Found open link...common? serious?

[pertierr 0]

I got down from jump #18 today, I own a Javelin container with a Safire 189 main, and the packer found that the link which holds the bridle to the main canopy was open i.e. the locking nut was completely open.

Apparently it was like that during deployment, because it deformed enough such that the locking nut could not be screwed into the other end again. He's pretty sure it was not that way when he packed it an hour before.

Is this common at all, and is it serious? From my limited knowledge, i would expect a normal deployment but loosing the bag and pilot chute.

Also, the packer replaced the link with a larger one. Should I replace this with the exact same size it had on there before, or am I worrying to much about this.

Thanks,
Juan

[AggieDave 6]

Its more common then it should be.

It is VERY serious. With a rapid link open, the metal could continue to bend and dump your lines at any altitude.

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Should I replace this with the exact same size it had on there before, or am I worrying to much about this.

Is the packer a rigger? If not take it to a rigger to have the correct equimpement installed.

Something you can do is mark the barrel of the rapid link so you can tell if it starts to move. Constant checking will keep this from happening again.

-OR-

Change to Slinks or some other soft link, they're much stronger then the metal rapid links and if they fail (as your link did today) they don't hang on, they completely fail. Instead of hanging on possibly letting go at any moment or altitude.

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

[Praetorian 1]

I think he's talking about the pilot chute linkage to the top of the main, not the riser connection to the lines... I could be wrong

Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad
judgment.

[KCJumper 0]

This is something serious. I had the same thing happen only i wasn't lucky enough to keep my pilot chute and d bag. I lost both on a hop n pop. So one more neglected area on our gear to check. Since then i have switched to a slink.

Patrick

[rwieder 0]

can the rapide link, or use some lock tite. if you don't want to do that, use a slink. rapide links are famous for coming undone. i once saw a sky diver land his parachute only to find that the rapide link on his starboard side riser was completely unscrewed and bent open so far that we couldn't mate it back up. he immediately switched to PD soft links.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[pertierr 0]

Thanks everyone for the input.

Yes, I meant the link of the pilot chute/bridle/bag with the top of the main canopy, but it is all good information to know. I'm getting Slinks right away.

I wasn't sure about the locktite just because it would all be in such close contact with the main canopy...the packer said he wasn't sure if it would have corrosive effects, etc. He put a regular link similar to the rapide link, just a bit larger. I was on my way out the door so I didn't take a closer look at it, but next time i'm at the DZ i'll unpack it and have a rigger take a look at it. I'm pretty sure the packer is not a rigger.

Juan

[AggieDave 6]

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Yes, I meant the link of the pilot chute/bridle/bag with the top of the main canopy, but it is all good information to know. I'm getting Slinks right away.

Oh, sorry for the misunderstanding. Heh, I use a slink for that connection too, but you'll want to check with your container manufacture to make sure its ok to do before you do that.

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

[hookitt 0]

LOL... DAVE!!!.. it's ok to use a slink

I love your stock answer sometimes

Problem with slinks, is they don't come in singles. You have a break up a set.

I used a rapide link, finger tighten it and put gaffers tape around the link. Works like a champ and is easily removable when the time comes.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[MarkM 0]

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i once saw a sky diver land his parachute only to find that the rapide link on his starboard side riser was completely unscrewed and bent open so far that we couldn't mate it back up. he immediately switched to PD soft links.

This happened to me today. While doing a casual inspect prior to packing I noticed that a rapid link was enscrewed and it was bent too far out of shape to screw back up.

I think I'll be ordering a set of slinks. I used them on my old canopy and never had problems with them.

[freeflyfree 0]

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I used a rapide link, finger tighten it and put gaffers tape around the link. Works like a champ and is easily removable when the time comes

Gaffers tape!, now that's an idea I needed...the sharp edges are starting to eat up the tape on my bridel, I love the forums! you always find something useful...for axample today in "The Bonfire" I found out that Osama might be alive!...... or dead Clicky

Felipe

--
Blue Skies
NO FEARS, NO LIMITS, NO MONEY...
"A Subitánea et Improvísa Morte, Líbera nos, Domine."

[piisfish 135]

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I used a rapide link, finger tighten it and put gaffers tape around the link. Works like a champ and is easily removable when the time comes.

gaffer tape ? are you serious ?? after that can you easily see if the link comes undone ??
one of my riggers puts some red nail paint on the link (just a little stripe like a nice bikini wax ;-) ). Like that you hide nothing and you can easily see if the link is "unscrewing".

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

[f1shlips 2]

Home made ones come in singles.

--
drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend.

[riggerrob 561]

Yes, it is common.
About once a year we hear about a Maillon Rapide coming un-screwed.
If it worries you, put one drop of Loc-Tite on the threads, put a wrench on all your links, tighten them finger-tight plus a quarter turn and mark them with a drop of brightly-colored nail polish. Once they are dry, slide a silicone bumper over them and tie it down with super tack or 5 cord.
OR,
You install Slinks.

[councilman24 36]

An alternative to tape is heat shrink tubing.

Yes you can use locktite. Get the blue. Just a little bit on the threads and let it dry and wipe off the excess before packing it up. Loctite is required on PD reserves without slinks.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[hookitt 0]

Yes I'm serious.

First off, if the link on the bridle breaks, the canopy deploys as normal.

Second, a rapide link without any burs on the barrel or the threads will tighten down fine. It will take the load. To keep the barrel in place and to hide the edges from my canopy, I put gaffers tape around it.

That is what I do, and have done for thousands of jumps. Never a time has the rapide link been forced open. I've used the same link for many years.

If the barrel isn't cracked, or stripped, or backed off only held by a thred or 2, it will hold a load.

You would be surprised at how many stainless rapide links are only finger tight on risers. They hold until the barrel is backed off too far, or is overtightened until the barrel cracks, so it DOES hold, it's just a bad Idea to finger tighten links and leave it that way.

Specs to tighten a rapide link is finger tight plus 1/4 turn to snug it up. On main risers, that's exactly what I do, and the link gets marked with a torque stripe. Periodically I check the links to verify they are tight.

The link on the bridle is fine with a couple wraps of gaffers tape to hold the finger tightened barrel in place. As I stated earlier, that's what I do, on my equipment.

[FrogNog 1]

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Problem with slinks, is they don't come in singles. You have a break up a set.

That's a problem with an easy solution: friends.

I'll pay 2/4 of the price of a set of SLinks. Who else wants one or two SLinks? (Probably PMing me would be best.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[billvon 2,435]

>I'll pay 2/4 of the price of a set of SLinks.

Just make one! It takes about 5 minutes with a piece of spectra and a fingertrap tool.

[hookitt 0]

>>It takes about 5 minutes with a piece of spectra and a fingertrap tool.

You know that but 99% of the skydiving community think that riggers are magic. Don't blow our cover.

[FrogNog 1]

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>>It takes about 5 minutes with a piece of spectra and a fingertrap tool.

You know that but 99% of the skydiving community think that riggers are magic. Don't blow our cover.

Ok, I'll see if one of the resident riggers is up to it. I don't know if I could wave the chicken correctly over anything but brake line work, myself.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[hookitt 0]

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I don't know if I could wave the chicken correctly

That's Voo doo magic so beware ... or perhaps you spelled kitten incorrectly.

[mjosparky 3]

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>>It takes about 5 minutes with a piece of spectra and a fingertrap tool.

You know that but 99% of the skydiving community think that riggers are magic. Don't blow our cover.

And the other 1% thinks we don't know shit and over charge for that.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals