now, I am not going to try to justify the cycle period, and in fact this can
vary from country to country, and even most manufacturers will probably say
the 120 day cycle is too frequent for our typical use, but I can
understand the FAA rule on this, and anyone who doesn't see the reasoning is
why they have the rule...
plain and simple, if it were legal to wear an out of date parachute, would
you, or anyone else bother to have it inspected or repacked?? I rather doubt
it....in fact you're already suggested you wouldn't...
Rules are never a simple matter or what's right for the masses, but made
because some one or a few people have done something that was questionable,
or wrong. If we were all perfect, and always right we'd have far fewer
rules, regulations and restrictions....
tim


It reminds me of the reg about parachutes:
if my chute is past its repack date, it's perfectly legal for me to
use a seat cushion instead and leave the chute in my car. If I take
the chute anyway (as a seat cushion), it's illegal and I can get
busted. My chute's always properly packed (go ahead, check) but
that's not the point. Which of our regulators wants to explain to a
grieving family that the totally unnecessary fatality was caused, not
by the out-of-date parachute (which probably would have worked fine),
but by a regulation that REQUIRED LEAVING IT ON THE GROUND!

It won't ever get explained that way: the puzzled regulator will be
dumbfounded that a pilot was so clueless, that he owned a parachute and
didn't take it along. The family should also be dumbfounded, as I would
be. Get it packed if the rule bothers you, carry it if doesn't. Sheesh.
Give it to a passenger...then I think you should have packed properly.