If I remember correctly, it was more like Delta dba NWA worked to develop the RNP program.I little birdy tells me that DL helped, in part, to develop their RNP program, but that could have been schoolhouse grandeur.
Really, some of y'all act like AS is the only airline that knows what RNP approaches are. We've been doing them all over the world for several years, helping other countries develop their procedures, and even helping to develop approaches here in the USA. Where do you think all the RNP approaches in ATL are coming from?
Oh no he didn't!AirTran........
+1.This is probably going to piss some people off, but I don't care. I call it as I see it.
In the nearly 10 years I have been on here, I have noticed that the pilots that fly in Alaska have a chip on their shoulder, seem to think that flying in Alaska is the 'be all end all' in aviation, and that no one else has a clue on what they are doing. PERFECT example is that we have Alaska folks on here seriously wondering if Delta can figure out how to do a RNP approach into JNU (nicely put @crazyjaydawg and @Cptnchia) and if they can aquire gate space without Alaska Airlines help. It really is extremely comical to be reading some of these posts as the pilots flying in Alaska seem to be wanting to put Delta Airlines on their knee, and explain, to Delta, how things work. The accident rate in Alaska sucks and I truly think that this attitude displayed by the pilots that fly in Alaska has a lot to do with it. The conditions aren't easy, but it isn't exactly easy flying in other conditions others face across in the United States. It is just done at a lower accident rate than we see in Alaska.
So now we're dangerous because we are rooting for the home team and also genuinely curious about how some of the logistics are going to work?This is probably going to piss some people off, but I don't care. I call it as I see it.
In the nearly 10 years I have been on here, I have noticed that the pilots that fly in Alaska have a chip on their shoulder, seem to think that flying in Alaska is the 'be all end all' in aviation, and that no one else has a clue on what they are doing. PERFECT example is that we have Alaska folks on here seriously wondering if Delta can figure out how to do a RNP approach into JNU (nicely put @crazyjaydawg and @Cptnchia) and if they can aquire gate space without Alaska Airlines help. It really is extremely comical to be reading some of these posts as the pilots flying in Alaska seem to be wanting to put Delta Airlines on their knee, and explain, to Delta, how things work. The accident rate in Alaska sucks and I truly think that this attitude displayed by the pilots that fly in Alaska has a lot to do with it. The conditions aren't easy, but it isn't exactly easy flying in other conditions others face across in the United States. It is just done at a lower accident rate than we see in Alaska.
Not to hijack this thread, but the attitude problem I see is the default to VFR in all situations. SHTF? Go down and towards terrain. It's like everyone started in helicopters. Also the severe lack of IFR proficiency. It's changing, but we need the old timers to retire.This is probably going to piss some people off, but I don't care. I call it as I see it.
In the nearly 10 years I have been on here, I have noticed that the pilots that fly in Alaska have a chip on their shoulder, seem to think that flying in Alaska is the 'be all end all' in aviation, and that no one else has a clue on what they are doing. PERFECT example is that we have Alaska folks on here seriously wondering if Delta can figure out how to do a RNP approach into JNU (nicely put @crazyjaydawg and @Cptnchia) and if they can aquire gate space without Alaska Airlines help. It really is extremely comical to be reading some of these posts as the pilots flying in Alaska seem to be wanting to put Delta Airlines on their knee, and explain, to Delta, how things work. The accident rate in Alaska sucks and I truly think that this attitude displayed by the pilots that fly in Alaska has a lot to do with it. The conditions aren't easy, but it isn't exactly easy flying in other conditions others face across in the United States. It is just done at a lower accident rate than we see in Alaska.
This is probably going to piss some people off, but I don't care. I call it as I see it.
In the nearly 10 years I have been on here, I have noticed that the pilots that fly in Alaska have a chip on their shoulder, seem to think that flying in Alaska is the 'be all end all' in aviation, and that no one else has a clue on what they are doing. PERFECT example is that we have Alaska folks on here seriously wondering if Delta can figure out how to do a RNP approach into JNU (nicely put @crazyjaydawg and @Cptnchia) and if they can aquire gate space without Alaska Airlines help. It really is extremely comical to be reading some of these posts as the pilots flying in Alaska seem to be wanting to put Delta Airlines on their knee, and explain, to Delta, how things work. The accident rate in Alaska sucks and I truly think that this attitude displayed by the pilots that fly in Alaska has a lot to do with it. The conditions aren't easy, but it isn't exactly easy flying in other conditions others face across in the United States. It is just done at a lower accident rate than we see in Alaska.
So now we're dangerous because we are rooting for the home team and also genuinely curious about how some of the logistics are going to work?
The accident rate sucks, and culture has a lot to do with that, however, flying up here is different. It is almost completely different from any other type of flying across the country I've done.
There are similarities - but by and large, it is two to three times more difficult than any flying I've done down south. Even simple things like getting an accurate NOTAM are often impossible. The approach infrastructure is inadequate, there are no phones, no FBOs, no weather reporting, inaccurate forecasting (way more than in the lower 48 imo) and less capable equipment.
The economic pressure is substantially more "pushy" than places I've been down south (though where I work now is a notable exception to this rule).
There are scenarios you can be in where continuing legally is less safe than busting a reg - and there's nowhere to divert to. There are places that don't have viable alternates - combine that with a busted forecast and you're looking at some sketchy flying. There is no infrastructure.
As a pilot who takes safety seriously at a charter company that takes safety seriously (and I truly believe we do) here are a few of the things I've had to contend with this last year:
Breaking out at mins (about 500'AGL) at an airport that was reporting 2200 OVC (bad ASOS)
Flying through a GPS deadspot over the Bering sea.
Operating out of an 1800' strip in the Pilatus
Unforecast 100kt headwind causing a diversion for fuel.
Calling a local (because the last NOTAM was published last summer) for a runway report - being told "it's fine, breaking action good" - landing there in 3" of slush - this happened 3 times.
Numerous busted forecasts resulting in diversions.
Severe unforecasted icing.
Landing in -38°C at a village - having to plug portable heaters in to a portable generator to keep the engines warm enough to be able to restart the airplane after 1hr of standby.
The lower 48 had thunderstorms - those were remarkably sketchy, that said in the winter months, everything is against you but density altitude. In the summer, almost everything is against you.