home-made soft links on a reserve

[tsalnukt 1]

Fun day in rigging....I just came across home-made, removable, soft links on a reserve. Is this legal???? I can't find anywhere that says it's not legal but they are made from the thinner line like what they use for main canopy soft links. Any one know about this stuff????please help.

or would anyone know where to find this information, that would be great.

I called the manufacturer but I'm waiting for a "call-back"

[phoenixlpr 0]

Quote

Fun day in rigging....I just came across home-made, removable, soft links on a reserve. Is this legal???? I can't find anywhere that says it's not legal but they are made from the thinner line like what they use for main canopy soft links. Any one know about this stuff????please help.

The harness, reserve and its links should be TSO'd or certified.

[DougH 270]

I thought the PD Slinks, Aerodyne Slinks, and others specifically specified if they were TSO'd for use with reserve canopies. They might have just used the word "approved".

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[tsalnukt 1]

What do the other manufacturers soft links look like and are they approved for use on a reserve like the PD ones

[councilman24 36]

Precisions's Wrap-It are certified apparently since they are standard on the r-Max per order form and Aerodyne's soft links have reserve versions. http://www.flyaerodyne.com/download/SoftLinkManual.pdf

But, it may not matter what they look like. If they are not labeled you won't be able to tell for sure they are the real thing. While riggers can substitute compatible components, perhaps limited by the manuals but arguable, if you can't identify them for sure as certified components I wouldn't chose to guess.

I have seen what looked like home made links before.

I haven't seen aerodyne links and don't know if they are labeled. Precision's I've seen but don't remember if they are labeled. Use your best judgement and default to what your sure of.

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

[RIGGER 0]

Hi

On which reserve canopy they are ?

Be Safe !!!

[tsalnukt 1]

It's actually the r-max canopy and I think that they are actually the precision soft links. Do you know if they have blue strands in the braids???
I looked at the photos on the precision web-site and the use all white line in the photos..

I guess I thouhgt that they were home-made cause it's the same thing that we used to make before the PD slinks came out. I didn't know that anyone else made removable soft links.

[JerryBaumchen 1,064]

Hi,

I have a set of Precision's and they are made of a white line with a blue 'tracer' in it.

You might just call Precision and see what they say about them.

One problem ( IMO ) with soft links is that they are rather small to be able to put much information on them. And I do not know the solution to that problem.

JerryBaumchen

PS) I 'think' that Aerodyne uses a different colored thread ( the bar-tacking ) for the TSO'd version vs the non-TSO'd version.

[RIGGER 0]

The only reserve soft links which are marked are the PD SR-1 with the Yellow 3/8" Ty.3 tape & the Yellow Page of instructions which also have the FAA TSO C23D approval printed.

The PD SR-1 are tested & approved by PD for the PR & OP reserve canopies mfg. by PD.

The Precision reserve soft links with the White / Blue spectra line & the Yellow brass rings are approved for Precision reserve canopies. They have no TSO label or any label - just the colors code & the small nylon bag from Precision with the instructions.

Aerodyne P/N 1487-01 reserve soft links has no label, can be checked by the drawing to meet 159 mm (6.25") long & the RED marks at the finger trap points. (At least was Red) some have SS rings & some have Cadmium plated rings.

The first edition of Aerodyne P/N 1487-01 reserve Soft Links had SS rings & were 163 mm long (end of ring to end of line loop).

The present edition are like presented in the attachment enclosed by Terry Urban (159 mm / 6.25" long)

I asked Aerodyne about the label for the reserve soft links & they said they think on the way to do that.

If the Rigger in charge have any ??? marks about the mfg. of the Soft Links found they must be replaced with the links type approved by the reserve canopy mfg. - be smart & contact the mfg.

No rigger at any level may mfg. Soft Links for a reserve canopy.

When ordering reserve soft links from Aerodyne or Precision ask that the Invoice will show "Reserve Soft Links" which might be a data that the item came from the legal mfg. & to be saved with the rigger paperwork.

Same for SS # 4 (PD use on the PR's) & # 5 & # 6 & "L" bar metal links used on sport reserve / pilot rigs / Tandem reserves all does not have any TSO lable / marks - the French links have the SWL + more mfg./I.D data & the "L" bar have the MS22002 mfg. I.D stamp + date on both parts but must be ordered from the Reserve / Pilot canopy mfg. which means they passed the canopy mfg. certified Q.C approval process & are approved for the mfg. reserve canopy - ask for the same invoice details which is a record for the rigger.

Safe Rigging !!!

[tsalnukt 1]

You are awesome. I kind of thought after a while that they were ok to use but I had to get an answer. Thanks a million.

[RIGGER 0]

Thanks for that.

please inform which reserve it was & which Soft Links.

Cheers

[tsalnukt 1]

It's and R-max with the precision wrap-it soft links. Thanks again

[RIGGER 0]

Just more info. about the Aerodyne reserve Soft Links:

The "first edition" of Aerodyne P/N 1487-01 reserve Soft Links have SS rings, the "second edition" have Cadmium plated rings & the red marks, both types are 163 mm long (end of ring to end of line loop).

Safe Rigging !!!