Routine soft link check during repack

[dpreguy 14]

I have plenty of soft links. Don't need any more. I teach rigger trainees safe 'industry approved' methods. The Parachutes De France method (I use Aerodyne's metal rings for this training) I saw in the diagram is taught by me to be an unacceptable unsafe practice.

[airnutt 8]

Nice catch. been rigging for a few years and was taught that a rigger should not have to tack the slink to the riser,because that's not the way the harness was TSO tested.I have had the same slinks on my main and res.no tackings or covers and they stay set.PD does recommend that after installing the slinks pull to 50lbs to set and that works for most risers

[riggerrob 558]

Aerodyne's instructions say to hand-tack the ring to the riser.

[riggerrob 558]

Another advantage - of having the owner pull the ripcord - is that it removes any doubt that you "pencil-packed."

[pchapman 261]

riggerrob

Aerodyne's instructions say to hand-tack the ring to the riser.

To add to that, to get really picky:

For many years, they did require hand tacking in the Icon manual, but NOT in the Smart manual -- so it was not necessary for a Smart in another rig.

But now the Smart manual does show it.
(The manual that is labelled as being revised January 2010 but has pages labelled revised August 2011.... silly.)

[Deyan 31]

Quote

I teach rigger trainees safe 'industry approved' methods.

That's fine. I teach people to read, understand, follow the manual and use their common sense.

Quote

The Parachutes De France method (I use Aerodyne's metal rings for this training) I saw in the diagram is taught by me to be an unacceptable unsafe practice.

And you are right. Using PdF method on Aerodyne soft links will be an unacceptable unsafe practice, because there's a big difference between those two. This is exactly my point. You won't know it unless you work with them.

What's common between Aerodyne's, Precision's and PdF's soft links?
They are all made from Spectra line and a metal ring.
What's the difference?
They all have different mounting instruction. If you mismatch the links and their instructions, you/ your costumer might be in trouble.
I believe that this is what exactly happened to the rigger whose work made the OP start this thread.

Just for the record.

I don't like PdF soft links. Not at all. They are pain in the butt to connect and disconnect. But to be honest, PdF was the first company to make reusable soft links.They set the standard. ( somebody must correct me if I'm wrong) There are millions of jumps on those links over the last 15 maybe 20 years without problems,and that makes them "industries approved"!

"My belief is that once the doctor whacks you on the butt, all guarantees are off" Jerry Baumchen