Jan 13, 2013, 4:20 PM
Post #1 of 21
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aerodyne soft links
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Does anyone know if Aerodyne's slinks for mains are reusable? I've emailed them and not recieved a response, and there isn't anything on their website about this.
Does the soft link know what risers it is connected to? It's all about the wear. If in doubt, replace them. Don't be a cheapskate. It's always better safe than sorry.
Does anyone know if Aerodyne's slinks for mains are reusable? I've emailed them and not recieved a response, and there isn't anything on their website about this.
Why would you think they are not? Wanting to know details of how to identify wear on soft links is wise. To wonder if they can only be installed once seems unreasonable.
Why would I question their reusability? Because some brands call their slinks "REUSABLE soft links," implying that some others may not be. Aerodyne does not label them as such, which made me wonder if they don't, for whatever reason, endorse them being undone and reattached. Just because you or I may not be able to think of a reason (aside from wear), doesn't mean there couldn't be one. There was nothing "unreasonable" about my question.
If the links were mine since new and showed no signs of wear I would reuse them. If I bought a used canopy and it came with used links I would toss them out and buy new ones. They're cheap!
Does anyone know if Aerodyne's slinks for mains are reusable? I've emailed them and not recieved a response, and there isn't anything on their website about this.
Edited to clarify
Short answer is yes they are reusable. Popsjumper is right on the money. If they are worn then they should be replaced. They are a very inexpensive item in the big picture and could at a minimum save you the cost of a reserve repack. Since you're asking this question I would advise you have a rigger inspect them and act accordingly.
(This post was edited by firemedic on Jan 13, 2013, 5:05 PM)
Why would I question their reusability? Because some brands call their slinks "REUSABLE soft links," implying that some others may not be. Aerodyne does not label them as such, which made me wonder if they don't, for whatever reason, endorse them being undone and reattached. Just because you or I may not be able to think of a reason (aside from wear), doesn't mean there couldn't be one. There was nothing "unreasonable" about my question.
I think it is unreasonable to think they might not endorse reuseability, but would not let users know of their position on that.
(This post was edited by sundevil777 on Jan 13, 2013, 7:54 PM)
Whether or not something seems reasonable or unreasonable to you, has nothing to do with it being so or not so. There are plenty of things that customers might like or need to know that are not communicated anywhere on the Aerodyne website.
faulknerwn (D 17441)
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Jan 13, 2013, 8:13 PM
Post #9 of 21
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When soft links first came out they were mainly made by riggers in the field and couldn't be take off easily without a pair of scissors. Pd came out with a product that could be taken off and put back on reasonably easily. I suspect Thad where the reusable came from - they are in comparison to the ones originally made which were much more permanent.
Do they have wear, show heat damage from hot slider grommets, have pulled threads.
If yes, replace.
If no, use them. The chances are super slim that a good looking slink is going to randomly break because of some unseen damage by a prior owner.
We aren't anal about the lines on a reserve after thorough inspection, this is in the same ballpark. You inspect and then assemble. You don't get every single canopy relined because it is new to you. But you would make the riggers happy if you did.
I got my PD Slinks off, no problem. But, on my other rig, I had to cut Aerodyne's soft links with a pair of sissors. Possibly they are not meant to be reused. Then again, my rigging skills are near zero.
I got my PD Slinks off, no problem. But, on my other rig, I had to cut Aerodyne's soft links with a pair of sissors. Possibly they are not meant to be reused. Then again, my rigging skills are near zero.
Are you sure those were Aerodyne soft links? Arodyne soft links are easy to undo. PdF soft links on the other hand are pain in the butt. Both soft links look alike,but the French ones are shorter and they are not made to be routed through the eye and above the ring.
Yes, they were definitely Aerodyne links; again, I am not skilled at rigging. Nevertheless I worked on them for some time and finally gave up and cut them. Also, these slinks did not look anything like PD's Slinks. The Areodyne soft links had a stainless steel ring on them. I could not get them loose enough to pull the fairly large ring through the eye in the link.
(This post was edited by Croc on Feb 1, 2013, 12:23 PM)
Yes, they were definitely Aerodyne links; again, I am not skilled at rigging. Nevertheless I worked on them for some time and finally gave up and cut them. Also, these slinks did not look anything like PD's Slinks. The Areodyne soft links had a stainless steel ring on them. I could not get them loose enough to pull the fairly large ring through the eye in the link.
It helps to use a pair of hemostats or needle nose pliers. I'm surprised you had that much trouble with them, I'd say they were probably due for a replacement if they had such a set that you couldn't disconnect them.
I would not jump Aerodyne slinks on any rig of mine. Therefore I would replace even if they were not worn, but I concur with others that they are reusable but should be replaced as often as the lineset and/or riser retirement.
1) I used to jump them before I was a rigger and the rigger who assembled my rig did not tack them. When a ring came out of the riser and was exposed, a brake line knotted on the ring and I had to land using rear risers as the tension knot was too hard to remove in busy canopy traffic. I believe (personal opinion) that the ring is more likely to snag a line in a tension knot.
2) As a rigger I found a canopy attached to the risers wrong with Aerodyne soft links. There was user error in how the canopy was attached - in a way that is impossible with PD or other slinks that have solid tabs instead of hoop rings. The ring allows a user to screw up the attachment and from a distance or upon casual inspection it looks correct. The canopy was able to be removed from the rig simply by shaking the lines on the risers... Oh, I probably should also say it was a Smart reserve that I found this way when I opened the container, and one of the 4 links had already come apart prior to me opening the rig. I contacted Aerodyne with a suggestion that they use solid metal disks, such as Cypres Washers, to avoid this user error, and their response indicated to me they were not passionate about the situation (meaning years later they have done little to correct the issue.)
I would never buy or recommend an Aerodyne product after that experience, especially their slinks. In contrast I have contacted a few other manufactures with things I found wrong with their products, and in every case they handled the situation. For an example, an AAD manufacture revised their manual a few days after I contacted them. A container manufacture fed-exed replacement components to me and spent the time to track down the specific person who incorrectly manufactured a component and recalled a batch of the product that person worked on. That is the level of safety we deserve.
Just my soapbox. That is all.
(This post was edited by tdog on Feb 3, 2013, 7:30 PM)
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