Originally Posted by Turbosina

This right here. Just finishing up a trip on the -200. Sitting at a hub waiting for our 3-hour-delayed aircraft to show up. In the past 2 days, on six out of eight legs, we had no APU (really great in the middle of the winter wonderland we're experiencing right now,) plus a deferred FMS. Not one -- not even one of our legs has departed within 3 hours of scheduled departure, and only one of those delays was wx-induced -- the other 7 legs were all significant mx delays.

Today we did 3 legs in an airplane with 5 deferrals, and they weren't for NEF or trivial stuff either. No APU, no APR, no FMS -- all on the same airplane -- means lots of extra hassle when you consider the weak / unavailable huffer carts at most outstations (never mind ground air), the refusal of ground crews at many hubs to air-start both engines at the gate (meaning in the middle of an LAX departure bank, you have to beg Ground to let you stop somewhere to do a cross-bleed). Oh, and ground power carts that keep crapping out and plunging your cabin into the dark since you've got no APU. Mind you, you don't get paid for any of this extra stuff. None of it.

I used to kinda love the Deuce but they're getting really, really, really tired. In general I think we have pretty decent mx here, but there are no spare aircraft, ever, anywhere. And the ones that are here, are breaking at a worse rate than I've ever seen.

I hate to say this but it's time for these birds to go to the desert. And I say that as someone who truly enjoys flying the Deuce.