OK or too long

[riggerrob 558]

Agreed!
That ripcord is too long.
Tell the factory that they owe you the correct length ripcord.

Most ripcords terminate the cable at the middle or bottom edge of the D-handle. This allows the yoke to stretch a little (during opening shock) without risking accidentally pulling the ripcord.
The shortest production standard is the Sidewinder, which only has one inch of slack. Despite packing hundreds of Sidewinder reserves, I have never seen a Sidewinder reserve accidentally deployed.

As for a Master Rigger shortening ripcords or manufacturing new ripcords ... I have no problem with that. I manufactured hundreds of ripcords when I worked for Butler, Rigging Innovations, Para-Phernalia and various other smaller lofts. The key issue is quality control. Manley Butler taught me how to test ripcords with his wall-mounted test equipment. Every ripcord that I built after that, I pull-tested with a Butler tool.
The shop (that I worked at) had some home-made ripcord swaging tools, but no tensile-testing machine. The original g-no-go gauges had disappeared before I arrived. With no gauges and no manual, I quit manufacturing ripcords.

[faulknerwn 36]

As a 5' tall girl jumping tiny harnesses her whole skydiving career - most of the ones I have had (on various brands of rigs) were that long. I will also say that at I believe 23ish reserve rides now - I have never had even the slightest issue pulling the ripcord. Unless the harness was way too big AND the handle way too long - then it might be a problem. But all of my longer ripcord cables were on XS rigs and it was fine..

[skytribe 16]

Each component is certified - not the system as a whole. Jerry is bang on the money here with his information.

A rigger can replace a ripcord with another certified ripcord ie. another manufacturers ripcord if he can verify compatibility between components. An example of this may be using UPT ripcord for a stunts rig. The replacement ripcord is a certified component.

A master rigger can do major repairs or alter components but on a certified component this needs to be done in accordance with manufacturer or an alteration approved by the administrator. They would also need to record the alteration repair.

What is not permitted is for just anyone with the equipment to make a new ripcord, verify it works and even meets performance standard and then install it as a certified component. Even more so if they are not marking it or marking it as some other manufacturer info. This is not a certified component whatever way you want to look at it.

Looking at the documents for the TSO there needs to be marking and records kept for traceability in the event of a problem - hence all the markings.

There is more to making a certified component than just being able to make it as Jerry has stated. If you believe that as long as someone makes a component and it meets a standard then its ok to use as a certified component then I suggest you discuss it with someone at your local FSDO. I'm sure they will re-educate you on the legalities of certified components.

The requirements for a manufacturer are different from those of a master or senior rigger.

[Goggles 0]

JerryBaumchen

A good friend of mine recently purchased a new rig and the ripcord is as per the attached photo.
What do you out there in Gear & RiggingLand think of it:
1. OK
2. Too long

Depends.

Is the harness fully flexed to its maximum extent so that all slack is already up inside the cable housing?

How long are the jumper's arms - can they pull it and activate the reserve?

[riggerrob 558]

Overly-long ripcords pose two problems.
The first problem is difficulty pulling if the users' arms are too short.
The second problem is accidentally snagging the ball accidentally.

[mcordell 2]

skytribe

If you believe that as long as someone makes a component and it meets a standard then its ok to use as a certified component then I suggest you discuss it with someone at your local FSDO. I'm sure they will re-educate you on the legalities of certified components.

My experience is that ANYONE at the local FSDO is less knowledgeable than any rigger. Maybe you live in an area where the FAA people actually know what a parachute is.

Like I said, this is a master rigger with a major loft. He is a DPRE and has manufactured things for some of the major companies. I'm guessing if he has to be certified to make the ripcords then he probably is. I still see swaging a ball on an existing ripcord assembly as being less of a repair than replacing a harness, which he can do as well. I think he might get approval for the harness....maybe not. I don't know.

My overall initial point was, I think that's a tad too long and should be replaced or shortened.

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[pchapman 261]

skytribe

A master rigger can do major repairs or alter components but on a certified component this needs to be done in accordance with manufacturer or an alteration approved by the administrator. They would also need to record the alteration repair.

For the stuff you wrote about, if making a homemade ripcord is wrong, isn't replacing part of a harness the same?

There may be no traceability of the thread the rigger uses, or webbing (eg for a leg strap replacement on a rig with hip rings).

Or does every Master rigger actually send that kind of work back to the factory? Or ask for a written, approved plan from the manufacturer if they want to shorten the leg straps, put on a longer chest strap, or something like that? So you may be getting into "alteration" territory, but not one that many riggers worry about?

Just asking -- although I'm not sure I really want to get into another one of those really detailed discussions about FAA vs Senior rigger vs Master rigger rights.

[skytribe 16]

Are they rebuilding using the same materials as the original with the same stitch patterns / construction as the manufacturer and are certified to do it - MAJOR REPAIR.

Change of materials or construction - ALTERATION.

Alterations need to be approved by manufacturer or administrator on certified equipment. Major repairs can be done by Master rigger, manufacturer or another manufacturer approved by the FAA. Do you think anyone with a sewing machine and few bits of webbing would be ok to build you a new harness ?

Records would need to be kept for a minimum of 2 years and be recorded for repair work on certified components.

Just been through all this last month getting my master rigger ticket and had the discussion on master/senior rights with a former container manufacturer, a DPRE and a 3 FAA inspectors. Some master rigger may have certain views on what senior/master riggers can do but AC105-2E seems to clarify the FAA's position as do certain FAA publications.

[mark 102]

pchapman

For the stuff you wrote about, if making a homemade ripcord is wrong, isn't replacing part of a harness the same?

There may be no traceability of the thread the rigger uses, or webbing (eg for a leg strap replacement on a rig with hip rings).

Or does every Master rigger actually send that kind of work back to the factory? Or ask for a written, approved plan from the manufacturer if they want to shorten the leg straps, put on a longer chest strap, or something like that?

For a harness, there is a logbook entry that identifies the exact article that has been repaired, kept for at least two years. From the logbook entry, the harness can be identified. In the case of a major repair to a ripcord, how could the repaired ripcord be identified from a logbook entry? That is, how could you know it was this ripcord and not that one?

Mark

[sammielu 3]

Is the consensus here that the length of the cable is an opinion matter not specified by manufacturers? Then the person who owns this rig should just order a new one to the length they want?

The ins and outs of TSO specs/master rigger vs senior rigger stuff are so nuanced and confusing!

[betzilla 56]

looks *maybe* a mite long, but not having T-Rex arms, I'd sure as hell rather have an inch too long than an inch too short. Pilot rigs often have a LOT more extra length on their cables than this.

[D22369 0]

jumpsalot-2

My Infinity reserve cable looks identical to that. My Wings also is that long. I never gave it a second thought. Cut away twice on the Infinity. Never noticed an issue.

Mine for my Reflex looks identical as well, 4 chops with no issues.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[gowlerk 1,912]

Quite a few people replying on this are saying that they have similar or even longer cables, but have no problem with them because their arms are long enough.

That's not really the point. The real reason to avoid long cables is the small, but real chance that the ball swaged onto the end could catch in a crevice in a door or other part of an aircraft and cause a reserve activation.

The chance is small, but avoidable with a properly sized cable.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Unstable 8]

This is a really fun game. here is a rig that was dropped off to me just this week. Suffice it to say I will not be returning the rig in this condition.

OK or too long?

*edited to add a smaller version of the .jpg

=========Shaun ==========

[riggerrob 558]

Unstable

This is a really fun game. here is a rig that was dropped off to me just this week. Suffice it to say I will not be returning the rig in this condition.

OK or too long?

*edited to add a smaller version of the .jpg

................................................................................

Those two components are so incompatible ... they should not be allowed on the same airplane!
Ugh!

[aerorigging 6]

Too long, its not just about doing the right job, also its about good looking!There is one max measure for the fuse, the max the hard housing elasticity and the arnes can take or eat, the rest is just no necesary.

Nico

Nicolas Lopez
Master Rigger
Aerorigging Parachute Loft

[mcordell 2]

That's not too long as long as the rig is for an orangutan

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