AWAC and Airtran Jet Connect

[Wiskey Driver]

Oh boy!!! After divesting it'self getting the Airtran contract and getting out of the flying for UAL ONLY it seems as though my former company still hasn't learned and is willing to once again put all eggs in the same basket. Good luck guys, I hope this works out but my gut feeling says otherwise.

WD.

 

[8HourPilot]

I was wondering if Mesaba would come up in this discussion, but now I guess I'll add it. The other side of the rumor was that XJ was being looked at as a replacement for AWAC. Fire away.

 

[Thrust Master]

Why doesn't anyone bother to state the
facts, AWAC has a 7 year contract for 10
CRJ's with AirTran. There are still 5 years
8 months left of it...

It's Bacardi time....

Thrust Master

 

[LearLove]

Stifler's Mom,

It isn't that I dislike Dash-8 pilots, I just think ATL is screwed up already, and I know that Dash-8s are very slow on final. We are getting another runway and I guess they could have special slam dunk procedures for those guys. It amazes me the amount of traffic and the "short approach" 20 mile finals I get everyday there. Throwing in a large amount of Dash-8s could make it even more congested. No offense to the Dash-8 guys--though.

Bye Bye--General Lee

Funny you should say that because I'm usually the guy ridin' your mainline a$$ on final in places like LGA, BOS (33L), PHL (27R) and others. The aircraft can handle 180 knots (or faster) to a 3 mile final (and even shorter/closer in if you want too) and slow to ref with no problem, all while maintaining a stabilized approach. Remember its a prop, pull the power levers back and it slows, enen while decending on GS. On occasion you may get one that doesn't like to slow (guess depending on the conditions, like winds ect) then just feed in alittle prop and it slows and have you seen the size of our props?, mucho drago.

No special acro techniques needed (just regular airline guy flyin), no scaring the pax ect. and yes I've done this with check airman and FEDS on board who have commented about helping ATC in this manner.

As for our company specs we dont have to be configured untill 500agl in a visual approach, that pretty darn close in. For an ILS in IMC it 1000 above DH, but in this case I use 140 inside the marker and have never had any behind have to slow.

Now if your talkin about slowing to 210 from 250 in the s&l and vectoring portion of arrival then I can't help you there, 210 is it for the DHC8-100. The 200 and 300's are alittle faster.

As for Philly I like landing 26 and racing the guy landing 27R. As we turn final from the north for 26 and the 27R traffic comes from the south I can catch and pass the jet prior to old NAS Mustin and hold my speed until the Navy yard then slow and land before the jet is in the flair for 27R. Sometimes you can see the pax in the jet looking at us like "holy crap, what that "little prop job" doin passing my mighty jet".

NOTE: remember like I said, no fancy acro like flyiing, no unstabilized approaches or any of that sort. Just using one of the few advantages that a prop has to better fitin with the system.

 

[LearLove]

As for the rumor about airtran and a WO, thats a new one on me. If by the very very very looooooooong shot it were true and the even loooooooonger shot that it happens, my bet is that it would be to feed thier ops in PHL and BWI so the Dash8 would most likely stay out of ATL. Never say never in this biz. Who knows.

 

[Beechnut]

"Why doesn't anyone bother to state the
facts, AWAC has a 7 year contract for 10
CRJ's with AirTran. There are still 5 years
8 months left of it..."

It's Bacardi time....

Thrust Master



Because I don't think that is true. Remember that we were to operate 11 RJ's but at the last minute it was down to 10? My understanding is that number 11 would have activated the long term contract.

Avrodriver, where are ya? You're up on this stuff.

S.

 

[avrodriver]

Hey guys.....yeah I've been quite because the only thing I know for sure is that I don't know anything. I may have missed something, but I've never heard an actual number as far as how long our contract is. I know in the begining it was said this was a year "trial", but I doubt it was a year "contract" ( i've never heard of a regional ever doing that.... usually at least 3 to 5 min). The boys up in Appleton wouldn't sign anything that would toss all of the startup costs associated with a new operation/base if they knew there was a chance a year later they would have nothing. We have pilots/fa's/mx/mgmt down here.....big $$$$ to move us elsewhere ( guys are being displaced down here from DEN every month....would the company do that knowing they might be moving them to Dulles by summer, who knows). They've always been cautious about starting new bases....just look at Dulles....this has been months in the thinking.....they went ahead on this ATL thing in a matter of days. I'm not saying there is no way we will lose this deal, but I'm pretty sure AirTran is going to be hit with some type of charge if this contract is terminated......our boys will not be walking away empty handed. As for all the rumors floating around about Mesa, CHQ, or W/O's..........come on guys........we're regional pilots we know how this works, they do it to us everytime we have a contract come up, you don't think they do it to each other??? They have to talk to other people whether they want them or not just to scare every penny they can out of whoever they are trying to get a contract/ or better contract for more planes out of. That's all I have time for now, I think both companies want this contract, but not without playing poker first.............just a few thoughts.....AD