This part provides legal definitions for words and abbreviations under this title. One of the more important terms in this part is that of the Administrator. The Administrator is the administrative head of the FAA or any employee of the FAA to whom authority has been delegated. The parachute rigger is most likely to come in contact with two individuals who may act on the Administrator’s behalf.

The first is the ASI from the local FSDO or IFO. This employee of the FAA is responsible for enforcement of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in aviation matters. The ASI (airworthiness type) has jurisdictional responsibility in such matters as compliance with the rules, approving data for major repairs or alterations, investigation of accidents, overseeing airshows and demo jumps, or any aviation-related matter.

The second is the local DPRE. This private person is empowered to conduct practical tests for the Administrator.

A Technical Standard Order (TSO) is issued by the Administrator and is a minimum performance standard for specified articles, such as parachutes. It is important that the parachute rigger understand the TSO process and the various levels of TSO approval under which parachutes are manufactured. Every parachute rigger should read and become familiar with the TSOs for parachutes, the 23 series (C23b, C23c, C23d). This is important to the parachute rigger in determining certification compatibility when he or she is assembling approved components.

This part specifically deals with Airworthiness Directives (ADs). An AD is an amendment to the CFR. An AD must be complied with before using an affected product. In the case of a parachute, when:

Under 14 CFR part 39, “No person may operate a product to which an airworthiness directive applies except in accordance with the requirements of that airworthiness directive.”

In recent years, there have been a number of parachute ADs issued by the Administrator. These ADs prescribe certain actions to be taken by the parachute rigger in order to ensure the safety and function of parachutes that have been found in some manner to be defective. If the parachute rigger does not comply with the AD, the parachute rigger cannot pack, maintain, or alter the affected parachute. ADs are mailed to each certificated parachute rigger on the FAA listing. If the parachute rigger has moved and not complied with the requirements for an address change, the rigger may not receive the AD. This introduces an additional problem. Under 14 CFR, part 65, subpart A—General, section 65.21, airmen must register their change of address within 30 days of moving or they are not able to exercise the privileges of their certificate.

14 CFR part 91, section 91.307 of 14 CFR deals with parachutes and parachuting. This section defines an “approved parachute” and states the repack time for parachutes. Both of these are of vital interest to the parachute rigger.

14 CFR part 105 deals with the use of parachutes in the United States. The following areas are of interest to parachute riggers:

As parachute riggers gain additional experience, they are occasionally faced with situations that involve less than ideal circumstances. For example, they may be presented with a new jumper who has purchased old or damaged equipment that may or may not be airworthy; or it may be a pilot who purchased an acrobatic plane that came with a parachute that is far too small for his or her weight. These situations involve more than just the technical knowledge for a Parachute Rigger Certificate.

In the case of the pilot above, depending on which TSO the parachute is certified, there may be a weight and speed limitation for the system. For example, TSO C23c category B has a limitation of 254-pound exit weight and a speed limitation of 150 knots. Imagine a pilot who weighs 225 pounds and his airplane regularly exceeds the 150 knot envelope during maneuvering. If this pilot brings a parachute to a parachute rigger for repacking, the first thing the parachute rigger should notice is the size of the pilot. When the parachute rigger inspects the parachute, he notices that it has a 22-foot diameter round canopy. The parachute rigger finds that with the pilot at 225 pounds, his clothes at 5 pounds, and the parachute at 20 pounds, he is at 250 pounds or just under the limit. However, in looking at the owner’s manual, the parachute rigger cannot find any information in the weight-carrying limit of the canopy. In addition, this particular parachute was made by a company that is no longer in business. The parachute appears to be in good condition visually but is 30 years old. In this situation, the parachute rigger is faced with a number of questionable areas that are detailed below.

The practical matter of the above pilot’s use of the parachute is that he is at the maximum limits of the certification specifications of that parachute. If he does not eat a big breakfast or gain much weight before using the parachute, he might stay under the weight limit. The speed limitation is probably exceeded on a regular basis during acrobatic maneuvers. If he needs to use the parachute at some point, there should be enough of a safety margin built into the design and testing of the parachute to be sufficient.