# Aircraft & gear

> Add and edit aircraft, set capacity and maintenance tracking, log hours, and manage dropzone-owned rigs. Capacity is copied into every new load.

Source: https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/aircraft-and-gear · Last updated: 2026-11-03 · Audience: DZ admins · Support: door@ezdz.xyz

Aircraft live under **DZ Admin → Gear/Aircraft**, in the **Aircraft** tab. The same screen has a **Rigs** tab for dropzone-owned gear. Staff can use this screen too.

> **Probably already done**
>
> We usually add your aircraft when we set up your dropzone. Open this page anyway and **confirm the capacity** for each one. It decides how many slots every new load gets.

## Add an aircraft

1. Go to **Gear/Aircraft** and stay on the **Aircraft** tab.
2. Click **+ Add Aircraft** to open **New Aircraft**.
3. Fill in the fields below and save.

![The Gear/Aircraft screen with an aircraft card and its Log Hours, View History, Edit, and Delete buttons](https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/aircraft-and-gear/aircraft-tab.webp "1120x680")

**Aircraft Name** (Where: New Aircraft · Default: None (required) · Admins only)
Must be unique among your active aircraft. If you reuse a name you'll see "Aircraft with this name already exists at this dropzone."

**Capacity** (Where: New Aircraft · Default: 4 (required) · Admins only)
Seats available on each load, from 1 to 50. Count everyone who needs a slot: jumpers, tandem students, and instructors.

**Model** (Where: New Aircraft · Default: Empty · Admins only)
Optional, for example "Cessna 182".

**Tail Number** (Where: New Aircraft · Default: Empty · Admins only)
Optional registration, for example "N123AB". There is no separate "registration" field. This is it.

**Maintenance Hour Interval** (Where: New Aircraft · Default: 100 · Admins only)
How many flight hours between inspections. Drives the maintenance gauge below.

**Maintenance Notes** (Where: New Aircraft · Default: Empty · Admins only)
Free text. Long notes are shortened on the card; click to expand.

## Capacity and loads

> **Changing capacity doesn't change existing loads**
>
> When you create a load, EZDZ copies the aircraft's capacity into it and builds that many empty slots. Editing an aircraft's capacity later only affects **loads you create afterward**.

Booking time slots have their own **Max Bookings** number. It is **not** linked to aircraft capacity. See [Booking system](https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/booking-system#schedule-and-availability).

### Create a load

1. Go to **Loads** and click **Add New Load**.
2. Pick your **aircraft**. The list shows each aircraft's capacity.
3. Optionally set an **Estimated Takeoff Time** and a **Pilot**. Only people flagged **Is Pilot** appear.
4. Click **Create**. The load opens right away for manifesting.

If you have no active aircraft, **Create Load** is disabled and a red message tells you to add one. See [Manifest & loads](https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/manifest-and-loads) for what comes next.

## Edit, deactivate, or delete an aircraft

- **Edit:** open the aircraft card and change any field. Edits include an **Active** switch.
- **Deactivate:** turn **Active** off. The aircraft shows an **Inactive** badge, disappears from new-load creation, and can be turned back on any time.
- **Delete:** removes the aircraft from the screen and from load creation. Past hour logs stay in the database, but the aircraft can't be recovered from the UI, so prefer deactivating.

## Track maintenance hours

Click **Log Hours** on an aircraft card to record a reading.

| Field | Notes |
| --- | --- |
| Reading (hrs) | The aircraft's total time, in steps of 0.1 |
| Date | Defaults to today |
| Note | Optional |
| Mark as inspection completed | Resets the maintenance gauge from this reading |

The card shows a gauge against your interval, your pace in hours per day, and a projected due date. A strip at the top of the page flags aircraft that need attention: **amber at 70%** of the interval and **red at 90%**. You can see the history and delete an entry if you logged it by mistake.

## Rigs

The **Rigs** tab tracks dropzone-owned gear.

| Field | Notes |
| --- | --- |
| Name and Type | Required. Types: Student, Rental, Tandem, Other |
| Serial Number | Optional |
| Container size and color, Canopy size and color | Optional |
| Reserve Pack Date and Reserve Expiration Date | Rigs are flagged **amber within 30 days** of expiry and **red** once past it |
| Notes and Active | Optional |