Longer parachute repack cycle petition (USA)

It is my understanding that the FAA has agreed _not_ to ramp check at a
contest due to safety issues. Is that not correct, folks?



Larry Goddard

"01" USA





"Andy" wrote in message
oups.com:

"the day an FAA person had nothing better to do than
look at glider parachutes"


It does happen but I think it's rare. One year at Hobbs all pilots
were ramp checked for parachute currency. I don't know what, if any,
action was taken aginast those without a current pack. Mine was
current as it always is for the first sanctioned contest of the year.

Andy

Zero One sez:

"It is my understanding that the FAA has agreed _not_ to ramp check at
a
contest due to safety issues. Is that not correct, folks?"

I haven't seen any guidance that says anything like that, at all. But
I'll do some research and see if I can find some, might be an obscure
order, or maybe a policy bulletin. If it exists, I'll find it. There IS
an HBAW that states what records one should bring to an airshow, but
that's not the topic here.

Regarding the issue of being violated just for standing next to your
glider wearing a chute with an expired re-pack - not likely. The FAA
must follow the normal rules of evidence - that is they have to see you
actually violate the rule or you must admit it to a Fed you did it, or
they must have some other sort of evidence that proves you violated the
rule before they can hope to enforce the rule. I suppose they could
prove it if the other three guys in the thermal want to write out a
statement that they saw you fly your glider with that chute on, etc.

Sure, some Feds might try it, but it won't make it past the Regional
Counsel's office these days. I'm not sure I would want to test it since
dealing with the Feds is no fun.

I hope we get the 180 day rule thing done, it sure would increase
safety and compliance overnight with no cost to the end-user at all!

Jim

I have personal knowledge of, and personally know of an occurance of a
violation being issued, and a fine of $1,000 given to someone who wore
an out of date parachute in an aircraft. If it is accessible in
flight, it must be in date. If in the aircraft, but not accessable,
no problem. I take no stand on this. I only offer the fact that I
have personally seen a violation issued.

Bill Zaleski, Master Parachute Rigger


On 3 Nov 2005 10:58:28 -0800, "Ramy" wrote:

It must take a complete anal person to cite someone for wearing an out
of pack chute. Did it actually ever happened? Did anyone ever got into
trouble for wearing or using an out of pack or even expired chute? On
the other end, who knows how many didn't wear chutes as a result of the
hassle and cost of frequent repacks, and actually needed it...
Thank god Eric Larsen wear chute, repacked or not. Similar thing
happened around this time last year at the same area, but unfortunately
the pilot did not wear a chute.
If the FAA regulators were actually using their heads, they would
increase the repack cycle to 1 year and make it mandatory to always
wear a parachute. They should make trasponders mandatory as well, but
this is another thread...

Ramy

Bill Zaleski wrote:
I have personal knowledge of, and personally know of an occurance of a
violation being issued, and a fine of $1,000 given to someone who wore
an out of date parachute in an aircraft. If it is accessible in
flight, it must be in date. If in the aircraft, but not accessable,
no problem. I take no stand on this. I only offer the fact that I
have personally seen a violation issued.

Can you elaborate on the situation? Was it a glider pilot, aerobatic
pilot, or just a crew member? Had the violator been warned previously?
I'm also curious about how out of date it was, and if that was a factor
in the fine, which sounds quite high.


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

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Bill Zaleski wrote:
I have personal knowledge of, and personally know of an occurance of a
violation being issued, and a fine of $1,000 given to someone who wore
an out of date parachute in an aircraft. If it is accessible in
flight, it must be in date. If in the aircraft, but not accessable,
no problem. I take no stand on this. I only offer the fact that I
have personally seen a violation issued.

Bill Zaleski, Master Parachute Rigger


Was this person a skydiver who was about to jump from the plane?

No.

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 18:00:11 -0800, Greg Arnold
wrote:




Bill Zaleski wrote:
I have personal knowledge of, and personally know of an occurance of a
violation being issued, and a fine of $1,000 given to someone who wore
an out of date parachute in an aircraft. If it is accessible in
flight, it must be in date. If in the aircraft, but not accessable,
no problem. I take no stand on this. I only offer the fact that I
have personally seen a violation issued.

Bill Zaleski, Master Parachute Rigger


Was this person a skydiver who was about to jump from the plane?

Right, he was in the aircraft while it was flying, right? Not standing
next to it?

No doubt you'll get fined if you wear an out of date parachute when
flying in an aircraft, but the situation described earlier in the
thread was while one is standing next to the aircraft. In fact, I can
sit in my glider with my out of date chute, but if I'm not flying it,
no violation has occurred.

Jim

Bill Zaleski wrote:
I have personal knowledge of, and personally know of an occurance of a
violation being issued, and a fine of $1,000 given to someone who wore
an out of date parachute in an aircraft. If it is accessible in
flight, it must be in date. If in the aircraft, but not accessable,
no problem. I take no stand on this. I only offer the fact that I
have personally seen a violation issued.

Bill Zaleski, Master Parachute Rigger

Jim, I don't know where I read that. but I don't think I am making it
up.



Was it in an article in Soaring Magazine within the last couple of
years? It seems like is was an article about "knowing your rights in a
ramp check" or some such.



I just don't remember.



Larry Goddard

"01" USA

"jphoenix" wrote in message
oups.com:

Zero One sez:

"It is my understanding that the FAA has agreed _not_ to ramp check at
a
contest due to safety issues. Is that not correct, folks?"

I haven't seen any guidance that says anything like that, at all. But
I'll do some research and see if I can find some, might be an obscure
order, or maybe a policy bulletin. If it exists, I'll find it. There IS
an HBAW that states what records one should bring to an airshow, but
that's not the topic here.

Regarding the issue of being violated just for standing next to your
glider wearing a chute with an expired re-pack - not likely. The FAA
must follow the normal rules of evidence - that is they have to see you
actually violate the rule or you must admit it to a Fed you did it, or
they must have some other sort of evidence that proves you violated the
rule before they can hope to enforce the rule. I suppose they could
prove it if the other three guys in the thermal want to write out a
statement that they saw you fly your glider with that chute on, etc.

Sure, some Feds might try it, but it won't make it past the Regional
Counsel's office these days. I'm not sure I would want to test it since
dealing with the Feds is no fun.

I hope we get the 180 day rule thing done, it sure would increase
safety and compliance overnight with no cost to the end-user at all!

Jim

I'll see what I can find. Might take a few days.

Jim

I believe Bob Wander wrote the article.

Chip F
jphoenix wrote:
I'll see what I can find. Might take a few days.

Jim