zippinbye

Ex EMB 170/190 series drivers, please chime in. A few pages back, a poster cited sh**ty build quality on the 190. What gives? I've never heard anything but praise for the airplane's comfort, capabilities and quality. Sure, plenty of mainline guys have stigmatized it due to the "RJ factor," but it's range, seat capacity, flight deck and a spot on the DL operating certificate kind of put that criticism to rest. Accompanied by correct pay of course. We had no problem flying a 68 seat DC-9 just a few years ago for the same pay scale as today's 717. Mind you that and every DC-9 derivative was built like a tank to to engineering practices in place at the time (i.e. abacus calculations net .25" thick aluminum panel, make it .35" just to be sure). Thanks to CAD and other modern marvels, every new aircraft (except the 737 dino-liner) is built to a particular life expectancy without much "fudge factor" in the formula. Hence the 190 is a bunch lighter than similar capacity predecessors, and it's lift and range and economy reflect that. I might not want to be flying one at 90,000 cycles, but is it actually poorly built in some fashion?

NoDeskJob

I've only been flying it for a year, and really like it.
Love the HUD. Love all the automation in the systems (hydraulics, electrics, fuel, air).
About the only thing I'm not a fan of is the "yoke", but then again, once the autopilot is on you don't touch the yoke.

bohicagain

Flew it for 7 years.
Great airplane. Wings are bit stiff.
It is a flying computer. Reset jet. If it is not working unplug everything wait 5 minutes and it should work.
Pax wise very comfy and the biggest thing FA had the control of the thermostat

David Puddy

I don't fly it, however I know several at JB and AA (formerly USAirways) pilots who do. Some like it, some don't. One JB friend calls it a "flying BIC razor." Another JB friend loves the HUD and enjoys flying it immensely. Obviously what you flew previously can influence how you feel about it. Sure, we shouldn't care so long as we are paid well to fly it.... However, you spend a lot of time at your "flying desk" - it should be comfortable for us up front and it should be a good performer.

Having flown Bombardier products for years, I am still a big fan of the new Bimbardier C-Series and I think it is an apples and oranges comparison with the E195 - especially in terms of new technology and performance.

Take Em

Nice airplane up front, very modern for what we have now at delta. But at the end of the day it's still an airplane. Has two wings, 2 engines, a tail, yaddi yaddi yadda.
Why do people insist that because you've flown it before, pilots would be willing to accept a B scale wage because of its familiarity? NO ONE, I repeat NO ONE left the regionals to get paid regional wages so they can fly a shiny 190. The regionals represent mostly what's screwed up with this industry when it relates to pay, QOL, and contracts supported by ALPA. To think that regional guys are just dumb robots who will jump at a chance to go "back to their roots" is absurd, and doesn't represent 99.9% of regional pilots. Believe it or not we can actually learn a new thing or two, and can flip switches instead of pushing buttons. It's magic I know, but it can happen.
I pray the union doesn't waste one iota of negotiating capital on new pay rates, as they should take care of themselves. Every new hire will most likely bid off after their "year of purgatory" and the company is left with training 2 FOs in a year for one job. Training costs alone should force their hand, but i could be wrong.

SpeedyVagabond

Well I've been flying 170s, 75s, and 90s for nine years. I think they're great airplanes. As the first operator of them in the US, my respects to Mid-Atlantic who we grew out of, we've had the opportunity to see them through all their teething pains and they've grown into reliable very capable aircraft. I don't get the feeling at all that they're disposable junk. The bathrooms could be a little more robust with heavier materials more solidly put together. I think Embraer could have done a better job with the FBW feel of the 70s and earlier 75s but they've fixed that on the latest models. I enjoy hand flying and feeling the planes and the newer 75s have a much nicer feel when hand flying. The 190s have always felt nice. Very capable. You can load them up with gas and people and get right up into the high 30s cruising at .78. I miss our 190s but I'm glad they're gone. In my opinion it should definitely be operated by the mainline pilot groups. One last point. Ergonomically, Embraer hit it out of the park. Everything is laid out very well and their quiet and dark concept for the flight deck is the most sensible approach to switches and buttons of any flight deck I've ever been on and I've jumpseated a great many different ones.

And like the other poster mentioned, I hope you guys don't accept subpar wages to fly it. It's the same as every other other domestic narrow body and that's what I hope you guys get.

My two cents.

zippinbye

Thanks to you and the others who responded to my query about quality. Agreed with the sentiment about pay of course. My original intent was to debunk the notion that anybody would shy away based on the aircraft work environment. 717 rates should apply ... the ten seat difference is offset by range. And keep in mind, we still have a DC-9 rate on the books. That covered the 68 to 125 seat spectrum, but also with less range than the 190.

zippinbye

So would it be a violation of the RLA for DALPA to "strongly dissuade" non-probationary pilots from bidding the 190 until rates can be fixed (or until a TA is approved)?

It's a serious question. Delta could try to staff the 190 with new hires and probationary pilots via manipulative AE/displacement pressures, but good luck with that. Also, such tactics would be big deviation from past practice. Whereas ALPA condoning a "no bid" would represent sound career counseling; avoiding a substandard position. Kind of like advocating no Green Slips and extra flying in general while furloughs exist.

"Just saying" if it's legal, it's something to ponder.

RockyBoy

I flew 145's for years and did like the quiet and dark concept on the flight deck. I still haven't flown an airplane with and FMS that was as nice as the 145's either and I assume the 175/190's are the same as far as the FMS goes.

The only thing about the 145 was that it was a noisy piece of junk in the cockpit. Worst wind noise I've heard in a flight deck. Did they fix that with the 190's? I still see most pilots wearing big David Clarks which makes me believe that it is no Telex 750 flight deck.

80ktsClamp

The 145 is so loud because that's the same nose as the Brasilia... just flying 100+ knots faster!