.

This is from Allen Silver of Silver Parachute Sales:

"There is no hard and fast FAA rule as to the service life, in years, for your parachute.
The FAA rules basically say that every 120 days your parachute is no longer airworthy and must be
recertified. As an FAA certified master rigger I feel you should not have your chute packed after 20
years of age. As a member of the Parachute Industry Association (PIA) I've heard talk among several
riggers and manufacturers of parachutes and they agree that this should not exceed 20 years,
regardless of the condition of the parachute. Throughout the industry, particularly because of the
threat of lawsuits, everyone has the tendency to lean towards the conservative side."

Allen has over 35 years of experience in the field. I would trust his judgement and advice.
 
180 Day Repack Cycle

Take note that the FAR http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFar.nsf/FARSBySectLookup/105.43 has changed and the Repack Cycle has been extended to 180 days. There was an error in the ASA printing of the 2010 FAR's and this change was not included. Also, many online versions of the FAR are yet to be updated.

That said, I'm a professional skydiver and I own and regularly use parachutes with over 1500 jumps on them. I've jumped a few antique (20+ year old) parachutes as well.

Parachutes, like airplanes, are extremely well designed and tested before being certified. If you treat your parachute like you treat your airplane, then it should be perfectly safe for many years. Manufacturers unfortunately have no control over how their parachutes are treated in the field & I think a life limit is in order.
 
Take note that the FAR http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFar.nsf/FARSBySectLookup/105.43 has changed and the Repack Cycle has been extended to 180 days. There was an error in the ASA printing of the 2010 FAR's and this change was not included. Also, many online versions of the FAR are yet to be updated.

You are correct. The repack cycle has been extended to 180 days. Silver's web site has not been updated either. It is important to note that a growing number of riggers will NOT repack a rig that is over 20 years old. Before purchasing such a rig it would be adviseable to find out if your local rigger will repack it.
 
A pull test is a must for an older chute. Your rigger will be able to do this.

20 years seems to be the consensus for chute life, but there are a variety of opinions. The suggestion to check with your local rigger is a good one. The one in our glider club won't pack chutes more than 20 years old.

I would suspect how it's used also would impact the chute's life. As Indiana Jones says, "It's not the years, it's the mileage". Chutes that are worn 40-50 times a year as emergency chutes, often for hours at a time, in sweaty conditions (like our club's chutes), are probably going to wear a bit more than ones that get used twice a year.

TODR
 
Exactly

And while you can do a pull test on the canopy fabric itself, there is no non-destructive testing method for the harness, which will get by far more wear from dirt/grime/oils/UV than the parachute itself. The harnesses are generally VERY overbuilt (up to 3x's as strong as measured drop tests), but it takes the brunt of the trauma in day to day use. The parachute usually lives a pretty good life packed away in a safe place. To me, a good compromise to service limits would be recommending the replacement of the harness after a set time and recertify the canopy. Unfortunately, personal judgement seems to be giving way to hard and fast "rules".

Heck, I'm building the plane, maybe I'll build my bailout rig too :D
 
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