Reserve pilot chute exposed to sun

[baseface2 0]

Hi,

My reserve pilot chute has been laying unenclosed in the room not to far from the window for about a week, in relatively warm weather. How badly could the fabric have been affected by this. And how can I check how bad it has been affected?

I will ofcourse ask a rigger to have a look at it when repacking, but im just very curious
 

Thank you

[riggerrob 558]

Find an old rigger who still has the tools for pull-testing PD reserves or an even older, grumpy, gray-bearded rigger who used to test round reserves for acid-mesh.

The old rigger will have the rubber-jawed clamps and scale to precisely test the tensile strength of your pilot-chute's fabric. It is important to use the correct tools and techniques, because a clumsy test will pull holes in airworthy fabric.

A quicker test is to look for fading. I got a pilot-chute that had been laying out on a fence for 3 weeks after a reserve deployment. It was badly faded and I could easily pull it apart by hand - note experienced hand that had tested a thousand round canopies for acid-mesh.

[councilman24 36]

8 hours ago, riggerrob said:

Find an old rigger who still has the tools for pull-testing PD reserves or an even older, grumpy, gray-bearded rigger who used to test round reserves for acid-mesh.

The old rigger will have the rubber-jawed clamps and scale to precisely test the tensile strength of your pilot-chute's fabric. It is important to use the correct tools and techniques, because a clumsy test will pull holes in airworthy fabric.

A quicker test is to look for fading. I got a pilot-chute that had been laying out on a fence for 3 weeks after a reserve deployment. It was badly faded and I could easily pull it apart by hand - note experienced hand that had tested a thousand round canopies for acid-mesh.

Rob,

Every new rigger should have tensile testing clamps.  While PD dropped their yearly tensile test for their reserves 10 years ago or so the Evo Rush reserve requires a tensile test yearly.  In addition I think their is a round emergency canopy that requires one but would have to look to see if I remember that right.

In addition, you yourself have indicated why any rigger should have tensile testing clamps in your post above.

[councilman24 36]

9 hours ago, baseface2 said:

Hi,

My reserve pilot chute has been laying unenclosed in the room not to far from the window for about a week, in relatively warm weather. How badly could the fabric have been affected by this. And how can I check how bad it has been affected?

I will ofcourse ask a rigger to have a look at it when repacking, but im just very curious
 

Thank you

If is was not in the direct sunlight coming through the window and only exposed to a room lit with reflected sunlight little (likely no) effect.  Even if in the direct light through the window glass effectively blocks most of UV B, the UV wavelengths that affect nylon. It should be fine.