The color in your bridle window for p/c.

[tonyhathaway 0]

Just read something on another thread about this. I want to know about the color on the centerline in a bridle window that shows if your pilotchute is cocked. How many have actually saved themselves from jumping with an uncocked pilot chute from this? I have ONLY seen this make someone ride down the plane with a COCKED pilot chute. (many times actually) Just wondering if it works properly sometimes as a real warning, or it only shows false readings like I have witnessed many times. -Tony

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[riggerrob 643]

Only half the kill-lines are properly marked.
As they age, kill-lines shrink or stretch, making markings irrelevant.
There are three other ways to check if a pilotchute is properly cocked, but they all require you to pull the pilot chute out of the BOC.
Freaking over a bridle window makes as much sense as freaking over an automotive LOW OIL WARNING light, but never pulling the dip stick!

[ladyskydiver 0]

Don't have one.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[towerrat 0]

I had to remark mine on my old rig.It only lasted fifty or seventy five jumps. I quit worrying about it because I pack myself and the pilot chute gets checked three times during packing.I also check my own pin, because I will only allow certain people to touch my gear.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

[diablopilot 2]

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My closing pin will not come out of my bridle unless the pilot chute is cocked.

Those are pretty cool huh? I walways wondered why they were not more popular!

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[ladyskydiver 0]

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My closing pin will not come out of my bridle unless the pilot chute is cocked.

Those are pretty cool huh? I walways wondered why they were not more popular!

I absolutely love it!!! Wish I would have known about it a lot sooner.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[ryoder 1,590]

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Don't have one.

Who builds these?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[bch7773 0]

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Don't have one.

how do these work? i've never seen or even heard of them

MB 3528, RB 1182

[flyangel2 2]

Tony,
Most times I pack my own rig. When I do use a packer, I take the time to set the brakes, cock the pilot chute, and replace any rubber bands that are about to break. This way I know those things have been done.

See ya at WFFC

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[ladyskydiver 0]

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Don't have one.

Who builds these?

Sally Hathaway (Paragone Rigging at ZHills) is the one that made it for me. Not sure who originally started making them.

The way they work is your closing pin is inside your bridle. The only way that it will be exposed is when you cock your pilot chute. As you are cocking your pilot chute, the closing pin is slowly exposed until you have a fully cocked (and hence fully exposed) closing pin.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"Not sure who originally started making them."

I have quite an old one made by Precision, its called a lifeline or something like that, from around 95/96-ish

I'd like to add that I don't really like them. My one seemed less flexible than the traditional kill lines with external pins. My primary fear is that it might be more prone to premature openings, or horseshoe type mals, however your mileage may vary.

I keep my old one as a spare though.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[ladyskydiver 0]

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I'd like to add that I don't really like them. My one seemed less flexible than the traditional kill lines with external pins. My primary fear is that it might be more prone to premature openings, or horseshoe type mals, however your mileage may vary.

I keep my old one as a spare though.

Hi, Nac!
What do you mean by less flexible? Also, why do you have the concern that it might cause a premature opening or horseshoe type mal?

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Consider him hugged Cora.

Don't get me wrong Cora, I'm all for making gear 'idiot proof' or using the technical term, inherently safer design.

Okay, on typical bridles, the pin is external and attached by a wee bit of webbing, this arrangement is fairly tolerant to a small amount of movement in the bridle without any movement being transferred to the pin. No such flexibility exists in the retractible (grammer? speling?) pin set ups. Try this, take your rig and see how much movement can be tolerated in the bridle without the pin moving, (probably very little) now close your rig with a standard set up and repeat the pin and bridle wiggling exercise. Theres no need to remove the normal bridle, just borrow the pin and bridle from someone else's gear while its open.

So if somone bashes into your pack in a funnel or a gnarly exit, or if a wee bit of bridle is vibrating in the wind, your pack may be more prone to opening prior to the PC being deployed.

All things being equal, such as no bridle being exposed, well fitting pin cover flap, or using a nice tight closing loop, I don't think its a huge issue, but we all need the wee things to stack up in our favour too.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[tonyhathaway 0]

OK. So far no one posted where it did what it was supposed to do. Anyone? I just want to know of a time where there was no color because the P/C WASN'T cocked. Again, the only thing I have witnessed that window do is scare people about their proplerly functioning gear. -Tony

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[Daizey 0]

The color on mine has saved me from jumping without my pilot chute cocked...

I can't say Ive ever found it out in the plane, but I can say it has helped during packing....Ive gotten all the way to putting the pin in and realizing i didn't see any color then thinking, omg I forgot to cock it....

Not sure if you are just referring to not seeing the color while already in the plane though...

*daizey*

[wildWilly 0]

Don't have a window.
But ,if there is a foot of kill line showing when I put it in the bag That's a pretty good indication that it's not cocked.
The last thing I check before folding my pilot chute is whether it is cocked.

Willy

growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Sorry for the side track Tony.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[masterrigger1 2]

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"Not sure who originally started making them."

That would have been Howard Adams who started making them around 1991-1992 when he was still skydiving in the Georgia Area, mostly Elijay.

Precision then started making them later.

The only problem was the pin needed to be longer to compensate for the amount of the pin still inside the bridal. At that time ROL's were the choice for deployment types. Couple that with worn velcro, exposed bridals and short pins....
It could possibly be a great thing if someone would take the time to have longer pins made though.

MEL

Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC
www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

[mr2mk1g 10]

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It could possibly be a great thing if someone would take the time to have longer pins made though

What's wrong with twin pin teflon? If it's good enough for tandems it ought to be good enough for us sport jumpers no?

Although perhaps the metal pinch put on the teflon would make it incompatable with this 'retractable' type system?

[larsrulz 0]

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How many have actually saved themselves from jumping with an uncocked pilot chute from this?

I have once noticed after a packjob that my PC wasn't cocked, so I took it out for a cocking (I refuse to cock it while the canopy is bagged). Hard to tell if I would have noticed it before gearup or on the plane.

I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

[tonyhathaway 0]

I guess I am more looking for during a pin check. My p.c has been uncocked right before I fold it. I don't consider finding it then, or during a packjob a big deal, that is all part of when/how you pack it. No one ever quits packing because they find no color in their window. They DO ride the plane down because of it. -Tony

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[usskydiver 0]

I apoligize in advance for the drift but: I have a small rubber band around the french link in my PC. I cock it before packing and S fold the safety line into that rubber band. I have been doing this for years (since collapsable PCs came out) and have never had a problem. The bag does not slip down the kill line or anything.

Tim T.
Team Paraclete