On Tuesday, July 22, 2014 10:43:36 AM UTC-5, Quietpilot wrote:
It is my 1st parachute and my 1st glider too.

My apologies for missing this earlier, Quietpilot. Congratulations on your first plane! May it serve you well for as long as you like!

As to the chute, as many others have mentioned, Strong does not put a calendar life on their chutes. I would encourage you to look around your local area and see if there are other riggers that base the airworthiness of a product on its condition, not its age. And also, spend some time sitting in the glider with the chute on, even if you can't get it re-packed by that rigger. It may be that the ergonomics just don't work out and you end up wanting to get a different chute. But if it is comfortable, by all means look around for another rigger. You may trade off a chute that is comfortable for one that is not, and that will not make the experience a pleasant one.

Happy flying in your new sailplane!

Steve