"I think the Dash 7 outdoes, just about everything for short field performance, I spoke with a Fed that used to fly 'em for Rocky Mountain Airways. With a twinkle in his eye, he spoke of many tales... ref at MLW (50 pax?) with full flaps was somewhere in the low 80's. 8 degree MLS approaches into Steamboat Springs were of no concern."



HEHE - I was a Rocky Mountain Rocker for five years, and for my money, the -7 was the best airplane in the biz. Ref at MLW was 88 knots, and you could have her stopped in 800-1000', scared the hell out of pax, and pushed them against their lap belts pretty hard. We used to lovingly call the -7 the smash dash for this reason. Then you could turn around and get it off the ground in 2000' @ 44,000Lbs MTOW. I recall the days of Steamboat and Leadville out of Stapleton, good times. I live in Steamboat now, and longingly drive past the Steamboat airport on my way to Hayden to get a ride to work, and miss the good old days of the Dash-7.