An approved chair type parachute may be carried in an aircraft for emergency use if it has been packed by an appropriately rated parachute rigger within the preceding ...

• A. 180 days
• B. 90 days
• C. 60 days
• D. 365 days

Answer: (A)

The key idea is the packing interval for an emergency parachute and who is allowed to do the packing. An approved chair-type parachute that you intend to carry for emergency use must be packed by an appropriately rated parachute rigger within a six-month period prior to flight. Doing the packing in this timeframe helps ensure the parachute is correctly folded, the canopy and lines are in good condition, and the container and hardware are correctly assembled and functional. The rigger’s packing tag documents the date, confirming the parachute is current for flight.

Choosing six months (180 days) reflects a practical safety window that balances reliability with maintenance workload. Packing more frequently (for example, every 90 or 60 days) would be more conservative but isn’t required by regulation. Packing less frequently (for example, every 365 days) could allow wear or degradation to go unchecked, potentially affecting deployment reliability.