PLT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL SMA SEL WITH SPD OF OVER 200 KTS FOUND THAT HIS PARACHUTE; THAT HE HAS BEEN USING FOR SEVERAL YRS; AND IS REPACKED ON A REGULAR BASIS; HAS A LIMITATION OF NOT BEING APPROVED FOR ACFT SPDS OF OVER 150 KTS.

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PARACHUTES FOR USE IN EMER BY AIRCREW ARE MANUFACTURED IN 2 CATEGORIES: 'LOW SPD' AND 'STANDARD.' THE BREAK POINT IS 150 MPH. SOME SOURCES SAY THE 150 MPH REF IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO 'DEPLOYMENT SPD;' IN OTHER WORDS; TO THE SPD OF THE JUMPER AT THE TIME HE/SHE PULLS THE RIP CORD. OTHER SOURCES SAY THE SPD APPLIES TO THE ACFT CAPABILITY. AT ANY RATE; ONLY THE PARACHUTE MANUFACTURERS AND RIGGERS HAVE THIS INFO. IT IS NOT PLACARDED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PARACHUTES. ALSO; AND VERY IMPORTANT; THERE IS NO MENTION OR EVEN A HINT OF THIS SIT IN THE FAR; PART 91. IT ONLY SAYS A 'CERTIFIED' OR 'MIL' PARACHUTE MUST BE USED WHEN REQUIRED. THERE IS NO SOURCE COMMON TO THE PLT COMMUNITY TO CONVEY THIS INFO. IT IS FOUND ONLY IN THE TSO'S THE MANUFACTURER'S USE (AND PARACHUTE LOFTS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD LEARNED THROUGH EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION THAT THE INFORMATIONAL TAG SHOWING THE EXPRESSED LIMITATIONS OF THE PARACHUTE ARE USUALLY ONLY FOUND ON THE INSIDE OF THE PACKED PARACHUTE AND NOWHERE ON THE OUTSIDE. BECAUSE OF THIS; MOST PLTS REQUIRING THE USE OF A PARACHUTE FOR EMER PURPOSES IN FLT DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY MAY BE USING A PARACHUTE FOR USE IN AN ACFT THAT HAS A VNE SPD OF NOT OVER 150 KTS. THEREFORE; THE PLT COULD BE CONSIDERED IN VIOLATION IF HIS ACFT HAS A HIGHER VNE SPD AND IS USING WHAT IS CALLED A LOW SPD PARACHUTE. THE 2 MAIN PARACHUTE CATEGORIES ARE: LOW SPD AND STANDARD. THE LATTER MEETING THE TSO (TECHNICAL STANDARD ORDER) C23 SERIES. PERSONNEL CARRYING MIL PARACHUTES ALSO MEET THE STANDARD CATEGORY. THE RPTR FLIES A MIDGET MUSTANG EXPERIMENTAL ACFT WHICH HAS A SPD OF OVER 200 KTS.