Ha! Its so true, I would be nervous about hitting the tail on that long thing. The -100 you can pitch all you want...still doesn't land soft

 

The megawhacker doesn't land soft either. We have standard callouts for pitch to avoid hitting the butt on the pavement. In a couple years in the thing I have only seen it be an issue with a zero flap landing (the flaps actually broke too; wasn't just the computer freezing them); and with one over-zealous captain who rotated waaay too fast for any airplane.

 

PNF: Dude
PF: huh
PNF: Duuuuude
PF: Whoa what's that scraping noise. It sounds like...WEEEEEEIIINNNsssss

 

I dont usually stress on the pitch. I land flaps 15 nearly everytime and typically end up around 5-6 degrees pitch and dont even think the tail is close. I have watched them land a few hundred times while holding short and in various configurations I have not seen the tail even come within 3 feet of hitting yet. Flaps 35 is a real joy to hold the pitch trim down for ten seconds and then have the whole airplane and yoke shake. Ill skip 35 flaps for now.

As for landing soft, it can be the softest landing airplane in the skies and I do it about once every other 4 day but it is a complete combination of luck and timing.

 

The CRJ A/P is junk...I could have flown a better hold yesterday into SFO with my eyes closed. Next time I will

 

Fantastic!

 

yeah the flaps 15 in the beast is the way to go. Best landings were always right at 5 weins...I mean degrees or so. Before I left for greener pastures the airline I was at *cough qx* restricted all landings by the fo to be at flaps 35. I can see if it's operationally required (short field, etc) but only the captain was sposed to land flaps 15. I guess they really don't want anyone being charter members of the q400 tailstrikers club. Should be a patch. Have some latin on the bottom saying something like....rectum non scrapus.....

 

Whats different about the ATR? They both have EHSI & EADI, Saab has 3 axis autopilot w/ yaw damp(no dancing), and all of ours have FMS?

Just curious what is better about the ATR's panel?

 

Flaps 35 has an interesting feature they never told us about in toronto, when u put flaps from 15 to 35 the airplane will auto trim for 35 degrees only, not for 5 10 or 15, just 35. Try it next time to muscle it for a few seconds then you will feel the tail settle unless your real fast with power! A horizon guy told me that and if you need to drop real fast gear down and hold it at vle and you will drop real quick about 3-4k a minute !

 

On the Q400, is it possible to see the prop hubs when looking out the pilot side windows and seated at the flight controls?

My years of DH8 experience is all in the -100/200/300 models. I know on the -100/200 you can see all the way inboard from the wingtip, across the prop assembly and inboard engine cowling and still be able to view a portion of the inboard de-ice boot on the wing root. On the -300, you can see from the wingtip inboard towards the vicinity of the prop hub. Trying to view the inboard engine cowling or inboard de-ice boot is all but impossible on a -300.

This recent Colgan crash has me wondering where the crew might have been looking for the signs of icing accumulation on the aircraft. Apparently, they mention ice on the wings and windshield on the CVR. I am assuming they are referring to the wing leading edges outboard of the engines, and the heated forward pilot windshields.

I would have been looking at any unusual or significant icing accumulation on the unprotected surfaces of the aircraft. The probe on the windshield wiper arm seems like an obvious place to inspect. Other areas such as the pilot side windows and prop hubs (if visible on the Q400) might have provided additional clues that they were in more than moderate icing and it was time to turn off the autopilot.