CARJ CAPT DURING PREFLT DISCOVERS ACFT EMER FLARES ARE OUT OF DATE. SUBSEQUENT MAINT INVESTIGATION DISCOVERS 4 OTHER ACFT ON FIELD WITH IDENTICAL SITUATION.

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WHILE PREPARING FOR A FLT; I DISCOVERED THAT THE FLARES HAD EXPIRED ON JUN/XA/06. I CALLED MAINT AND ADVISED THEM OF THE PROB AND SUBSEQUENT WRITE-UP I WAS MAKING. WHEN MAINT SHOWED UP A FEW MINS LATER; THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD NO REPLACEMENT FLARES IN STOCK AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CHKING OTHER AIRPLANES TO BORROW FROM. THEY ALSO ADVISED ME THAT IF THEY CANNOT FIND ANY; THE FLT WOULD HAVE TO BE CANCELED (LAST FLT OUT FOR THE EVENING). WHEN THEY RETURNED 15 MINS LATER; THEY SAID THEY FOUND A SET IN AN ACFT. HOWEVER; IN THE PROCESS THEY ALSO DISCOVERED 4 ACFT THAT ALSO HAD EXPIRED FLARES AND ARE NOW EFFECTIVELY GNDED. THE MECH SAID THAT HE SUSPECTS THAT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE COMPANY FLEET IS PROBABLY FLYING WITH EXPIRED FLARES. WE DISCUSSED FURTHER THAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE CHKED ON A LINE CHK WHICH THIS ACFT HAD 2 DAYS AGO. MY CONCERN IS TWOFOLD: IF SUCH AN ITEM TO VERIFY IS BEING MISSED ON BASIC LINE CHKS; WHAT ELSE IS NOT BEING CHKED THAT OUR CREW MEMBERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CATCH DURING THEIR PREFLT DUTIES? ADDITIONALLY; HOW MANY OF OUR ACFT ARE CURRENTLY FLYING ILLEGALLY NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS IF THESE EXPIRED FLARES FAIL TO OPERATE CORRECTLY IF NEEDED AFTER AN ACCIDENT?