Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Looking to buy a used seatback style parachute

Any info would be appreciated.

Buy a New one Mike...

...its one of those items that, on the way down, is when you don't want to find out it's not quite performing as you expected due to previous use

Funny, but unnecessary to buy new.

Parachutes (both skydiving and emergency rigs) go through the equivalent of an annual inspection every 120 days, though I think that's been upped to 180 days now.

As a "for instance" - I paid about $4,000 for a brand-new custom skydiving rig. I then paid $800 for a second, well-used rig (which needed another $200 to bring it up to snuff). I used to jump both quite regularly.

That said, the used parachute didn't fly as well or land as softly. But sport parachutes are used a LOT, whereas emergency rigs are usually only opened during the repack inspection. So a previously-owned but otherwise never-deployed emergency rig would be practically brand new.

Also, emergency rigs are significantly cheaper than sport rigs. That's because sport rigs are really two completely separate parachute systems connected to one harness, whereas an emergency rig is just the reserve parachute.

(in skydiving, your main parachute is the primary and the reserve is the backup. In aerobatics, the airplane is the primary and the reserve is the backup).

ParaGear [paragear.com] is the largest mail-order company for parachutes and skydiving gear. You can check out the three major brands of emergency rigs here:

- Softie [paragear.com]
- Para-Cushion [paragear.com]
- Aviator [paragear.com]

In general, there are two general types of reserve parachutes: Round and Square. As they say at the drop-zone, "a round will get you down but a square will get you there." What that means is a round canopy is idiot-proof - pull the silver handle, then wait for the ground to rise up and meet you. The disadvantage is you'll land wherever the wind may take you, on whatever terrain it finds. Oh, a round canopy may offer steering toggles, but they're really just "view changers" and don't change your destination.

A square reserve, on the other handle, offers a good amount of control and the ability to face into the wind on landing, reducing the impact force. The disadvantage is that it works best with a bit of prior training and a level head, two things that may be sorely lacking in an emergency.

My advice? If you just want a backup and leave it at that, get a round. If you have a bit of skydiving experience (even a tandem jump or two), get a square.

As for where to purchase - if you don't have any aerobatic buddies to ask, then I would go to the USPA (United States Parachute Association) web-site, find a local DZ (drop-zone), and give them a call:

http://www.uspa.org/FindaDZ.aspx

Ask if they can recommend a nearby rigger or pro-shop selling emergency pilot rigs. Such a person would be able to offer specific advice for your situation and fitting.

...and maybe even sign up for a tandem jump while you're at it.

Thanks for the info Kirk! I plan to make a tandem jump soon. My wife did a few years ago and she reminds me that I haven't gotten even with her yet.

My father-n-law is Ret Lt Col. He was Golden Knight CO for 4 or 5 years during the 90's. I fly him and a Marine buddy (Gunny) for demo jumps a few times per year. I need my own emergency chute instead of trying to find someone to borrow from every time. He can get it re-packed when necessary / 180 days.

It seems there are some junk options on the net, but I have a call into a reputable DZ to see if they know of any good ones that might be available.

Try Marc at 484-902-8448 he is a dealer and a rigger. He has access to new and used rigs.

I have a grand total of ONE round jump (28' Russian Paracommander, UT-28? something like that, I'm bottom left Click [tonyhathaway.com] ), after making a couple hundred jumps under squares. And this is a very accurate description! 'Steering' really felt more like pivoting, it felt very bizarre compared to a square! PLF!

Another place to watch is the classified section of Dropzone.com [dropzone.com], especially if you have a rigger or someone knowledgeable helping who knows what to look for. For example a search of the classifieds at the moment for 'Emergency' shows 2 or 3 bailout rigs for sale.

Jacob