Gear Warning
Tony Verhulst wrote:
The point is that very, very, few flights arrive for a landing without
opening the spoilers for the first time (when the warning would go off)
at 10 ft off the ground. Much more often that happens much earlier when
it's quite safe to lower the gear and still make a safe landing.
At 10 feet, I would agree that for most pilots it would be best to leave
the gear where it is.
I agree. It seems to me that the BGA's recommendation is poorly thought
out. Every other sphere of aviation with a retractable gear has made
warning systems compulsory and while gear errors still occur the
frequency is quite low. In particular, the warning system is not blamed
for the accident - which is the topsy-turvy logic of the BGA's policy.
In most of aviation, accidents involving gear warnings are (rightly)
attributed to poor pilot training or lack of familiarity/recency on type
and something is done about the training system and the pilot's competence.
Blaming the warning system is irrational.
Graeme Cant
Tony V.
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