Broken french link inside d-bag.

[scottjaco 0]

This is kind of a wierd problem I had yesterday at Perris. I'll try to explain....

When I normally cock my pilot chute, there is a french link inside the d-bag that is sewn into the bridle. This prevents you from pulling out extra bridle which needs to stay between the d-bag and canopy. Obviously this allows extra room for the d-bag to seperate from the canopy on deployment.

After my first jump of the day.....

When I went to cock my pilot chute, the french link was just hanging there. The kill line was threaded through the center of the french link. It was the only thing keeping it close to the bridle.

The bridle was now split apart about 3 inches from the grommet. I can only assume that the french link broke off the bridle and "caught up" on the kill line which created enough resistance to not allow any more bridle to slip through the grommet. This would explain the 3 inches of split briddle. The french link was probably tearing the bridle in half as the pilot chute was pulling on my d-bag.

My question is, if the bridle had continued to split apart and pull the remaining briddle throught the grommet, would there be no way for the d-bag to seperate from the canopy?

There would have been no bridle left inside the d-bag to allow it to seperate from the canopy. Would this have resulted in a bag lock?

Is this somthing that happens from time to time? I know we put a lot a pressure on the french link when we cock our pilot chutes.

I would also like to add... this was originally a bungee colapsible pilot chute that I had converted to
a kill line. Should I be mad at the rigger for bad work? I've only used this for the last 100 jumps!

scott

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

Should I be mad at the rigger for bad work? I've only used this for the last 100 jumps!

I think I wouldn't have even converted a bungee over, I would have called up Jim Czar for a new one.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[mr2mk1g 10]

Was the french link itself broken or was it just the bridal frayed?

Do you check this point on your bridal regularly for wear and tear?

Have you seen fraying here before?

[scottjaco 0]

French link itself was not broken. It just wasn't connected to the bridle.

The bridle is two pieces sewn together with the kill line inside. the stitching that held the two pieces together was stripped for about 3 inches. The bridle itself would not have broke but it would allow the extra briddle to slip through the grommet, since the french link was no longer stopping it.

The bridle was not "frayed". The stitching was just bad.

[scottjaco 0]

Quote

I think I wouldn't have even converted a bungee over

A lot of people do it. It's cheaper than buying a whole new pilotchute/bridle assembly.

[mr2mk1g 10]

So there is a french link sewn inside the bridle simply to create a bulge too wide to fit through the grommet?

[nicknitro71 0]

You should buy a US link instaed of a french one

Call Jim up.

Memento Audere Semper

903

[scottjaco 0]

Quote

So there is a french link sewn inside the bridle simply to create a bulge too wide to fit through the grommet?

Yes

[riggerrob 558]

Unlikely to prevent deployment, you will just have to fly around with a fully-inflated pilotchute.
Thousands of us did this thousands of times before kill-line pilot chutes were invented.
Far wiser to take the offending bridle back to the last rigger and ask him to re-sew it.

[KevinMcGuire 0]

any chance of taking a picture of the damage? I'm just a bit confused by you description of what happened

[scottjaco 0]

The more I think about this, it probably isn't as dangerous as I thought.

Even if there was no slack bridle between the d-bag and canopy, most of the S-folded canopy would pull out, start opening and pop the d-bag off on it's own.

[piisfish 135]

damm french...
hey jaco, can you maybe post a pic or two of your POD and attachment system ??

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[scottjaco 0]

sorry, I don't have a digital camera yet!