question for all jet airline pilots.......

Re: Flychicaga

The Saab 340B. For now..........
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Re: Flychicaga

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The Saab 340B. For now..........
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Curiosity....

What are the differences between the two, and why don't any airlines on this side of the "pond" fly them?
 
I fly a 727 with a low tech autopilot. I always hand fly up to 10K and then engage the autopilot after accelerating to 280 knots. On the way down...I usually kill the autopilot just before I slow to 250 knots for the descent below 10K.
 
I asked your question to a friend of mine who flies corporate. He flies a Falcon and a King Air. They usually hand fly it up to about 10-12,000, and then they turn it over to the autopilot until it's time to descend. They'll let the autopilot handle things until they're at anywhere between 5-7,000 and then take over.
 
I fly the Q400 (the Dash 8-400), which has a maximum gross takeoff weight of 64,500 lbs. Cruise speed is around 360 KTAS. The approach and landing speeds depend on weight, flap setting, etc., but are usually in the 115 - 135 kt range when ice is not a factor. Ice on the wings (or suspected ice contamination) raises the approach speed by another 15 kts.

If you're one of those pilots who think your airplane would be perfect "if it had a bigger engine", then the Q400 is for you. With 5071 hp per side, it's not exactly underpowered - performance is almost never a problem.

The airplane isn't especially hard to fly, but it took me a while to get used to the "feel" of the airplane - the control forces are fairly high. When I first started flying the airplane "on the line", I found that circling and visual approaches (where you have to fly a downwind, base, and final) were quite challenging, due to the weight and speed of the Q400.

FFFI
 
Re: Flychicaga

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The Saab 340B. For now..........
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[/ QUOTE ]



Curiosity....

What are the differences between the two, and why don't any airlines on this side of the "pond" fly them?

[/ QUOTE ]

The Saab 340B is the basic highly-used 34-seat turboprop. Not very powerful, 4 bladed props, EFIS. The Saab 2000 is a 50-seat highly powerful turboprop, 6 bladed props, full glass cockpit. It didn't do well here in the States since the RJs started coming out in full force when the 2000 made an appearance.

Our company is considering them, so who knows... maybe in 6-12 months I'll be FO on one.

Length 89 ft 6 in
Height 25 ft 4 in
Wing Span 81 ft 3 in
Propeller Ground Clearance 1 ft 6 in

2 Allison AE2100A, dual Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC), single power lever
Maximum Take-off Power (APR, ISA) 4 152 shp

2 Dowty Rotol 6 blades, 150 inch diameter, swept blade design, composite, fully feathering and reversing
Propeller speed (take-off) 1 100 rpm
Propeller speed (cruise) 950 rpm

Maximum Take-off Weight 50 700 lb
Maximum Landing Weight 48 500 lb
Maximum Zero Fuel Weight 44 090 lb
Operating Weight Empty 30 425 lb
Maximum Payload 13 005 lb
Fuel Capacity 9 370 lb
Maximum Cruise Speed 370 kt
Maximum Operating Altitude 31 000 ft
Typical Fuel Flow per Block Hour 1 800 lb

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/463246/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/430077/M/ (my desktop!)
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http://www.airliners.net/open.file/430073/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/420078/M/ (notice only one set of "levers." Only power levers, no condition levers.
 
Re: Flychicaga

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notice only one set of "levers." Only power levers, no condition levers.


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Meaning..... what? There's not the standard "mixture, throttle, prop" configuration?

So, it's one-stop shopping?? SO COOL!!
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Re: Flychicaga

Yeah, just one stop shopping. There are actually condition levers, but they are more "switches" than anything. Not adjusted in flight from what I understand. Currently, in our climb flow, we must adjust the props from takeoff RPM (1394) to climb RPM (1270) which also means adjusting the power levers. We also move them from MIN to MAX during the takeoff flow and MAX to MIN in the after landing flow. On the 2000, you just move the "switch" to the MAX position (not sure what it's called) before takeoff, and back after landing. No adjustment in air. You can see the switches here: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/282183/L/

Also, some (if not all) of the 2000s have these nice toys... http://www.airliners.net/open.file/222670/L/ and http://www.airliners.net/open.file/118379/L/

So Saab did a really nice job. Much simpler overhead panel http://www.airliners.net/open.file/118380/L/ and cockpit displays http://www.airliners.net/open.file/195987/L/ compared to the Saab 340.

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Re: Flychicaga

Our procedures were the same for the Jetstream and the Do 328 Jet. No A/P below 500 AGL or 200 AGL on a coupled approach.

We do a lot of hand flying. A/Ps in the J41 could be - and frequently were - deferred. Consequently we did a lot of handflying and raw data flying. In the J41, the flight director could also be deferred.

I still handfly the DoJet a lot, but havn't gotten to point of flying raw data much yet except on visual approaches. I generally handfly at least through 10,000 unless the weather is extremely bad or I'm extremely tired. It depends mainly on preference, but I havn't found many people who say, "Positive rate-gear up-captain honeywell is at the helm."

On descent, autopilot use varies. Some guys turn it off way out. Others run it until 200 AGL. I'm somewhere in the middle. I usually leave it on until starting the approach so that I can spend more time looking for traffic.

Our autopilot in the Dojet has a few quirks. The main one is that when intercepting a course, it will often make huge s-turns because it overcorrects. So if you fly with us and get seasick, it isn't me, it's the autopilot!
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In the J41, we had power levers, which were like a throttle, and condition levers, which were kind of like a prop control. In the Dojet, it's just one big thrust lever, baby!
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You guys are right about jumpseating. Because we have codeshares with UAL and DAL, we can jumpseat with those carriers or their regionals in the cockpit. We have a long list of approved jumpseat partners, but for any other carrier, we have to ride in the back.

BTW, the first turbine experience that I had was in the Saab 2000 sim at FSA. IPs got a two session turbine transition course. It was very nice. It resembles the Dojet cockpit more than it does an average turboprop.
 
Re: Flychicaga

Flychicaga-- If you get the 2000, I would be so jealous. Room in the cockpit, speed, and an APU, I would love to trade in the Bro for them. I guess, I am just happy to have to an APU and some speed (more than the 340). Take Care.
 
Re: Flychicaga

The only saab 2000's in the US are owned by General Electric and Penske Racing. The Penske Racing would be the one you saw in Dover. There are only 2 sim's made for it, one is at Flight Safety in Vero Beach and the other I think is at Crossair over the pond.
 
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