Parachute Service Life
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
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
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