gaunty,
The SA226-TC is classified for normal and transport category, that’s the Australian category, not the FAA design basis.
The terms category and certification are sometimes interchanged incorrectly, the certification basis (eg CAR 3, 4b, 23 SFAR 23/41, FAR 25, and category (e.g normal, commuter, transport) are not the same, confusing I know.
E.g. a C404 has a FAR Part 23, February 1, 1965 Certification Basis, and the Australian Type Certificate Acceptance Sheet has it suitable for airworthiness in normal or transport categories.
I am aware of SFAR 23/41, and I believe as a whole is was an improvement, and a good stepping stone from the previous basis.
Problem with them I see is that the training is most cases is done in the aircraft, ok worked for the F28, but there is a metro sim available in Melbourne at an hourly rate cheaper than the aircraft.
I also believe that the training in most cases in inadequate, as there is a false sense of security with turbine aircraft. The near loss of a metro on a training flight earlier near Canberra this year is a testament to that.
Doing assy fully loaded in any aircraft is putting too many of the holes in the swiss cheese in the same line, poor risk management if it is indeed happeneing.
We still have large aircraft flying around today that are pre FAR 25, like CAR 4b certification basis, we don’t say that they should stop flying, even if they are very noisy.
JetA_OK
I know of people are doing it, in the sim not the aircraft.
