Flying with Parachutes

On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 1:44:22 PM UTC-7, WB wrote:
On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 3:18:42 PM UTC-5, John Foster wrote:
Is there any general consensus of which brand of parachute is better than others, or are they all about the same? Any thoughts regarding the MARS ATL-15 parachutes offered through wingsandwheels.com? They seem a little more affordable for a new chute.

You can't go wrong with a Strong! (yeah, corny, I know).

My Strong parachute is 25 years old. No problems getting it repacked, either by local riggers or by Strong. I alternate between taking my chute to the local guy and sending it to Strong for repack. Strong's customer service is first rate. They turn it around quick and have it back to me even faster than my local rigger. My next parachute will definitely be a Strong.

Oh, I also have a National that I picked up because it was a lighter then my Strong and cheap. I'm sure it's a good chute, but the harness system is kind of odd and uncomfortable and it lacks the padding of my Strong (that's why it's lighter).


There is no FAA regulation limiting parachute life. Even when my Strong was 30 years old, each time I got it repacked the packer told me (I asked) it was 'like new'. I also once had a flying layoff for a few years, then when I got it repacked, I asked the packer if it would have opened. He said 'of course'. I packed mine once each year, which meant I went slightly over the 6-month FAA rule. I dealt with that by sticking a piece of tape with 'inoperable/not available for emergency use' written on it on the chute.