Professionalism...is sometimes lacking.

Somewhere in Arkansas T-cart is laughing at everyone on this thread talking about hand-flying girly airplanes (i.e. nosewheel) while he contemplates the upcoming season in his AT-802.
 
So this whole "cost index" stuff? I've heard of it, but I have no idea what it means. All our flights are flight planned with a Mach .65 climb, max speed cruise, and max speed descent. All day, every day.

Are we the only company still doing this?
 
dasleben said:
Well, like I said...if bumping the speed up M0.10 doesn't adversely affect fuel burn and reserves in your jet, go for it (but I bet it does!). :)
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Never had it cut into our reserves yet, and that is with the extra reserve "Fudge factor" that most CAs like to add in.
 
jtrain609 said:
So this whole "cost index" stuff? I've heard of it, but I have no idea what it means. All our flights are flight planned with a Mach .65 climb, max speed cruise, and max speed descent. All day, every day.

Are we the only company still doing this?
Click to expand...

I don't remember; is there a cost index function in the ERJ? We just plug 60 into the box in the current jet, and the VNAV does its magic. Low-weight climb is around 310 to M0.80, and heavy climb is usually 335-340 to M0.80. Computer handles it though, so I don't remember the exact numbers.
 
dasleben said:
I don't remember; is there a cost index function in the ERJ? We just plug 60 into the box in the current jet, and the VNAV does its magic. Low-weight climb is around 310 to M0.80, and heavy climb is usually 335-340 to M0.80. Computer handles it though, so I don't remember the exact numbers.
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That's what ours is like, but its through the ACARS. Put in the cost index and altitude and once we get above 10k it gives us a speed to fly based on our weight, winds, and altitude.
 
jtrain609 said:
Nope, nowhere to put it in as far as I know. If it does exist somewhere, I've never seen it.
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On the CRJ there isn't actually a place to put it either. Ours is computed through ACARS from a number on the flight release. It generates a climb, cruise and descent speed for us to fly, which we just bug and then adjust the thrust levers accordingly.

In a nutshell a CI number is somewhere between 0 and 999 where 0 is a crew costs nothing and fuel costs an infinite amount and where 999 is a crew costs an infinite amount and fuel costs nothing.
 
jtrain609 said:
So this whole "cost index" stuff? I've heard of it, but I have no idea what it means. All our flights are flight planned with a Mach .65 climb, max speed cruise, and max speed descent. All day, every day.

Are we the only company still doing this?
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Nope.

There are companies with jets that are fully fly-by-wire and a decade more modern than yours, still dispatching flights as if in the dawn of the jet age.
 
jtrain609 said:
So this whole "cost index" stuff? I've heard of it, but I have no idea what it means. All our flights are flight planned with a Mach .65 climb, max speed cruise, and max speed descent. All day, every day.

Are we the only company still doing this?
Click to expand...

Are you sure about this??? All of our XR flights ( roughly 40% of fleet) are filed and planned at .78.
Then depending on the altitude and temp the expanded flight plan may have a value even lower. If you're ever in the twenties and the aircraft won't accelerate to a higher Mach, chances are your true airspeed is already quite high ( above 460), and .76 might be the best you'll get. It'll indicate this in the expanded plan.

It's a strange Expressjet-ism, that everyone flies redline everywhere.
 
Baronman said:
Are you sure about this??? All of our XR flights ( roughly 40% of fleet) are filed and planned at .78.
Then depending on the altitude and temp the expanded flight plan may have a value even lower. If you're ever in the twenties and the aircraft won't accelerate to a higher Mach, chances are your true airspeed is already quite high ( above 460), and .76 might be the best you'll get. It'll indicate this in the expanded plan.

It's a strange Expressjet-ism, that everyone flies redline everywhere.
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True, and certainly accurate about most XR flights.

Speaking of ExpressJet-isms, do you fly for the planned fuel flow, TAS or Mach? I've heard fantastical expectations for making sure you fly exactly at one of those numbers.
 
jtrain609 said:
True, and certainly accurate about most XR flights.

Speaking of ExpressJet-isms, do you fly for the planned fuel flow, TAS or Mach? I've heard fantastical expectations for making sure you fly exactly at one of those numbers.
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Meh... I fly the Mach in the expanded plan. 9 times out of 10 it's .78 or max speed. Whe it's max speed I just leave it somewhere between .76-77 and about 1% under the cruise detent N1.
 
**Big gooey gnash cluster which should be an open-and-shut thread about NOT 'flying it like you stole it'.**

... in other news, it's been stated that I've received a Longevity Award here. It's about time! I thought only the women of the world were making note of my ability to prolong the experience. ;)
 
jtrain609 said:
So this whole "cost index" stuff? I've heard of it, but I have no idea what it means. All our flights are flight planned with a Mach .65 climb, max speed cruise, and max speed descent. All day, every day.

Are we the only company still doing this?
Click to expand...

image.jpg
 
dasleben said:
Way too much work. How are you supposed to eat your hot crew meal when you're constantly screwing with the throttles? :)
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Especially on the CRJ200. Constantly pushing up the throttles, single FMS, all minor annoyances but compared to the modern airliners makes one envious
 
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