Ryanairs Bumpy Landings

plainsie

Can anyone tell me why they always land with a bump. Couple of years ago when I first travelled with them to Dublin they landed really hard and a business man said he travelled every week with them and it's always the same. I've travelled with a few companies, Easyjet,Jet2,BA,SAS, and never experienced this. Yesterday I took 2 Ryanair flights and they both landed with a bump. Must be a valid reason but what? Many thanks for any advice.

decsdad

Hi,
I have a bit af Ryanair experience, 100 flights per year for a while. Would also have to add that I am a Ryanair fan, used them loyally for years and they have only cancelled a flight on me twice, tried to reschedule me, but didn't suit, took a refund and flew with Flybe(8 hour delay, 10 x the price) all weather related.
However, regarding the bumpy landings, having spoken to a couple of Ryanair pilots and BA pilots they all say the same thing. Ryanair pilots land 6 times a day, 5 days a week in the crappiest airports in Europe in all sorts of weather. BA pilots on long haul sectors will land 4 times a month in the best airports etc
A couple of BA pilots said they would prefer to be on a ryanair flight if there was problems. The pilots have more experience landing, and in poorer weather, and in smaller airports etc
I think (opinion only) that Ryanair pilots will be under quite a bit of pressure not to divert, hold for weather improvement, or basically do anything that is going to use more fuel, or get the aircraft to the wrong airport and knock the schedules out for the day and the costs associated with that.
I think this is why they land a bit bumpier than the rest--just take a look at their punctuality record, its the best, and they have the quickest turn arounds. Must be a reason for it.

Should add, I know Ryanair get a bit of stick, fees and all that, and rightfully so, but I just use their system as it should be. Hand luggage only, free payment card, book in bulk at the right time, when the offers are on, I have never paid more than £30 return anywhere(all over uk).

All just opinion.

On a lighter note, my worst landing was on ryanair into prestwick, bad weather, late one friday night. On final approach about a mile out, few hundred feet to go. Had a look out the window and could see the runway, we were going towards it, just not in the same direction the plane was pointing, hefty cross wind. Pilot didn't hesitate, put it down right at the start of the runway, was it bumpy ? YES. But it is a bit unsettling when you come in to land, dont touchdown, then you hear the engines go at full power and the nose goes up !

Takecareofthepennies

plainsie wrote: »

Can anyone tell me why they always land with a bump. ... Yesterday I took 2 Ryanair flights and they both landed with a bump. Must be a valid reason but what? Many thanks for any advice.

You clearly didn't pay the optional Soft Landing Fee.
:rotfl:

torbrex

It could be that because there is nothing in the hold, the pilot forgets that it is there and lands the plane as if the undercarraige was right below the passenger cabin.

malkie76

It's deliberate to decelerate the plane and use less braking which wears out the braking system.

stoneman

decsdad wrote: »

t.
I think this is why they land a bit bumpier than the rest--just take a look at their punctuality record, its the best, and they have the quickest turn arounds. Must be a reason for it

That is because they add on 1/2 hour longer than the flight actually takes, then they can claim that the landed ahead of schedule. Oh and that fanfare when the plane lands, how tacky is that!

Bronnie

haha! Had on of these landings recently coming back from Rhodes. We were joking amongst ourselves that the pilot must be a trainee..............until we were queuing up at the door ready to dismbark, when an officer looking just a teensy bit older than this emerged from the flight deck. :eek:

Glad they kept him under-wraps during the flight!

shaun_from_Africa

malkie76 wrote: »

It's deliberate to decelerate the plane and use less braking which wears out the braking system.

A heavy landing will wear the tyres far more than a gentle one and has a negligible effect on the overall stopping distance for an aircraft.

When you think about £2500 for a nose wheel (2 required) and upwards of £8000 for a main wheel (4 required) for a 737 you are talking in the region of £37k just for the rubber.
Wear these out sooner than expected and the airline accountants will soon start looking into which pilots are the culprits.

One reason for the heavy landings might be that Ryanair are recruiting ex navy aircraft carrier pilots and they are used to slamming into the deck and hoping that there is an arrestor wire to stop them!

johnnyroper

bet you have not had a landing as heavy as on american last year coming in to LHR from JFK?
On a 777 it hit the runway with such a bang it felt like the seat was gonna go in to my spine and some of the over head lockers opened!!

or even the pilot of a first choice 767 who had strong wind on landing at BRS last year it slammed back to earth that hard it mangled the crown of aircraft.

http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=997964

neilbond007

stoneman wrote: »

That is because they add on 1/2 hour longer than the flight actually takes, then they can claim that the landed ahead of schedule

Don't all airlines do that?

busiscoming2

plainsie wrote: »

Can anyone tell me why they always land with a bump. Couple of years ago when I first travelled with them to Dublin they landed really hard and a business man said he travelled every week with them and it's always the same. I've travelled with a few companies, Easyjet,Jet2,BA,SAS, and never experienced this. Yesterday I took 2 Ryanair flights and they both landed with a bump. Must be a valid reason but what? Many thanks for any advice.

I noticed this too, but have so far only flown via here and Dublin with them. I am due to fly to Mallorca with them in a while so I shall see if it happens there too. It does seem to me to be worse landing at Dublin than back in this country and I just assumed that maybe it was a shorter runway or something!