Eric, et al.

It would be interesting to know what type of chute,
age, time since last repack, etc was worn by those
who have used them.

The most recent that I'm aware of is the ASH-26E pilot
who bailed out when the glider wanted to become a 'kit
form' glider again. (I.E., shed it's wings in flight
when going pretty fast...)

Tim Mara bailed from an LS1-f some years ago.

Others?



At 21:36 17 January 2006, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Martyn Johnson wrote:
Does anyone know when our 17 year old emergency parachute
canopy will pass its use-by date? Indeed, is there
a definite lifespan, or is it down to the discretion
of the packer?

Some of the posts on this subject got me wondering
about my 26 year old
Strong parachute, even though it's been repacked every
year, including
at Strong in '97. So, I checked with Strong, National,
and
Para-phernalia, the major manufacturers.

Strong: they are quite clear that they don't have a
life limitation,
saying on their website they will repack and certify
their parachutes
based on inspection, even 30 year old parachutes. They
recommend having
them repack it at least once every 5 years, so it can
be inspected and
any modifications done. They also say leaving it in
the aircraft is not
a problem, as long as the parachute is protected from
the sun.

Para-Phernalia (Softie Parachutes): Dan told me they
don't have a
service life, but 'they get picky' about the condition
of the parachute
after 20 years. They will repack their parachutes (Softies)
that are
more than 20 years old, but not other brands. Leaving
it in the glider
in the trailer is not a problem; however, if the parachute
temperature
will exceed 130 degrees F, he urged it be stored some
place cooler.

National: I talked to a rigger there, who told me they
have a 20 year
service life. He did not think it was a good idea to
leave the parachute
in glider (even in a trailer) during the summer, because
high
temperatures (100+ degrees F or so) could damage the
rubber bands they
use to sequence the opening. Winter temperatures could
also be a
problem, as the rubber bands could become brittle in
sub-zero (F)
temperatures, and be damaged if the parachute was moved.

Based on the above, I'm going to have Strong repack
my parachute before
the season, even though I'm still considering a new
parachute. I've
eliminated the National because I don't like the idea
of the rubber
bands, so it's down to the Para-Phernalia Softie. The
Micro-Softie seems
the most attractive of their line, and I'm thinking
one with the
'thread-thru' adapters instead of snaps on the leg
straps would be the
most comfortable.

Does anyone have experience with the thread-thru adapters?

--
Change 'netto' to 'net' to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA