Airline Pilot Central Forums - Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

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I'm also chuckling about these comments about the reliability of the E170/190 series. I previously flew the Q400; *that* was a reliability-challenged airplane. I've had two or three maintenance cancellations in 1500 hours of flying the E175. I don't even get all that many mx delays; most problems seem to be "solved" by powering down the airplane and powering it back up, it's a very "glitchy" airplane but serious problems seem to be pretty few, at least in my experience.

I know jetBlue had a heck of a time with the 190 (and Republic with the 170) when the series was first launched, but Embraer has been pretty quick to get out fixes. Heck, when I started at CPS I'd get several "Flight Control No Dispatch" messages every week, and now it's been a few months since I've seen one.

[quote=BlueRidger328;651135]I do not know where everyone is coming up with this reliability issue thing. I have had very few MX problems let alone cancellations.quote]

I second that; I have had very few reliability issues with this airplane and when I have it's been because of a mx screw up (e.g., forgetting to send all the required parts on a mx field trip, not having simple tools required to service the airplane, and my one and only hard break in 2 yrs when the part needed had trouble finding its way onto an airplane from Brazil.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lighteningspeed (Post 651129)

You seem to know very little of the history behind the creation of Compass and the reason for E175s being at Compass. NWA management and NWA pilots created Compass before the merger with DAL back in early 2007. NWA pilots wanted Compass for their job protection and NWA management agreed to it because it would be cheaper for Compass to fly E175s as an interim gap measure for a 100 seat replacement. Basically, NWA pilots relaxed the scope clause for their job protection.

When NWA ordered E175s in 2007 for Compass, NWA did not know E175s would have reliability problems or they chose to ignore good info from maintenance managers who had prior experience with E175s. As ACL has indicated the E175s are a temporary gap measure until 100 seat replacements arrive. Currently, according to NWA/DAL management, there are no viable 100 seat replacements that are available at a "reasonable price." Those were their words during the NWA/DAL merger joint conference in 2008 for pilots.

As it turns out, much to DAL top management's dismay (maybe if they paid a little more attention to good advice it would not have been a surprise), E175s are having reliability issues. Maintenance managers are saying E175s are throw away jets that are cheaply put together with cheap parts just like CRJ900s, except CRJ900s have less electronics than E175s so they have less electronic issues and hence have better reliability records so far.

I do not see DAL management taking back E175s. Why would they? They are being operated very cheaply by Compass pilots at much lower Compass pay rates and without DAL workrules. E175s will most likely stay with Compass until DAL decides to get rid of them. It's a win win situation for DAL management, and a losing proposition from the very beginning for junior pilots at DAL and DAL owned regionals like Mesaba, Compass and Comair. Only pilots happy with the outcome are the very senior pilots at the respective wholly owned regionals who have no intention to move on and senior pilots at DAL who are not being affected at all by this controlled chaos.

Well I readily admit I really don't know much about CPS, and I appreciate the history lesson. And I think essentially we are saying the same thing in that there would be no reason for DAL management to get rid of a (so-called) throw away airplane due to the fact that they are being operated at a lower cost than what mainline pilots would entail. That is my reason for saying that the concession stand should be closed. Enough. And as to your bold quote of mine: What I mean there is is management is really interested in running a successful airline, why would they knowingly purchase an inferior aircraft, rife with problems under the guise that they can "get rid of it easily"?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsquare (Post 651151)

Well I readily admit, I really don't know much about CPS, and I appreciate the history lesson. And I think essentially we are saying the same thing in that there would be no reason for DAL management to get rid of a (so-called) throw away airplane due to the fact that they are being operated at a lower cost than what mainline pilots would entail. That is my reason for saying that the concession stand should be closed. Enough.

Amen. I agree 100% with you. I did not mean to sound preachy. I know you have 1000 times more experience than I but you've been out of the regional trenches for a long time as a DAL widebody CA. Me on the other hand have been slugging away in the trenches up to my eyeball in this pile of horse manure laid out by NWA/DAL management.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsquare (Post 651151)

What I mean there is is management is really interested in running a successful airline, why would they knowingly purchase an inferior aircraft, rife with problems under the guise that they can "get rid of it easily"?

That's a Million Dollar question Captain. I do not know. If I knew I would be a wealthy man. Only thing I can conjecture is that most top airline CEOs and their cronies only look at short term bottom line for Board of Directors to award them Multi million Dollar Bonus. They don't care about the health or long term success of the airline.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sink r8 (Post 651098)

You didn't do a great job keeping it "face-to-face", since you went "vomit-in-public" on this board.

Actually, I did a great job of keeping face-to-face since I stopped what I was about to say. No need at all to bash a group when there are only a few bad apples. The bad apples everywhere spoil it for all. Always have, always will. Shame. I have no problem telling the bad apples in person when the occasion arises.

Cheers:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lighteningspeed (Post 651152)

My comments were meant mostly rhetoric in nature, so if anybody took it differently, I apologize. I was not throwing any rocks in this particular case. As far as being an old timer... that was depressing in light of my recent birthday :D.. and I NEVER throw rocks at any of the guys slugging it out in the trenches and I defy anybody to find any evidence to the contrary. I hope that we can fly together one of these days, I truly do...

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueMoon (Post 651112)

Except some of the very vocal individuals here at OH wanted (and still think they deserve) something other than a staple. How do I know? Because they have no trouble telling you when you fly with them. They have a bone to pick for some reason and moan about the big bad Delta pilots. I would appreciate if they kept the rest of us out of it, some people here would like to move on eventually and don't need people making it more difficult for the rest of us who don't share your opinion.

Those who get it understand your frustration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PILOTGUY (Post 651173)

I disagree. You said enough to get your point across, flawed as it was. I will agree that the bad apples were most likely a minority, and I'll agree with the other poster who says he wished they just kept him out of of it.

Except that it's not that simple.

Those bad apples were allowed not just to exist, but to contaminate the entire load of apples. You can't have a guy like Lawson remain in power with impunity (especially if he writes letters to discourage the hiring of furloughed Delta pilots while Comair was hiring, in the absence any vocal outcry from the pilots) AND at the same time expect further support from the Delta pilots. Worse yet, you guys quietly funded the RJDC, thinking that it would be sufficient to paint Ford as a weirdo if anyone asked.

And sure enough, nowadays, it's impossible to find a RJDC supporter. The suits, evidently were like Leo Mullin's purchases of RJ's: self-financing.

At any rate, the Delta pilots have spent their last effort on the Comair pilots during the strike. The dollars to the RJDC, the lawsuit, the "no-hiring" letter, all served to make sure nothing of the sort will happen again. For better or worse, the Comair/ASA pilots have demonstarted on multiple occasion that they were willing (either through apathy or outright support) to see their wagon hitched to the adverserial strategies of Lawson and Ford.

Good luck with that.

I'm sorry about the good people that actually had the nerve to oppose Lawson, and deliberatley spoke out against the RJDC. You're saying you're in that camp, and I'll take it at face value. I just regret your kind weren't enough in numbers to prevail.