A year ago about this time when taking our chute into PA for a repack they told me the harness was faded beyond acceptance and they would not do a repack. It was a PA outer, approximately 25 years old with a second-hand canopy that had been provided by Rory at Bankstown some time previously and which had about two years left in it on estimation. So PA's policy is not a new one this year.
We decided to buy a new slimpack from Beryl Hartley - one of the Czech "Mars" imports. Yes, there had previously been a certification issue and yes, it had to have a local repack (which was done at no cost before we purchased it). It's been comfortable in service and this year PA did the repack on it without comment (and, I might add, at a slightly lower price than in previous years). Leigh Youdale VH-GQF >-- Original Message -- >Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2003 01:04:41 +1100 >To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: Mike Cleaver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Parachute Service Bulletin >Reply-To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >At 01:47 06-11-03 +1100, you wrote: >>Ken, >>I found out today that Parachutes Australia have issued a Service Bulletin > >>(No.PA SB9502 Rev 2) which lifes their containers,harness and canopies for > >>the types listed, at 20yrs. The list includes most types which we >>normally use in gliders, including the slimpacks and thinbacks. If the >>equipment has exceeded that time, it is to be taken out of service. >>We have 8 which are suddenly of no use, and I suspect many other clubs are > >>in a similar situation. >> >>I don't recall seeing any advice on this matter and note that the bulletin > >>distribution did not include GFA, although I was told "someone at GFA >>office"was informed. >> >>As there is a requirement to have a serviceable parachute for comps, this > >>may affect some entrants to this years events. >>Forwarded for your information. >>Regards >>Glenn Mclean > >Glenn > >I provided this information in an off-line reply to someone who asked about > >parachutes in September: > > "Not an answer to your question - but you should take a look at > >the latest Service Bulletin on the Parachutes Australia web site. Effective > >from the next repack, Slimpack and Thinback harness and container systems > >are to be brought back from an "on-condition" life to a 20-year replacement > >due to likely deterioration of the fabric and webbing. The same applies >also to the 26' taffeta parachute canopies, but not the the LoPo and the > >other common canopy packed in the low-sped parachutes - these remain >"on-condition". > >"CASA will doubtless issue an AD to back up this SB very soon: the APF have > >already issued an updated Rigging Advisory Circular. > >"Given that these have been lifed beyond 20 years for about the past 8 >years, I can see a lot of containers suddenly needing replacement." > > >AS you can see (and it's on the PA web page) the problem is the container > >systems and not necessarily the parachutes inside them. If you have the > >taffeta canopy, it will fail its next inspection if it was manufactured >before December 1983. I guess there are a few that have reached this >20-year point since the life was made "on conditions" in about 1996 - so > >perhaps we should be grateful for the extra life we gained from them since > >this date. > >The complete rig would cost between $2000 and $2600 for a new one, >depending on design, but if you buy a LoPo canopy (or already have one) its > >life is not limited by time alone in the future, but only by how well you > >have looked after it. Ideally it should either be sitting in its carry >bag, or on your back being sat upon - but I know several that get taken out > >of the bag in the clubhouse in the morning and then left on a wing tip all >day! > >We checked our club parachutes and have at least one container to replace, > >maybe two (I could not find the manufacture date of the second one and it > >was sent of to our packer to check . > >However, some newer European parachutes were grounded earlier this year >when people discovered the manufacturer's Certificate of Approval had >expired. They have since been able to be put back into service following > >re-certification of the maker, but needed an inspection first. You can >just about throw the harness away after 20 years, but there is some hope >of >an on-condition extension for taffeta canopies as the limitation was >imposed because of a lack of information rather than known deterioration. > >Wombat > > >_______________________________________________ >Aus-soaring mailing list >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
