Han Solo

Its telling that the 717 hasn't been retrofitted with CPDLC or been certified for 25 flap 2-engine approaches, seems like a couple relatively inexpensive upgrades. Love the plane but I have the feeling its next on the chopping block after the 90s and 88s. No idea how far into the future that time may be.

gloopy

But that plan creates and grows a gap between RJ's and ever growing mainline planes.

While the C-100 (lol "airbus" please) is the same seat range as the 717, we're not getting very many of them and are chomping at the bit to only order -300's going forward. Now obviously from the company's POV, they undoubtedly think they can just ask for "relief" on larger RJ scope, but I don't see it happening. For the "Indecent Proposal" crowd that thinks "everything has a price" let's just say "LMAFO you can't afford it" and leave it at that.

So how much truth is there in the "nav accuracy" side of the equation? Whatever next-gen ends up being, and whenever it ends up actually getting here, will that really mean that every plane in the sky (airline and corporate) will be either 0.00000000000000001 Hundred foot Flight Levels, full on Juno zero-zero capable or else grounded? I doubt it.

There may be some additional airports that incorporate new approaches and tight standards that maybe it can't do, but so what? Tell marketing sorry but it can't go to those (likely few) airports anymore. There's still a place for them in the network until they timeout IMO as we're nowhere close to grounding every plane in the sky that can't thread theoretical needles they don't really need to in the first place.

velosnow

So THAT’s why folks are making 100k a month flying it

Bucking Bar

An hour or so and a few manually flown patterns ... NOT qual'd on the A220, but a current 320 driver. Opinion ... the A220 is WORLD's better in control feel compared to the A320 and much better than the 321. At least in the sim, the airplane responds in a very predictable and natural responsive way. Like a 757 or a F33 Bonanza sort of harmonized way than the 320 which is clunky and a bit unpredictable in winds. The A220 (my guess) has much finer control gradients and just feels natural.

Of course, that's with barely above zero experience in the thing. My friend who has just a few hours towards his private rating was getting good landings right in the touchdown area.

sailingfun

Live stick verses dead stick. No comparison.

qball

They spent years trying to build simulators that fly like airplanes. Airbus built planes that fly like a simulator.

Bucking Bar

Still a big believer in a mainline operated CRJ905. It is a good airplane. Put SkyWest's overhead costs on the crew pay side of the ledger and voila' a mainline jet with cheap trip costs, plenty of pilots and reliable service.

Easy math. RJ costs ~ $3,900 an hour to operate. Overhead costs for the puzzle palaces at SkyWest, Endeavor or ASA run ~ 7 to 11% of the all in the operational cost of the jet. Shoot the parasitic managers & shareholders in the head (metaphorically speaking) and you free up $400 an hour for you know, productive employees, like pilots. Add that $400 to what you already pay those good folks and viola' - mainline.

If the Air Force Academy wunderkinds that run ALPA don't want their squadron bubbas to fly RJ's then I say call it something else at mainline. Would they object to "super-premium stareagleraptorjets?"

Bucking Bar

Can you expand on that?

The 321 is better than the 320. They both get the job done but they are about as much fun as operating a cement mixer. Neither is as fun as a nail gun, but better than sanding sheetrock or anything related to plumbing.

Always looked forward to the next 757 / 767 leg. Even the MD88 was rewarding to coax into submission to your will.

badflaps

There was something empowering about a 5-10 minute leg in a 757,..... or embarrassing.

Han Solo

Pilots have no say in what planes Delta buys.