If I ate a doughnut...

sorrygottarunway

Well-Known Member
...every time Newark went into a ground stop... I'd be 400 pounds and on the cover of Enquirer.

Is there anything being done do rectify the NY traffic situation? Or maybe I just grew up on the non-delayed side of my regional flying from a small outstation. It seems that none of my passengers are ever able to make a reasonable connection, or that the airline is able to plan for such things. Why run a schedule we know we can't keep?

I'm not complaining at all, but I'm just curious as to if anything's being done.

I'm now getting EDCT's and wheels-up times that are being cancelled and re-delayed after we've gotten halfway to the runway.
 
Welcome to the NorthEast Corridor.

As you said, you just did most of your flying from outstations into smaller hubs.

That said, Newark is worse than most.
 
Suddenly LGA is starting to look real nice, isn't it! I'm scheduled to work 4pm to 10pm tonight, but since it's supposed to start raining in Newark around 4 (oh no, not RAIN!) I don't plan on getting home until around 2am. Which would still be better than last week.
 
Because 'The Forehead' schedules ####loads of flights for the sole purpose of squatting slots if EWR ever becomes slot controlled, and to tie up gates so that other airlines cant expand. (A31R/L;))
 
As a NYC airport expert I've too wondered what is the issue with the lovely confines of NY approach. Long and behold during a recent recurrent groundschool 2 guys from ATC(1 from CVG and 1 from NY approach) came in and spoke. As we flooded them with questions it was obvious it was bigger than both of them. Without going into a very long post here is the summary:

1)LGA, EWR, JFK, and even PHL are all too close. Ever held on the Korry 3 and asked for ten mile legs. "Unable they're holding for Philly and Newark too."
2)With the airports mentioned above 3 of them are major hubs for several carriers, which means a lot of planes coming in and out.
3)The arrivals and departures are very limited. With so little space to work with they can only handle a certain amount of planes at a time. How many times have you heard, "Guys they stopped departures over White."
4)International arrivals are a priority when arriving into the area. Rarely do you ever hear BA, Air France, DL/CO/US international, etc holding. So to get them in the other guys get EDCT's and holds.
5)Politics. The gov't knows it's messed up, but they're looking into it.

Hope this sheds some light.
 
Not to mention they are loving their current administration and contract rules:sarcasm:

Untill they get paid I'm not holding my breath
 
Not to mention they are loving their current administration and contract rules:sarcasm:

Untill they get paid I'm not holding my breath

Ding Ding Ding!!!

Yes...all the others are a factor. Many flights to closely situated airports. But don't doubt for a second that the controllers are not happy and are not going to be doing any favors to push more traffic than they should.

My suggestion is to always call Clearance before you board, in fact while you're deplaning. Also CAL/XJT ops may have a worse time than clearance has, unfortunately CAL/XJT ops is usually correct.
 
I love EWR.

I'm a ball park hero, with dolla' signs in my eyes. Nothing like blockin' 7 hours for 1 leg in an ERJ.

But seriously, does it really matter what clearance says up there? Ops is gonna want the gate clear anyway, so aren't they gonna have you board on time, push and hold in the amelia/lindy/ballpark/wherever. I honestly don't know, I haven't been up there for a major delay since I blocked 7 on EWR-XNA back in '06. Flown up there 9 or 10 times since branded closed and it's gone remarkably smooooth.
 
I love EWR.

I'm a ball park hero, with dolla' signs in my eyes. Nothing like blockin' 7 hours for 1 leg in an ERJ.

But seriously, does it really matter what clearance says up there? Ops is gonna want the gate clear anyway, so aren't they gonna have you board on time, push and hold in the amelia/lindy/ballpark/wherever. I honestly don't know, I haven't been up there for a major delay since I blocked 7 on EWR-XNA back in '06. Flown up there 9 or 10 times since branded closed and it's gone remarkably smooooth.

Huh? We're talking about getting back to ewr, not leaving. Other than the odd CLT/ORD delays there usually isn't any huge delay other than a line-up leaving ewr.

Example...you're sitting up in ROC, board up with a wheels up in 45 minutes...you go out, sit....then right as your time comes up...sorry for playing Jetlink but EWR in now groundstopped with an update in an hour.
 
Huh? We're talking about getting back to ewr, not leaving. Other than the odd CLT/ORD delays there usually isn't any huge delay other than a line-up leaving ewr.

Example...you're sitting up in ROC, board up with a wheels up in 45 minutes...you go out, sit....then right as your time comes up...sorry for playing Jetlink but EWR in now groundstopped with an update in an hour.

Ahh, gotcha, done that many times. SAT has spoiled me. We got PO'd if we had to fly a 10 mile downwind over there. I usually have the opposite problem with EDCT's lately....they'll give me a 30 after wheels up and then they call trying to clear me for takeoff 20 after :D . It's all good as long as they'll give me 2 minutes to warm the sucker up.

I guess my big departure delays out of EWR came during t-storm season....you're pretty much hosed if there's a storm over yor departure fix, as there isn't much flexibility in your route it seems.
 
Yeah.. we try calling up in range, while deplaning, then while on taxi out. Its always happened after I board and leave the gate. More $$, I guess, but I'm always being asked by FAs if I intent to return to the gate to let people off (some cite JetBlue of winter 2007!) that won't make connections. I usually say there are no gates available.
 
Yeah.. we try calling up in range, while deplaning, then while on taxi out. Its always happened after I board and leave the gate. More $$, I guess, but I'm always being asked by FAs if I intent to return to the gate to let people off (some cite JetBlue of winter 2007!) that won't make connections. I usually say there are no gates available.

Personally my limit is 3 hrs, after that I'm going back to the gate, and if I have infants/elderly etc with biological needs I will declare an emergency if need be. That's about to become official policy if it isn't already. Until the 3 hour mark, I'll do my best to find a stationary place to sit, turn the fasten belts sign off, let 'em walk (hunch) around, use the lav, and talk on the phone.
 
Because 'The Forehead' schedules ####loads of flights for the sole purpose of squatting slots if EWR ever becomes slot controlled, and to tie up gates so that other airlines cant expand. (A31R/L;))

Whoever thought up A31 R/L should be shot.

Repeatedly.
 
...every time Newark went into a ground stop... I'd be 400 pounds and on the cover of Enquirer.

Is there anything being done do rectify the NY traffic situation? Or maybe I just grew up on the non-delayed side of my regional flying from a small outstation. It seems that none of my passengers are ever able to make a reasonable connection, or that the airline is able to plan for such things. Why run a schedule we know we can't keep?

I'm not complaining at all, but I'm just curious as to if anything's being done.

I'm now getting EDCT's and wheels-up times that are being cancelled and re-delayed after we've gotten halfway to the runway.

Good luck, it's frustrating as heck. You can either load the people and hope you get out early, or you can keep them off the plane and hope they don't want you off the ground in the next 5 minutes.

On one of my last trips, I spent 4 hours in BWI waiting out a ground stop to Newark on a blue sky day with FlyChicaga. It was nice to check out crew pass (for my first and last time), but I was less than happy that we had an ALB turn AFTER we got to Newark.
 
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