Often?
Hello Bearfoil,
Yeah, we loose radomes by the dozen, they come cheap these days.
Icing of probes, however, does not happen that often, or does it.
The following quote from BEA interim report does not describe a large number of radome loss events.
Quote;
As of 3 November 2009, Airbus had identified thirty-two events that had
occurred between 12 November 2003 and 1st June 2009(18). According to Airbus
these events are attributable to the possible destruction of at least two Pitot
probes by ice. Eleven of these events occurred in 2008 and ten during the first
five months of 2009. (Note by EMIT: destruction should be read as obstruction)
Twenty-six of these incidents occurred on aircraft fitted with Thales C16195AA
probes, two on aircraft with Thales C16195BA probes and one on an airplane
equipped with Goodrich 0851HL probes.
As of 1st June 2009 Air France had identified nine events that might meet
the above-mentioned criteria. After the F-GZCP accident the airline started a
targeted analysis of recorded parameters and identified six additional events
that occurred in 2008.
In addition, a foreign operator began a targeted analysis of recorded flight
parameters recorded after June 2006 on its A330 fleet. As of 18 November
2009 it had identified fourteen events. Only four of them had been detected
and reported by the crews to their airline.
Further, Airbus identified four events that have occurred since 1st June 2009.