Why tack reserve softlinks

[airnutt 10]

I don't believe in tacking reserve softlinks unless the manufacturer specifically says too. The softlinks aren't going anywhere, and it discourages the next rigger to check and make sure they're routed correctly. I will untack, inspect and retack but I really feal its not necessary to tack softlinks on the reserve. any opinions on this?

[Deyan 36]

This!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sAr8PiJiVI

The tab from the soft link on the front riser wrapped around some lines from the rear. How likely is to happen again?! Not very likely. Reserves have wider risers and will be more difficult from the tab to cause problems, but why take the chance? If you tack the links loosely to only one side, is still easy to check the routing. Like always in rigging, you will get 14 different answers from 10 different riggers and they all will tell you theirs is the correct one.

For the record, I tack reserve soft links and never had any problem with doing so... I also have no problem with riggers who choose not to...

[riggerrob 598]

Koji learned a bloody lesson so that we don't have to.

Koji re-used the same set of main Slinks on 3 or 4 different line sets. Eventually a sharp edge on a slider grommet cut off the tab and the Slink separated as he turned on to final approach. Koji is spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Granted that was a maintenance problem.

But hand-tacking reserve Slinks is still a good habit ... er ... best business practice ... to doubly ensure that a Slink does not separate. Hand-tacking Slinks may be over-kill, but I still do it on every reserve. I only tack the tab and try to leave enough slack to allow pulling the tab close enough to the edge to allow the next rigger to inspect the Lark's Head knot during every subsequent inspection.

Edited June 16, 2020 by riggerrob
spelling

[betzilla 56]

5 hours ago, airnutt said:

I don't believe in tacking reserve softlinks unless the manufacturer specifically says too. The softlinks aren't going anywhere, and it discourages the next rigger to check and make sure they're routed correctly. I will untack, inspect and retack but I really feal its not necessary to tack softlinks on the reserve. any opinions on this?

Agreed. But if I have to snip the tack to inspect them, I will only re-tack if the manufacturer instructions require it. And  when I DO tack, I use a wide stitch to make it easy on the rigger who has to inspect the slink next time around, if they need/choose to pull the tack out to do so.

[Quagmirian 40]

I do not tack reserve slinks for the reasons mentioned above. I set them by pulling and then just let them sit nicely in the pocket created in riser.

[airnutt 10]

31 minutes ago, Quagmirian said:

I do not tack reserve slinks for the reasons mentioned above. I set them by pulling and then just let them sit nicely in the pocket created in riser.

I agree with you I guess the answer I was going for on this topic is, if you have to if it says to in the manual by the manufacturer.Like I stated before they wont go anywhere if there not tacked.I don't tack them on my main or reserve canopy

[billvon 2,673]

3 hours ago, airnutt said:

I agree with you I guess the answer I was going for on this topic is, if you have to if it says to in the manual by the manufacturer.Like I stated before they wont go anywhere if there not tacked.

Well that's definitely not universally true.  I regularly have the tabs on my slinks come out if I don't tack them.  It's almost always the right rear riser for some reason.

[betzilla 56]

20 hours ago, billvon said:

Well that's definitely not universally true.  I regularly have the tabs on my slinks come out if I don't tack them.  It's almost always the right rear riser for some reason.

On mini-risers they'll stick out before they take a set, or if they take a set without the tab tucked in. So if I'm putting gear together for a customer I know isn't amazing at noticing things about their gear, I'll tack them. I also tack wayward main slinks that come into my loft sticking out of the riser. The tacking allows the slink to be "trained" to stay inside the riser.

[20kN 93]

The risk with not tackling softlinks is they can rotate and lines can catch on the tab causing a malfunction. The manufacturers require they are tacked into place regardless of whether you agree or not, especially for a reserve. If other riggers are lazy and dont inspect them, then said riggers should not be riggers anymore.

 

http://www.flyaerodyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ALink-Manual.pdf

Edited June 18, 2020 by 20kN

[betzilla 56]

6 hours ago, 20kN said:

The risk with not tackling softlinks is they can rotate and lines can catch on the tab causing a malfunction. The manufacturers require they are tacked into place regardless of whether you agree or not, especially for a reserve. If other riggers are lazy and dont inspect them, then said riggers should not be riggers anymore.

 

http://www.flyaerodyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ALink-Manual.pdf

SOME manufacturers require tacking the soft links. Aerodyne and Icarus World do. PD does not. Not sure about Precision, NZA (which doesn't make reserves anyway) and any others.
 

[Quagmirian 40]

We're lucky that in the UK you don't have to follow the manual anyway. Unpicking and then retacking a slink on very packjob is going to do more harm than good, fight me.

Edited June 18, 2020 by Quagmirian
We

[JerryBaumchen 1,233]

2 hours ago, Quagmirian said:

We're lucky that in the UK you don't have to follow the manual anyway. Unpicking and then retacking a slink on very packjob is going to do more harm than good, fight me.

Hi Quag,

Why would you unpick & retack?

Jerry Baumchen

[Quagmirian 40]

Just to check that the slink is actually done up properly.

[airnutt 10]

1 hour ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Quag,

Why would you unpick & retack?

Jerry Baumchen

Some people want to make sure they're not missing anything and some situations may be harder to see than others

[riggerrob 598]

I will repeat myself: when Slinks are properly hand-tacked, they have just enough slack to allow you to swing the tab towards the edge of the riser and confirm that it is attached with the correct Lark's Head knot.

 

Not being required to hand-tack ... just because you are in the UK sounds odd.

Hand-tacking links is considered best-business-practice in most countries. When forced to chose between 2 or 3 different standards, always work to the highest/tightest standard. Even if Performance Designs were the only link manufacturer to insist on tacking links, I still hand-tack soft links when assembling canopies from every manufacturer.

[dpreguy 14]

Agree with Betzilla on both posts.  I rarely tack on reserves.  On mains - whenever it needs to be done.

Didn't know Aerodyne & Icarus requires.  Good knowledge. Thanks

[councilman24 36]

Somewhat off topic.

I recently noticed a jumper packing at my DZ that had a main with type 17 risers and all four tabs sticking out the sides of the risers.  I went to check and fix it.  We couldn't! Someone had made the loops on the end of the risers smaller/shorter!  I don't have a clue why.  But what it did do was shorten the standard 4" measurement from the end of the riser to the guide/brake locking ring. The jumper had been using the risers for awhile and wasn't having any opening issues. I explained the issue of entanglement. He had another set of risers at home and understood the issue.  They recently got changed.

Why in the hell someone modified the risers that way I don't have a clue. But the loops were small enough we couldn't get the tabs in between the risers.  I don't recall exactly but there were around 1 1/2" short.  Maybe someone couldn't reach their slider.  But someone didn't have the basic knowledge or realization that brake set vs end of riser mattered.  Sometimes you just have to shake your head.

[JerryBaumchen 1,233]

14 hours ago, councilman24 said:

Sometimes you just have to shake your head.

Hi Terry,

I've been shaking my head for so long, over the crazy rigging that I've seen, that people think I've got Parkinson's.

Jerry Baumchen