Capricorn1

unless your name is Scott Bland, Chuck Blue, Rob Jones or James Boole unless your name is Purple Mike, Gay Purple Mike, Purple Gay Mike or Mike Gay Purple I think Purple Mike should be 100% incharge of the whole event. I kid you not.

On an airplane you don't usually change structural components just for the fuck of it. Most 182s 50+ still have the very same airframe as they did 50 years ago. Wear and tear items such as many engine components, tires, and brakes are being replaced very much like I hope you change your closing loops once in a while, lube your cables, reline your main, change he kill line of your PC, yada, yada, yada. I think I spent enough time here. The Internet is really like the special Olympics. Over and out! AGAIN PLEASE SEND ME ALL SKYDIVING GEAR THAT IS 20+ YEARS OLD, I PAY FOR POSTAGE

Yes absolutely! But the line should be dictated by common sense, knowledge, and by case-by-case not by time alone! Let's say you are an airplane mechanic, a 50 year old Cessna 182 comes...no history of maintenance whatsoever, duct tape to hold structural components together, rust all over the engine, oil leaks like it's showering...would you sign it off as airworthy? Same airplane comes, spotless maintenance record, fresh paint, everything checks from the airframe, to engine, to avionics...would you refuse to sign the annual or 100 hours because it's 50 years old? THINK!!!

Are we talking about main or reserve here? How much UV exposure does an average reserve get in 20 years? If I had to take a guess it would be that the UV exposure is going to be non-significant when it comes to fabric strength. Well you don't buy the PC example, maybe taffeta is much more durable than f-111 so here is another one. We have a Raven 4 that is 22 years old, it has more than 1500 jumps, some fresh water landings, and it's still being used as a main occasionally. It does not blow up on opening and lands just fine if not over-loaded. Are you telling me if the same canopy being used let's say 10 times as a reserve only would just be un-airworthy? I cannot see how 10 jumps, 3 packs a year, and a few minutes of direct sun exposure are more detrimental than 1500+ jumps, 1500+ packs, water landings, and about 100 hours of sun exposure. Buy hey there is a possibility for everything in this world. Maybe PD puts subatomical time bombs embedded in the fabric so at 20 years the whole canopy self destroys. Yes I agree and this thread is a clear example.

Manufactures are in the business of sell gear last I checked. There are not in the business of seeking truth, scientists do that. 19 year old, 11 months, and 29 days reserve perfectly good. 20 year old and one millisecond old same reserve grounded for life. Same deal with the Cypres. 12 years +/- 3 months all good, 12 years and 4 months, time for the junk yard. If manufactures want to sell more gear they should probably invest more money into R&D instead of selling fear that your reserve might explode just because it's 20+ year old. And there are plenty of 20+ year old canopies that fly just as well as brand spanking new ones, and sometimes better. Got to love it, really.

I jump a PC built in 1966 with well over 500 jumps (probably close to 1000), lots of UV exposure, one salt water landing, two fresh water landings, one tree landing, three patches. I still jump it (at least twice a month), the fabric is still OK, it lands me nicely and it does not blow up on opening. And I am talking about a PC that is 41 years old and that it had been jumped hard a lot!!! You need some good electroshocks to convince me that a round or square reserve built from synthetic fibers, with a few jumps, with very little UV expose is not airworthy because it's 20+ years old! I am very glad I am a master rigger so as a costumer I don't have to deal with individuals like yourself. To all: Please mail me (I pay for postage) all the skydiving equipment that you consider un-airworthy solely based on age. As compensation I will mail you a framed pic on me jumping the piss out the equipment. Please PM if interested so I can send you my address.

I know they are hard to come by. If you know someone who wants to get rid of one please let me know.