http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memph...ml?jst=b_ln_hl

 

looks like it. We just have to show we can make money with them.

 

They have nearly the range and speed of RJ's w/ half the fuel burn...I should hope you can make money. I wish we'd get some.

 

Nearly doesnt cut it, EWR-MCI

 

What altitude/speed do you guys fly the RJ at and how about the Q400?

 

CRJ
F250 @ 300KIAS
F370 @ .74-.77 (.77-.83 CRJ 700/900)

 

Q400 doesnt have oxygen mask so it could only go up to FL250. There is an option to get the mask but Bombardier will rape you fo them to Horizon didnt get them. With that option you could only go up to FL270, so its not really worth it. At FL250 we see normal TAS of about 365 to 372ish. I've seen ground speeds approach 500kts on a good day. Normal speeds sit right at around 390kts.

Turboprops get their optimal performance at about FL190 to FL210. Q400 is an awesome plane when it works..You get the speed, size, and better automation than any RJ out there. We are the only turboprop in the US that is certified for single engine CATIII, not that i would ever want to see that day but the RJ cant do that yet. (They are fun to do in the sim but dont want to come close to that in real life)

 

The Q400 is a 74 seat aircraft. Here are the proposed pay rates. Now lets look at GoJets. They fly 66 seat aircraft.

Does anyone else see a problem here??? Lower than GoJet. We can talk about unions all we want, and how some people want Skywest to get a union, but Colgan needs one, and about $10/hr added to their pay rates.

 

Better automation? Dude, I'm coming over to the 400 from the RJ, and that thing looks like a freakin' dinosaur. It's pretty obvious that it was dumbed way down to maintain a common type rating. And don't get me started on the POS FMS!

 

They know they can get away with that pay just because it has props. It is sad but all the pilots today would rather get AIDS than fly freakin prop. This usually only takes a year or two to overcome though. By the time they have been at this career for 2 years many wish they had flown a turboprop before they moved on to the jets. Probably because the reality of sitting behind there jets controls doesn't seem to change regardless of the size of the aircraft. With each new type rating the New Jet feeling wears off faster, but they will likely never get the chance to fly a tubroprop airliner again.
I like to think this is similiar to the guys that get married to early, only to learn they wish they had dated just a few more years as they are now pretty much locked in for life.
I personally wouldn't mind getting the chance to fly every possible aircraft for a couple hundred hours. Unfortunately seniority and the no legislation for an "Age 100" yet won't allow for this.