“Keep an Eye Out” on page 66 of the November issue of Parachutist contained incorrect information. A split-ring connection system for a pilot-chute bridle is correct on some rigs. Federal Aviation Administration Master Rigger Mark Baur of Parachute Magic, who has worked for manufacturer Rigging Innovations, said, “Rigging Innovations has for years used split rings instead of Rapide links in this application. My experience has been that a split ring distributes the loads better and results in less wear and tear on the butterfly tabs. The ring needs to be rotated so the split is inside one of the tabs, and it needs to be tacked to keep from rotating.”
Bauer added, “I'm glad to see that a rigger noticed something different. He should have taken the next step and inquired of the manufacturer whether a ring was acceptable, instead of assuming that ‘different’ automatically means ‘wrong.’” Clearly, Baur’s advice is equally applicable to Parachutist editors, and we apologize for the error.