Proposes Change To 180-Day Repacking Timeframe

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), regarding proposed changes to the packing interval for certain types of parachutes.

Currently, the FAA requires that most parachutes may not be used or carried aboard an aircraft and available for emergency use unless they have been packed within the previous 120 days. New reliability data from the parachute industry and other sources indicate it is time to review the packing interval, however, and the FAA is asking for public comment on a proposal to lengthen the interval from 120 to 180 days.

Citing data from the US military and industry representatives, the FAA says the current 120-day packing interval may be too short. Experts assert modern parachute materials last longer when the packing interval is longer than 120 days, and that too-frequent packing may shorten the life of the materials.

Those experts found the parachute's porosity was affected by handling and manipulation of the parachute while being packed. The FAA is proposing 180 days as a more suitable packing interval for modern parachute systems, adding such an extension would also result in a "minor" cost saving for parachutists.

The effect of the proposal is to ensure the rules reflect the safest parachute packing interval. In this rulemaking, the FAA is also proposing several correcting amendments to the rules related to parachute operations.

Comments on the NPRM are due before August 20, 2007.

FMI: Read The Full NPRM