pro & cons pop-top containers

[MontyPyhton 0]

In the gear reviews I read the following about pop-top containers:

"i would never jump anything that has a reserve pin on the outer side of the container.
I had a mid air collision with a friend who had a prem reseve opening. I passed through it and had his lines wrapped around the container and parted as i cleared."

I recognized that other advantadges of the pop top are the better launch of the reserve pilot chute.

But are there any disadvantages?

What say the riggers about pop tops?

[dragon2 2]

Quote

In the gear reviews I read the following about pop-top containers:

"i would never jump anything that has a reserve pin on the outer side of the container.
I had a mid air collision with a friend who had a prem reseve opening. I passed through it and had his lines wrapped around the container and parted as i cleared."

I recognized that other advantadges of the pop top are the better launch of the reserve pilot chute.

But are there any disadvantages?

What say the riggers about pop tops?

I don't like pop-tops for CRW, well not all are bad but I've seen a couple reserve packs on pop-tops and semi-pop-tops that made the pop-top stand out a bit so it might catch lines. The cure for that of course would be getting your reserve repacked properly

About on the pin-on-the-outside, not all pop-tops have the pin against your back, lemme think - Javelin - no, Teardrop - yes (?), our club CRW rigs which are Chasers or something like that - also, no.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

I jump a Superfly, and like the fact my reserve pin is against my back. A couple of friends have almost managed to pop their reserves in the plane buy catching the reserve pin on a ledge, and I've also been on a dive where my friend has poped his reserve on exit cos he caught the reserve pin on the door (needless to say for formation funelled ). I know poptops aren't perfect, but I personally am much happier with them.

____________________
Say no to subliminal messages

[riggerrob 643]

Yes Pop-Tops are better at protecting pins, but no system is perfect. For example, I heard of a someone slamming a Reflex so hard against the door frame that he broke the reserve closing loop.

The major disadvantage to owning a Pop-Top is finding a rigger who is good at repacking them. The secret tricks and dark arts are slow in sneaking out of the factory. For example, it took me ten years and an assortment of scrapped steel tools before I discarded my steel tools and perfected a temporary loop.

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

Not really a problem over here - teardrops are very popular so most packers do them on a regular basis.

____________________
Say no to subliminal messages

[Squeak 17]

same here the tamdem rigs are racers too so they have a 2 pin poptop

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[paulagc 0]

I'm speaking only of Racers now. I got my rigger's ticket this year and work at a DZ full of Racers, and in fact jump one myself. I've done many Racer repacks.

However, I need a new rig and I'm now in the process of debating the pros and cons of another Racer pop top or something else in my mind. Prior to packing the reserves, I would have picked a Racer in a minute.

I love the reserve pins not being exposed and I love the idea of no flaps in the way of the pilot chute launch (even though the reseach says it makes no difference in the launch time).

But, to do a Racer repack, and make it look good, you've usually got to poke and prod and smash the canopy AFTER you've done a nice pack job and put it in the bag. I'd really rather have to do nothing to a nice pack job after I put it in the bag. While I guess the poking and smashing (technical rigging terms) haven't really ever caused any problems, it just makes me a little less comfortable with the pack job, kind of like the feeling of having pins of the outside.

[skybytch 273]

Advantages - reserve pin(s) in a snag proof location, some claim a faster reserve deployment

Disadvantages - poptop could be a line snag problem, some riggers either don't like to or can't pack them, replacing the reserve p/c after losing it is more expensive due to the fabric p/c cover.

I've owned a Racer and a Reflex. I like the poptop from the standpoint of a user. As a rigger, I never did learn how to make a Racer reserve pack job look good.

[Remster 30]

Quote

I heard of a someone slamming a Reflex so hard against the door frame that he broke the reserve closing loop.

Yeah.... poor guy.. saw the rest of his 12 way falling away after the reserve opened..... Could have been much worse (it was a Caravan and the tail on these things comes up in a hurry!)

I (ehhh.. I mean he) still jumps his Reflex... he just crouches more and is more conscious about this when diving.

Remster

[rigging65 0]

Quote

Disadvantages - poptop could be a line snag problem,

The C-Flex after market mod (called the Flappette Kit) dramatically reduces this possibility...also helps reduce snagging the edge of the cap if you door strike.

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[grasshopper 0]

Quote

***I heard of a someone slamming a Reflex so hard against the door frame that he broke the reserve closing loop.

Yeah.... poor guy.. saw the rest of his 12 way falling away after the reserve opened..... Could have been much worse (it was a Caravan and the tail on these things comes up in a hurry!)

this wasn't the only case of this happening. it happened on a reflex I own to the previous owner (10-way speed, out of an otter). apparently if you hit the pop-top just right it will shear the loop, without too much force. you should be careful on exits (and moving around in the plane, for that matter), no matter how secure you think your rig is.

[riggermick 7]

Quote

Quote

***I heard of a someone slamming a Reflex so hard against the door frame that he broke the reserve closing loop.

Yeah.... poor guy.. saw the rest of his 12 way falling away after the reserve opened..... Could have been much worse (it was a Caravan and the tail on these things comes up in a hurry!)

this wasn't the only case of this happening. it happened on a reflex I own to the previous owner (10-way speed, out of an otter). apparently if you hit the pop-top just right it will shear the loop, without too much force. you should be careful on exits (and moving around in the plane, for that matter), no matter how secure you think your rig is.

Just a clarification here, I was hanging on to the guy in question, Mike Discoe of black sheep(he was #8 and I was #9 in the line up) and I can tell you the the force of a door strike at that speed is a whole lot of force, I have the scars to prove it. I damn near went through his reserve as it was deploying and we ended up with a 9 way. We examined the video extensively and it was determined that the pilot chute dome struck the floater bar at just the right angle to drive the pilot chute back and sheer the loop. Needless to say we all stayed lower on future exits.

Mick Cottle, formerly of Elsinore Black Sheep.

[faulknerwn 38]

I know of a guy in Texas who opened his Reflex as he was leaving the King Air. He got lucky everything opened cleanly..
W