Since 2 years we now accumulated 4000 Hrs. with 2 ships. In that period we had 2 or 3 occasions where a crack in one of the covers was found during maintenance. A poly-repair solved the problem, and in doing so, the cover even became stronger.
Our experience is that using the net for heavier freight (drill bits and stuff) gives enough protection. The normal bagage, like the bags and suitcases the offshore people are taking with them, does not harm the covers; even in turbulence the risk is minor.
Now I have another question. Anybody who has done BT 139-080 Part I; the replacement of the transponder top antenna cable? Sound like a pretty time consuming job
Ciao