CAL To Order Turboprops

[check6]

Not to ruin the party or anything, but here goes.....

I fly the Q400 for a scandinavian carrier. We have had the thing since 2000 and we were the launch customer I believe. I have only been on it for about a year and came from the MD80. I bid it for the chance to fly left seat.

It absolutely STINKS!! It is the worst airplane I have ever flown. Oh, the screens are nice and it has alot of power. Granted. But everything else is a disaster. Six years on it is not uncommon to have anywhere from 2 to 6 airplanes grounded on a daily basis(of the 13 airplanes in my base). It breaks down constantly, and for different reasons. Talking to people who have been on it from the get-go, it becomes apparent that nothing has really changed.

I still like my job and I enjoy going to work. It could however, be ALOT more enjoyable if we didn't have to put with constant tech issues, delays and cancellations. It may be cheap to buy and it may be cheap to run(on paper), but it still has to fly to make money.

Aren't maintenance hiccups common if you are the launch customer for an airplane? Even though the airplane has been in service for several years, we still have yet to see it become a reliable airplane, which it will with time and as more carriers order it.

Horizon has also experienced reliability issues but they are getting better. Remember, our company ordered 13 more in a 76 seat configuration.

 

[Ex737Driver]

There is not a scope on Turbo Props, only Jets.

There is and the language reads "small turboprops" which according to the definitions means turboprop aircraft with an FAA certification of 79 or fewer seats.

 

[Remington]

The Dash rules..............other tp's suck hind t i t.

 

[jetdriven]

dont tell that to a 1900 pilot. we'd pass those dash 8 100/200's up like they were still taxiing. FA's and soda are overrated. I have respect for 5,000 SHP a side, but its not the only plane out there.

 

[NEDude]

Who would fly them???

Colgan

What about CommutAir, which has Dash-8s in CAL colors arriving on property this month?

 

[pkober]

How about mainline CAL. Another reason why ALPA should make it national policy that contracts are negotiated by professionals and not pilots. A professional would have caught the little loop hole in the scope clause. It should read "All Continental aircraft will be flown by CAL pilots."

 

[Truckdriver]

nope. all part of negotiations.

think our scope has holes? wrong. look around the industry and see the mish-mash of lift providers flying under the UsAir, Delta, etc banners.

we have a lot of loopholes and just plain gaping holes in our deal. scope ain't one of them. we have held strong on scope...to date. hopefully that holds true going forward.

Palomino is 110% right. If all mainline carriers had the scope that CAL has, this industry would be completely different. DAL and UAL would have a couple thousand more pilots than they do now and SKYW, CHQ, and MESA would have a couple thousand less. CAL takes the prize as far as scope protection goes and I doubt they will ever back down on that issue.

 

[PHXFLYR]

Palomino is 110% right. If all mainline carriers had the scope that CAL has, this industry would be completely different. DAL and UAL would have a couple thousand more pilots than they do now and SKYW, CHQ, and MESA would have a couple thousand less. CAL takes the prize as far as scope protection goes and I doubt they will ever back down on that issue.

Funny....the same was said about the USAir regarding scope 10 years ago. Now look at all the RJ's they have running aroud in there colors. Never say never.

PHXFLYR

 

[PropPiedmont]

Pinnacle poised to expand fleet

Charlie Lunan
2/2/2007​

Flush with $283 million in cash from the sale of its bankruptcy claim against Northwest Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines could buy as many as 17 aircraft in 2007, its executives told investors Thursday.
Pinnacle disclosed the news at the Growth Airline Conference sponsored by Raymond James in New York. Memphis, Tenn.-based Pinnacle netted $233 million in cash by selling its $335 million Northwest claim, executives said.
They said that provides the opportunity to buy up to 17 aircraft in 2007.
In an interview after the conference, Pinnacle chief financial officer Peter Hun told Aviation Daily that Pinnacle might buy larger turboprops to boost the fleet at Manassas, Va.-based Colgan Air. Pinnacle acquired the regional airline for $20 million last month. Colgan flies 39 34-seat Saab 340s and 11 19-seat Beech 1900Ds for Continental, United and US Airways.