Container and Main Parachute Inspection:
Continuing with our theme of developing skills in the off-season, we’ll now explore inspection of your skydiving gear. This will not only get you more familiar with your individual gear, you’ll improve your ability to perform a proper gear check when someone else needs one!
DID YOU KNOW? Every container, main, and reserve parachute originally came with a manual? Every manufacturer that is still in business offers a digital version of their products’ owners manual – these are great learning resources, and you’ll find a few of them listed below!
Try unpacking your main, stretching it out, and inspecting all the individual components: Starting with your deployment handle or hackey, work your way back down to the container, in a kind of reverse order.
Pilot Chute and Main:
- Inspect your pilot chute fabric and mesh for wear.
- Bridle and its attachment points: Check your kill line, too!
- Deployment bag: Look for loose threads, seams, or grommets. Replace any crappy old rubber bands!
- Bridle attachment point, on top of your main.
- Main top skin: Inspect the fabric and seams for any irregularities.
- Main bottom skin: Inspect the fabric, seams, and line attachments.
- Suspension lines: Look for worn or fraying lines, and check all four links.
The Container:
- Main risers: From the links to the 3-rings, check the riser webbing, retention loop, grommets, and cutaway cable retainer.
- Make sure your brake line keepers are in good functional condition.
- Main lift webs: Inspect the webbing, and check that your emergency handles are in good condition, and well-seated in their velcro housings.
- If your rig has chest rings on the main lift webs, inspect them for abrasions or fraying.
- Chest strap and friction adapter: Look for fraying.
- Hip rings: Carefully examine the webbing and hardware.
- Leg strap webbing, friction adapters, and leg pads.
- BOC pocket: Make sure it’s still tight and free of holes or bad abrasions.
- Main pack tray: Check the flaps and grommets, making sure the internal plastics aren’t broken. Inspect your riser covers in the same way.
- Main closing loop: Replace if it looks more than 10% frayed.
Reserve, AAD, and Data Card:
- Reserve: You can only inspect the outside of the reserve system, but still, take the time to look for any stains or abrasions. Check the pin, closing loop, and rigger’s seal. Verify that the seal matches the information on the data card
- Reserve Data Card: Make sure it is present, and that your rigger signed and dated your last reserve repack.
- Check that your AAD still functions correctly, and doesn’t require service.
If your rig is going to be stored for some time, most riggers would recommend that you leave the main parachute unpacked. If you think you’ll jump sooner rather than later, pack it back up!
DID YOU KNOW? According to FAA part 105, the main parachute, like the reserve, must have been packed at least 180 days before use. The only technical difference is that a rigger is responsible for the reserve’s airworthiness and repack cycle, whereas the owner is responsible for the main’s, and requires no real documentation.
Links to Manufacturers’ Manual Pages:
UPT/Vector: https://uptvector.com/sport-rigging/
Performance Designs/PD: https://www.performancedesigns.com/manuals-instructions
Mirage: https://miragesys.com/support/manuals-downloads/
Sunpath/Javelin: https://www.sunpath.com/support/manuals/
Skydive Wings: https://skydivewings.com/user-manuals/