Parachute Service Life Limits and the FAA

An interesting article found on a parachute vendor's web site.

- John

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http://www.parachuteshop.com/service_life_limits.htm

Parachute Service Life Limits

There have been rumors out there for years that there is a 20 year service life on parachutes used by pilots, skydivers and military. These are parachutes certificated under the FAA's TSO (Technical Standard Order) certification, which include TSO C23b, NAS 804, TSO C23c (Categories A, B & C), and TSO C23d.

Folks - THERE IS NO 20 YEAR RULE, LET ME SAY IT AGAIN FOR CLARITY,
"THERE IS NO 20 YEAR LIFE RULE".

The parachute system airworthiness you are using is not affected by the number of years, it is affected by the care you give it. Do you take it in regularly for service, do you keep it out of the sun, do you use a carry bag, and do you keep it clean & protected. This stuff makes the parachute unairworthy, not the age.

Recently the FAA was requested a clarification on parachute service life, (Letter from the FAA), and the FAA stated that any parachute under a certificated TSO does not have a maximum service life. Ongoing service life of a parachute system is established by the Certificated Parachute Rigger at the time of Inspection and Repack cycle (Repack Cycle 180 days).

The FAA further said in its letter, a parachute manufacturer who wants to establish a maximum service life after receiving their TSO certification, (under the above TSO's), the FAA says the manufacturer will have to submit their request, with backup data, so the FAA can review the data and possibly issue a (AD) Airworthiness Directive for that model.

The FAA issuing this type of AD hasn't happened to date, and I doubt it ever will. The request to add a service life by the manufacturer to their manual after their TSO was issued has been determined by the FAA as a non-regulatory requirement. So service life is determined by the Certificated FAA Parachute Rigger on inspection of the parachute system.

Service Life assigned to a parachute must be included as part of the INITIAL TSO certification for that model, with supporting data to support the request, and will be in the manual for parachutes from the day forward but does not include parachutes prior to that, unless the AD process is followed..

FAA Certificated Senior or Master Parachute Riggers refusing to inspect and repack your parachute due to age are ignorant and lacking in foresight and doing you a disservice, take your parachute to another Parachute Rigger.

Letter from the FAA == http://www.parachuteshop.com/faa_ser..._parachute.htm

Best regards,

Donald V Mayer II

FAA Certificated Master Parachute Rigger

FAA/CPL/MEL, Skydiving Instructor, Glider Tow Pilot,

Owner of the Parachute Shop, Saving Lives Since 1973

Thanks for posting this. Our club has periodic discussions about this that are long on opinions but short on documentation.

Larry

My experience is that it is the rigger who makes a decision about an absolute service life. In my area it is typically 20 years. Some will not even consider making a canopy fabric strength test. Other riggers never bring up the subject. The result is you can keep shopping your old rig around until a rigger agrees to repack.

Agreed that many riggers have set a "line in the sand" of 20 years, mine did. I am guessing that this is driven by liability concerns, or not wanting to be pressured into packing "old" chutes, and I firmly believe that this is not a ploy to sell more parachutes. Case in point is that I owned an older Strong 305 and I spoke with the manufacturer at EAA Oshkosh and they are happy to (at least attempt to) repack any age chute (which is more costly than a local rigger plus shipping) and you would think that a manufacturer would be the FIRST to want to sell you a new chute. Kudos to them. I assume that Para-phenalia (Softie) is the same way - does anyone know?

On Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 5:29:37 AM UTC-7, John DeRosa OHM Ω http://aviation.derosaweb.net wrote:
Agreed that many riggers have set a "line in the sand" of 20 years, mine did. I am guessing that this is driven by liability concerns, or not wanting to be pressured into packing "old" chutes, and I firmly believe that this is not a ploy to sell more parachutes. Case in point is that I owned an older Strong 305 and I spoke with the manufacturer at EAA Oshkosh and they are happy to (at least attempt to) repack any age chute (which is more costly than a local rigger plus shipping) and you would think that a manufacturer would be the FIRST to want to sell you a new chute. Kudos to them. I assume that Para-phenalia (Softie) is the same way - does anyone know?

mfg that put a 20 year life limit on parachutes will not service them after they have expired, strong and summit parachutes do not have a life limit on them.

On Monday, April 18, 2016 at 7:19:41 AM UTC-7, John DeRosa OHM Ω http://aviation.derosaweb.net wrote:
An interesting article found on a parachute vendor's web site.

- John

==================================================

http://www.parachuteshop.com/service_life_limits.htm

Parachute Service Life Limits

There have been rumors out there for years that there is a 20 year service life on parachutes used by pilots, skydivers and military. These are parachutes certificated under the FAA's TSO (Technical Standard Order) certification, which include TSO C23b, NAS 804, TSO C23c (Categories A, B & C), and TSO C23d.

Folks - THERE IS NO 20 YEAR RULE, LET ME SAY IT AGAIN FOR CLARITY,
"THERE IS NO 20 YEAR LIFE RULE".

The parachute system airworthiness you are using is not affected by the number of years, it is affected by the care you give it. Do you take it in regularly for service, do you keep it out of the sun, do you use a carry bag, and do you keep it clean & protected. This stuff makes the parachute unairworthy, not the age.

Recently the FAA was requested a clarification on parachute service life, (Letter from the FAA), and the FAA stated that any parachute under a certificated TSO does not have a maximum service life. Ongoing service life of a parachute system is established by the Certificated Parachute Rigger at the time of Inspection and Repack cycle (Repack Cycle 180 days).

The FAA further said in its letter, a parachute manufacturer who wants to establish a maximum service life after receiving their TSO certification, (under the above TSO's), the FAA says the manufacturer will have to submit their request, with backup data, so the FAA can review the data and possibly issue a (AD) Airworthiness Directive for that model.

The FAA issuing this type of AD hasn't happened to date, and I doubt it ever will. The request to add a service life by the manufacturer to their manual after their TSO was issued has been determined by the FAA as a non-regulatory requirement. So service life is determined by the Certificated FAA Parachute Rigger on inspection of the parachute system.

Service Life assigned to a parachute must be included as part of the INITIAL TSO certification for that model, with supporting data to support the request, and will be in the manual for parachutes from the day forward but does not include parachutes prior to that, unless the AD process is followed.

FAA Certificated Senior or Master Parachute Riggers refusing to inspect and repack your parachute due to age are ignorant and lacking in foresight and doing you a disservice, take your parachute to another Parachute Rigger.

Letter from the FAA == http://www.parachuteshop.com/faa_ser..._parachute.htm

Best regards,

Donald V Mayer II

FAA Certificated Master Parachute Rigger

FAA/CPL/MEL, Skydiving Instructor, Glider Tow Pilot,

Owner of the Parachute Shop, Saving Lives Since 1973

While there is nothing illegal about any parachute of any age as long as the rigger deems it airworthy the problem arises when there is an indecent involving the parachute, IE fails to open and the mfg puts a life limit on the equipment, and the lawyers get involved, the rigger doesn't have a leg to stand on, Who are you to override the manufactures recommendation...that rigger is screwed!

When needed, none of us is going to worry about the legality of pulling the pin.

On Friday, July 24, 2020 at 6:41:27 PM UTC-7, Stephen Szikora wrote:
When needed, none of us is going to worry about the legality of pulling the pin.

No you should worry about it before! Keep your chute current in packing and life so it can save your butt.

No worries for me! I just bought a new Softie. In 20 years I’ll be pushing 80.

Sooooo ... as you age, you’ll have a softie to look forward to?