Silly question?

[haleyes 0]

Why don't rig manufacturers make the closing flaps for their containers (reserve and main pin covers) see-through? You could see these important pins easily, especially in the plane, without having to "pop" them to inspect. Is it aesthetics, or is there a practical reason?

larry

[petur 0]

Check this out...

---
P.
"It Hurts to Admit When You Make Mistakes -
But When They're Big Enough, the Pain Only Lasts a Second."

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

Lots of Atoms have windows in the reserve flap so you can see the pin

____________________
Say no to subliminal messages

[darkwing 5]

I doubt that the clear material is as durable as cordura. But it would be good otherwise.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[jlmiracle 7]

We have clear reserve flaps on our Telesis Student Rigs. It's really nice.

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

lots of current student rigs have that option. Sigma tandem rigs also have that stock on the reserve pin.

[stuartjl 0]

Clear flaps sounds like a good idea but i don't think that there is any substitute for a physical check of your pins. By checking the pins you are also checking the area around the pin like the bridle and the way it is stowed.

[riddler 0]

Clear flaps would most likely be made out of a polymer (cheap) or thin plexiglass (more expensive), which would wear faster than the standard covers, true? My guess is they would crack and or break within 500 jumps.

But it still looks like a good idea to me. I'm an advocate of maintaining your gear, so as long as it isn't too expensive to replace, it makes sense.

Of course, it doesn't look as cool, but that doesn't have any thing to do with making sense.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[freakyflyr11 0]

cause its ugly

[wmw999 2,444]

Quote

My guess is they would crack and or break within 500 jumps.

I saw a demo student rig at Perris over Memorial Day. I think it was a Mirage. It had a Lexan (I think) flap, but more importantly, it fit into a pocket that kept it secure and still allowed good visual access to the pin.

The guy showing it said that he expected most DZs to go through 1 per year on a "normal use" student rig. I don't know what that means any more, of course. But I'd imagine that means that it looks pretty sharp in the beginning, and then as it gets scratched, it looks less sharp but still works.

It'd be interesting to see how well soemthing like that did if it were offered on sport rigs (well, the outside-pin ones at least
Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[VectorBoy 0]

Plastic is not as durable as a cordura wraped stiffener. My old vector had its reserve flap plastic split from pin inspectors "slapping" the flap closed. And it would be ugly.

[paulagc 0]

My student rigs have clear flaps and next time they break, I'm replacing them with normal material. They crack all the time and I'm always on my JMs not to lay the rigs on the back b/c of wear and tear on the plastic. If there was such a thing as a material that was see-through, flexible, but durable as Cordura, I'd use it in a minute, but I don't think it exists.

[riggerrob 643]

Yes, durablity is an issue, that is why replacing a pin window on a Sigma is a simple matter of sliding the old piece of Lexan (?) out and sliding in a new piece.
Pin windows are available on Sigma and Atom tandem rigs as will as Telesis student rigs. It is also rumored that a few CReW Javelins have reserve pin windows.
Anything that encourages people to check pins is a good idea.