What is the reasoning for recording all landings?

[S.Drifter]

Can anyone fill me in on the reason/reasons for recording all landings as per CASSA? Thanks

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I would have thought it was for government statistical purposes, crash statistics and maintenance information perhaps? The more landings, the better the RA crash stats look for us!

 

 

[Ben Longden]

 

I would have thought it would indicate the wear and tear on the airframe during its lifetime.

 

Ben

 

 

[Allan]

To prove recency requirements for carriage of passengers?

 

(et al: No Pilot Certificate holder shall carry passengers in an ultralight aeroplane unless:

 

..........

 

b. during the last 90 days they have carried out at least 3 take-offs and 3 landings while flying as pilot in command, or while flying as pilot under the supervision of an AUF instructor, of an aircraft of a “similar” type as that to be used for the carriage of passengers;

 

...........)

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I struggle with that rule. My father in law wanted to go for a fly on the weekend. He hadn't flown for just over 3 months. He wasn't comfortable going up on his own as he is his own worst critic and felt he wasn't comfortable going up solo after this length of time. I would have gone with him, being a licenced current RA Pilot and PPL more than capable of right hand seat flying, but yet I can't because he's not current. It was an easy fix because an instructor was nearby, however had we not been near a flying school and the rules were followed to the letter, I feel his safety would have been at risk because he would have probably gone up solo just to do his 3 touch and go's. If they are the rules, fine, just a bit frustrating sometimes.

 

 

[TechMan]

The landings are indeed needed for statistical data. RA-Aus often gets painted with the same brush when it comes to accident statistics, which get applied to airliners. Whilst an airliner may have 20,000 hours, they may only have 2000 landings.

 

This then becomes quite unfair towards RA-Aus operators, particularly school operators, who may do 20,000 landings for 2000 hours (its an exaggerated example I know). We are therefore collecting landing information so that we can reject claims that our sport is horrifically unsafe because we have had 5 fatal accidents in a year, for example, yet we have had over 20,000 take offs and landings.

 

It is also helps in possible analysis of any airworthiness defect trends, if we can see how many hours and landings a certain aircraft had before it failed.

 

Regards

 

Chris

 

 

[Tq2Jetman]

And then there is the outside possibility that a manufacturer will recommend a certain maintenance action at a specific number of landings. ie: Inspect wheel p/n xyz123 at or before attaining 2,000 landing, or Retire p/n xyy333 at or before attaining 500 Landings. All other flying/maintenance types are very familur with this recording requirement.

 

 

[farri]

Landings.

 

For statistical and certificate reasons,fine.

 

For maintenance reasons, 1 good landing and 10 bad ones?.

 

farri. :hittinghead:

 

 

[Vorticity]

You can probably read more into the aircrafts use from the landings than simply how many times it has been put through the forces of landing. A landing generally means a takeoff-landing cycle at some point. That means high throttle settings etc. So if you have two engines from 503 drifters both with 250hrs, one with 200 landings and the other with 900 you could start to think the second engine had recieved harder use.

 

But as you say all of this is based around a presumed flight profile where the aircraft climbs, sets cruise power, decends and touches down normally. Doesnt take into account flying around over the constant max power setting or lawn darting it on each landing:laugh:

 

 

[Guest airsick]

So if you have two engines from 503 drifters both with 250hrs, one with 200 landings and the other with 900 you could start to think the second engine had recieved harder use.

A landing every 16 minutes, that's a lot of circuits or some serious bounces.