Originally Posted by
David Puddy
How do you guys define a "slave ship?" How does that translate in terms of typical sectors per day, min rest, etc.?
More legs, longer legs, and because it's bigger it can recover for smaller airplanes that break. It's going to be the workhorse because it's got the payload, range, and short-field ability to do just about every domestic non-FA trip we have, other than long transcons or Hawaii. Workload is similar to the Excel (which was also a slave ship), but I don't feel so whipped at the end of the day, probably because I can stretch out and move around more.
It's going to be a hot seller, I'm sure of it. It's everything great about the Sovereign, but dramatically more spacious and comfortable inside (for passengers and crew), and for less money.
Does the Latitude offer more room up front?
Yes, very much so. The cockpit is super comfortable (I can't touch the pedals if I roll the seat all the way back), the ACM blows the coldest, driest air I've ever felt in an airplane on the ground, and the pressurization keeps the cabin below 6000 feet, even at FL450. That helps the fatigue level more than I thought it would.
I flew the Excel for many years, so I know that smaller tube all too well. The Latitude is the first bigger tube that Cessna has ever put on a jet, and it's a big improvement.