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stratostar

fingertraped brake lines

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In the last month I know of two jumpers who have had their break handles come off because their fingertrap had no knot or bartack/zigzag on them.
The first one was a lowtimer (less then 80 jumps) at 1,200ft.
He kept his cool and landed ok on risers.
The canopy had just been returned from the factory
with the fingertrap in place but not sewn in place.
I don't know who helped him attach the break handle
but some one fucked up!
The second one happend last week on landing flair and the jumper shattered his pelvis.
This line was also attached with a fingertrap and no knot or bartack/zigzag sewn on it.
This jumper was from out of town and didn't have the work done at the same dz as jumper # 1.

I have seen in other posts here that,
"a fingertrap will hold a load when not sewn or knotted"
I would have to disagree with this statement!
It may hold yes, but it may not. #1's held for 12 jumps till lucky #13.
And durring the landing flair is not the time to find out the hard way like jumper #2 did that it won't hold.
I see many wannabee riggers and paid packers acting like riggers who do some of the most stupid shit with gear and tell jumpers who seem to be to stupid to seek out a real rigger, that what they did is ok and will work fine.>:(:S
I think this one of the problems we face today with so many lazyass's who don't or won't pack for them selfs and go on to trust what ever info they get from their packer, this really stupid if your one of these type of jumpers!
Unless they are a FAA CERT. RIGGER, it would be wise to have ANY work done by a packer like changing break line settings or getting a new canopy from the factory hooked up inspected by a real FAA CERT. RIGGER!
If you don't then your a dumbass and you get what you deserve for being stupid.
I'm always surprised how many jumpers think factory workers and QC don't make mistakes on canopies at the factory before being shipped, true it don't happen offten, but it has and can.
And just because someone is a FAA CERT. RIGGER
that don't mean they can't make a mistake as well
so a word to the wise, becareful who you let work on your rig and learn as much as you can about your gear other wise you wish you had one day.......

~
you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

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Mine held for 21 jumps until the lines started to pop out of the fingertrapping on opening. None of the rear lines had been stitched at the riser end and none of the brake lines had been stiched at the canopy end!!!

Very lucky that it happened high!
I like my canopy...


...it lets me down.

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You can also secure a finger trap by bringing the line back through itself but it has to go through both lines, the same way a bartack on a fingertrap has to.

Side note. Aero-tow tugs (ultralights that tow hanggliders) use super heavy duty spectra. It has been done in manitoba for years without stitched fingertraps. The finger trap has about 12" of line in it and has never slipped. With that being said, I taught one of the tug pilots how to lock the fingertrap (jumpshack stitchless fingertrap method) and now he does it to all his tow lines. He feels that just because it hasn't slipped before doesn't mean it won't!
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

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I have seen in other posts here that,
"a fingertrap will hold a load when not sewn or knotted"
I would have to disagree with this statement!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That only works for a little while.
Unsewn fingertraps hold loads as long as they are under tension. When you remove the load, fingertraps tend to slip.
In other words, sewing prevents fingertraps from slipping when they are unloaded.

I often use Jump Shack's method (like Teason) when replacing steering lines, just because I am too lazy to carry the canopy to the sewing machine. However inspecting Jump Shack's version of a fingertrap requires keen eyes and experience.

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I had some new steering lines attached to my main last year, when I inspected the work I mentioned that there was no bar tack on the fingertraps....I was told that it was an 'old wifes tale' that you need to tack a finger trapped line!!

The rigger had also repacked my reserve....

I paid him....dumped the reserve there in his shop, and left to seek out another rigger.










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I often use Jump Shack's method (like Teason) when replacing steering lines, just because I am too lazy to carry the canopy to the sewing machine. However inspecting Jump Shack's version of a fingertrap requires keen eyes and experience.



another question: i have an older sabre 190 with two brake lines per side (the outer three cascade, the inner ones don't). could i use the no-sew fingertrap to connect the two lines just above the toggles somewhere, then use the same metod to form a loop to go over the toggles? right now i have two sets of knots at my toggles and it's quite bulky when packing and especially when pulling my slider down over my risers.
"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

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another question: i have an older sabre 190 with two brake lines per side (the outer three cascade, the inner ones don't). could i use the no-sew fingertrap to connect the two lines just above the toggles somewhere, then use the same metod to form a loop to go over the toggles?



I wouldn't, since the thread locking a finger-trap or the no-sew finger-trap method isn't designed to bear weight. It may be OK, or may cause a weak point in the steering line where the non-cascaded steering line finger-traps intot he cascaded steering line. I would remove the knots from your steering lines and either sew them or use the no-sew finger-trap method to keep the finger-traps from coming un-done.

Derek

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