LAA Advice on post-lockdown flying

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Steve Slater
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LAA Advice on post-lockdown flying

Post by Steve Slater » Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:56 pm

In line with other organisations, we're issuing advice to pilots planning to fly as we release from Covid lockdown on 29th March or 12th April. Watch out for further information in next month's magazine, which should arrive shortly.

Fly Safe!

http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co. ... 0Again.pdf
Stephen Slater
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Re: LAA Advice on post-lockdown flying

Post by P5151 » Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:33 pm

Hmmm, I watched an accident happen last year due to poor judgement by the pilot, and watched another yesterday at Wellesbourne, probably due to maintenance or lack of use were the port gear on a retractable twin collapsed on landing.

The over regulated lockdown on aviation means pilots are deskilled and aircraft are likely to have hidden faults through lack of use. The LAA should have fought harder to keep us current and safe!
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Steve Slater
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Re: LAA Advice on post-lockdown flying

Post by Steve Slater » Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:48 pm

How?
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Re: LAA Advice on post-lockdown flying

Post by P5151 » Fri Apr 02, 2021 9:22 pm

The first accident involved a three axis microlight landing on a 500 m strip. He touched down over halfway down the strip with far too much airspeed. It was an obvious go around situation but the pilot tried to brake and broke through a fence landing in a stream. He was injured but his 95kg passenger was ok. I have no doubt that the over zealous restrictions which meant pilots could not stay current was partially responsible for poor decision making throughout the attempted landing.

The second was a twin which reported a problem at Wellesbourne and during the landing the left main gear collapsed resulting in both props hitting the runway. I don’t know what the pre landing problem was, or whether the gear was fully down before landing, the pilot though was uninjured.
The airplane is probably a write off.

The last set ofCovid restriction allowed only engine health flights and even strongly pointed people towards preserving engines. That meant a lot of pilots with Rotax engines have not flown for several month. Engines are not the only things that suffer from corrosion on an aeroplane, lack of use affects everything, damp gets in instruments, mice and animals nest in aircraft, tyres deflate. My own aircraft had an electrical failure which caused me to abort two engine health flights.

All aircraft that are brought back into service after a lay off need a thorough check before flight!.

Given what you said in a GASCO safety evening, and the majority of people who spoke focussing mainly on human error and lack of currency, it was clear to me that some senior CAA knew well what problems would be caused, so why was pilot currency not a prime concern? The poll that was held again showed this was an issue.

All I seemed to hear from the LAA was nonsense to support the CAA draconian restrictions for example the possibility of catching COVID off hangar doors. Ever heard of disinfectant wipes?
Aviation is of course not the only sport to suffer from over zealous restrictions, but while you may not be at risk of a fatal accident through lack of currency at golf, that is very different to flying.

I would agree that a pilot should not fly if they are not current but we should have been better represented to help us keep current, are rather than using the people who would complain about people flying as an excuse to support the CAA restrictions, the LAA should have been educating these people of the need for currrency.
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