TSO C23d Certification
SAE AS 8015 Certification

Every Evacuchute canopy carries the international seal of approval for personal parachutes; the TSO-c23d rating. The TSO certification was established in 1976, with the TSO-c23a rating, as an international standard for parachutes. No parachute can be sold as a reserve or rescue parachute without a TSO rating.

In the years since the TSO-C23a rating was established, the level of standards to meet the rating has become significantly higher. In 1992 the TSO-C23d rating was introduced and today less than 15% of the manufacturers who hold a TSO rating have the TSO-c23d rating. As of July of 2002, all parachute manufacturers who hold a TSO rating lower than the TSO-C23d are unable to make improvements to their parachutes or to reach the higher standard, and are therefore selling parachutes based on technology that is over 10 years old.

To receive the TSO-c23d rating, the Evacuchute rescue parachute had to perform consistently under extreme conditions. The performance tests and requirements are specified in the Aerospace Standard document SAE AS8015 revision B, issued by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.) The series of performance tests involve Temperature, Pressure, Speed, Weight and Physical.

Cold. The parachute is frozen at -42 degrees C for 24 hours and then is immediately taken up in an airplane to a designated altitude and thrown out of the airplane. The parachute must open immediately. The parachute is then immediately prepared for the next test upon landing.

Hot. The parachute is packed and placed in an oven at 10% below boiling for 24 hours and then is immediately taken up in an airplane to a designated altitude and thrown out of the airplane. The parachute must open immediately. The parachute is then immediately prepared for the next test upon landing.

Pressure. The parachute is packed and is put under a press with 250 pounds of pressure and it is left for 18 days. Within 30 minutes of taking it out from the press it then is immediately taken up in an airplane to a designated altitude and thrown out of the airplane. The parachute must open immediately. The parachute is then immediately prepared for the next test upon landing.

Speed and Weight. The parachute is packed and immediately taken up in an airplane to a designated altitude where a 250 pound ballast is attached and it is thrown out of the airplane at 200 miles per hour. This is repeated three times in a row. With this test the stress on the parachute is equal to 2000 pounds of shock force.

Physical. The parachute must go through 60 jumps, with a minimum and maximum weight (two different sized test jumpers), measuring oscillation, sink rate, turning, inflation, landing speed, shock on opening, and forward speed.

Throughout the testing process, the parachute is evaluated for damage against strict guidelines. If at any time during the testing series there is damage to the parachute, the testing is suspended and it will not pass a TSO-C23d rating.