Vitality of canopy

[nnninja]

Hi guys!
I want want to known for how many base jumps is prepared the base canopy?

When the canopy is not able to be in service (is retired)?

for example like a car

THX

[Mac]

how many jumps can you put on a canopy

How many can it take?

[BASE_689]

> I want to know for how many base jumps is prepared the base canopy?
Of course, it jolly difficult to give a mathematic and safe and sure answer to that question.
It (obviously) depends on how you treated your parachute, how many slider up jumps, how many slider off jumps, whatever else.
But I can tell you the experience of my friend BASE #726, who owns a Fox 245 (standard, not vented). For a series of reasons (which includes a "not usable for a while new Flik" due to law inforcement reasons, hopefully he will get his hands on it soon), #726 accumulated about 450 BASE jumps on his old Fox, let's say, about 2/3 slider off and 1/3 slider up.
Yes, #726's old and beaten Fox has got jolly weared control lines, cat's eyes for brakes are about to be repaired (=need of new control lines), F111 of parachute is very porous now, jolly lousy flights with his Fox, but it is still on the run. Or, well, that old Fox is now temporarily grounded since #726 got his new (another one!!!) Flik just at the beginning of 2005.
#726 declared that he is going to use his old "450 BASE jumps" Fox only for certain "easy" jumps or for water jumps or where bust factor would be high (and jump not too demanding).
Of course, one case cannot be a rule for everybody's parachute, but for sure, taking care about your parachute, doing on it the necessary maintenance, possibily changing control lines and/or all the lines after 300/350/400 jumps (just give it a good check when jump number approaches 300), could make it last another bit, still paying careful attention to its flying characteristics (the good in this is that flying characteristics of a parachute DO NOT degradate themselves from one jump to another!!!).
Just my 0.02€

P.S.: Another jumping mate of mine (#658) retired his Fox after a number of jumps between 250 and 300 (about 80% slider up) (still using it once in a while if he has got his Ace for repair or similar reasons). Everybody's opinion about end of life of a parachute varies from person to person, still within the same jumping group