Ballistic parachute/rocket replacement update for 2023

[edwalker]

Greetings Phoenix drivers,

This year I'm coming up on my 6-year ballistic parachute repack AND the dreaded 12-year rocket replacement. I thought I'd post a little contemporary R&D for the group since some of you are new to the group, and others will soon be slowly edging up on these inglorious deadlines. I worked with Dennis Carly of U-FLY-IT in Deland FL 6 years ago to standardize this replacement for us, and I asked him to give me an update on the current process and prices.  Here's his response from yesterday:

"Yes, the repack and rocket replacement (when rocket replacement is necessary) is a pretty easy process.  Here is how it works:

The owner sends us the canopy when it is time for inspection and recertification.  A series of photos, showing the rocket, activation line, trigger housing, etc., are also emailed to us by the owner, pursuant to instructions we provide at the time the owner removes the canopy.  The canopy is removed from the container, inspected, and if its condition is suitable it is repacked and certified for another 6 years of service. 

If the rocket is due for replacement, we ship the recertified canopy back to the owner with a new rocket.  We also send instructions on removing the existing rocket and installing the new one.  The rocket motor itself is a haz-mat item, but we have BATF approval to ship them both directions.  We provide the owner with the appropriate shipping documents, placards, etc., and instructions on packing the old rocket and shipping it to us in the same metal cage the replacement rocket was sent to them in.

Turnaround time varies, depending on how backed up they are at the factory, but the turnaround time currently is far better than it has been in the past.  I would say plan on 4-8 weeks currently.  Up until about a year ago, we kept a couple 601’s in stock to be used as ‘loaner’ canopies while customers’ units were out for repack.  However, the atrocious supply chain issues around the world have caused such a delay in the factory being able to get new systems out to us, that we have no loaners available at the moment.  I look for that issue to improve moving forward into next year, so hopefully we will have some loaner canopies available to ship.

Repack is currently $1,475, plus shipping from our location back to the customer once it is repacked (that is normally about $45 to anywhere in the 48 states).  We cover the cost of shipping back and forth to the Czech Republic.  Current replacement rocket is $1,080, and haz-mat shipping is about $60.

FYI, we do sometimes have customers who opt to replace the entire system when the rocket is due for replacement (18 years from first installation).  Current cost of the complete 1670 (601) system is $5,990 currently (going up to $6,589 on January 1, 2023)."

I'm not ready to do this until later in the year, but I'm also doing a Rotax rubber replacement this year, so like sending your kid to college, a little bit of financial planning is in order. For newer owners Doug Levy already replaced his rocket, and he has a nice post on some of the details. Also, I have an earlier post about my first shot at pulling and replacing the chute, and it has some details about the process. It references the attached document from Jim Lee on how to do it. In case you need to buy some time to do the replacement, don't forget that your plane can always be flown past the replacement deadline legally if you temporarily placard the chute handle as INOP (but still go ahead and pull it anyway if your wing falls off). 😀

It took quite some time to figure all this out over the years, but it looks like it's the most cost-effective way to do the replacement, and we're lucky to have someone like Dennis to help us. Please share any stories you have if you've already done some of this and have some additional wisdom. Best holiday wishes to all. 

Good luck with your upgrades, 

Ed

Parachute repack.pdf

[Barry.h]

I have just had my parachute belatedly repacked (From Australia). The factory turn around was VERY quick on the repack, however the local agent has been VERY slow supplying the rocket from his local stock. 'Fortunately' my plane is not ready yet so this is not critical path for me (yet).

In the process, Stratos 07 (I assume we all have the same brand??) have defintiely confirmed my rocket is also on a 6 year cycle like the chute. I cannot see where the 12 year life talked about here is documented, so I suggest you check your paperwork to confirm your actual rocket life.

Barry.

[edwalker]

Hi, Barry -

As far back as I can remember we have been operating on the 6-year repack, 12-year rocket replacement, and 18-year total service life for the system. This was established by Jim as the PhoenixAir Designated Manufacturer's Representative acting as the delegated authority of the factory. The 12-year rocket limitation is noted previously in this forum as well as in the parachute repack instructions he distributed (attached above).

You are correct that this is different from what is contained in the 2014 Stratos manual. Nevertheless, this discrepancy may be due to the way in which the S-LSA aircraft are certified by the FAA under the ASTM standards. I've asked Jim to weigh in on this, but my understanding has been that under ASTM|LSA rules the manufacturer has the final word on product and component regulation, and the factory can determine airworthiness standards for each individual aircraft, even when they differ from the recommendations of a component manufacturer.

When we do the initial repack at 6 years there is a requirement to include detailed, hi-res photos of the rocket motor and it's cabling all the way to the handle. I suspect that those pictures may fulfill the inspection requirement that allows for only replacing the chute at 6 years. Let's let Jim have the final word here, but I believe this is the underlying logic of the current procedure. 

Let's wait for his response and go from there.

Ed W

[edwalker]

Just got this from Jim Lee, and he requested I post it. It is an excerpt from a personal communication from Josef Straka, the president of Stratos, to Jim on 9/18/2015. 

"But good news is that we made many tests with the rockets. We found very interesting results. Our rockets are not as BRS rockets. Our rockets power, thrust does not decrease with age, conversely the thrust (power) grows with the age.

So we extends temporarily the lifetime of some rocket engines from 6 to 12 years for the rocket engines Magnum 450, Magnum 600, Magnum 1000 Magnum 1500 with effect from 1.5.2015 until further notice.

The customer is therefore obliged to submit only the parachute and other components of the Rescue System for checking up after 5 or 6 years, while keeping the rocket engine saved.

All the process of transport and revision is really easier than. But it is required to send beforehand a photo of the engine to our company with the information, in which environment the rocket engine has been operated and on how it has been maintained. If everything is all right, we can proceed the revision just for parachute. (And also for the Kevlar/aramid  lines, that you use for Phoenix). And the customer can keep the rocket."

Ed W