Dornier 328Jet "Envoy 3"............

[Fly91]

Anyone ever fly this aircraft corporate Part 91?

Possible gig, just curious. Looks like a pretty nice plane for short flights and a heck of big cabin.

.

 

[Toolowflyer]

...i did, put only a 100 hours or so 9 years ago...

as you say biiiig cabin for a small price - for short trips. And don´t start compairing it with jet aircrafts, it´s a turboprop with jet engines.

+ are: cabin, cargo, nice roomy cockpit, price, APU and toilett (at a price you get a citation jet)

- are: cruise at 360-395 kt´s, max FL350, no speed brake, no reverse - but good brakes, heavy flight controls, and you are always sitting in a 8000ft cabin !

 

[johnsonrod]

...i did, put only a 100 hours or so 9 years ago...

as you say biiiig cabin for a small price - for short trips. And don´t start compairing it with jet aircrafts, it´s a turboprop with jet engines.

+ are: cabin, cargo, nice roomy cockpit, price, APU and toilett (at a price you get a citation jet)

- are: cruise at 360-395 kt´s, max FL350, no speed brake, no reverse - but good brakes, heavy flight controls, and you are always sitting in a 8000ft cabin !

I hear it can take off like a ROCKET.... At least that's what my former ACA buddies used to tell me.

 

[GogglesPisano]

I flew it as CA at ACA.

Pro's:
* Nice avionics package (for 2000-2001) VNAV; vertical profile on HSI display and systems pages on EICAS ...
* Great climber (10,000 fpm sustained if it was light/winter)
* Relatively roomy cockpit
* The most comfortable pax cabin of any RJ.

Con's:
* It broke -- a lot.
* Had a cheap, plastic-and-velcro feel to it, far worse than an Airbus.
* Was a moving roadblock at altitude (one profile had us cruising at .66)
* The packs had a hard timing keeping it cool in the summer
* Noisy cockpit.
* The APU had no auto-fire-fighting feature, thus we could not leaving it running unattended (this is probably a package ACA went cheap with.)

 

[Fly91]

Damn, too bad about the "cons".....I don't like those cons.

They are also thinking about a Legacy, but they needed just a bit more passenger seats. It will only be for 800-1,400nm trips and it will be a scheduled 91 op, thats why they're not thinking about the big dollar G550/Global stuff. Already have a G5, but its used for other flights for the company.

 

[fisherpilot]

how bout a crj-200....I'm sure you could find one pretty cheap now that they are being slowly phased out of some airlines regional structure. You could yank out all the seats and go back with however many you needed and have a very spacious cabin.

 

[Fly91]

how bout a crj-200....I'm sure you could find one pretty cheap now that they are being slowly phased out of some airlines regional structure. You could yank out all the seats and go back with however many you needed and have a very spacious cabin.

I really have nothing to do with the selection process. I was offered a job with this company last year when they were going to get the Legacy. I just spoke to them yesterday asking if I was still available that they were settling on something soon.

I think your choice is excellent in the CRJ-200. Just checked it out, it would be perfect with a corporate interior. I would assume it could seat about 20 in a moderate corporate set-up. Not talking about big giant seats, but nice and comfortable. A max of 20 is what they'd like to carry. Short trips like they're planning on would be quite nice for that plane.

What would one go for $$$???

 

[fisherpilot]

I don't know the price but I'm sure that you could get a good deal on one. I flew one for three years and I never really saw anything that was a red flag as far as dispatch reliability. If you pulled out the overhead bins and the tight seats you could have 20 "very" nice seats installed and still have a lot of room. You have a 3500 lb limitation if I remember right on the cargo bin, so there would be no need for overhead bins with 20 people. It would make a nice reliable shuttle aircraft, since that is basically what it was designed for.

 

[LJ45]

there are two operating in Lafayette, La as corporate shuttles.

 

[BoilerUP]

there are two operating in Lafayette, La as corporate shuttles.

Doinkers that is, under the Western Airways name.

 

[G3G4]

LYLE IS THAT YOU? DOING YOUR HOMEWORK? HA H AHA HA HA HA. BOSS IS SHOWING ALOT OF INTEREST IN THIS AIRPLANE FOR SOME REASON. wE ARE TRYING TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT. bUT HE LIKES THE CABIN SIZE, PRICE.

 

[G3G4]

We re trying to convince him on a Lear 55 or a 45 for the kids. But he said he could get these envoys for a heack of a low price. For what he can get one for and the Cabin size. I dont think here is much else in te same category as far as size vs price. He doesnt need anything that would fly father than lets say new york dominican republic. What are those crjs going for? are they ready to go corporate version?

 

[Fly91]

Doinkers that is, under the Western Airways name.

Can't find that company.

 

[Fly91]

there are two operating in Lafayette, La as corporate shuttles.

You know which company is operating them?

 

[Fly91]

I don't know the price but I'm sure that you could get a good deal on one. I flew one for three years and I never really saw anything that was a red flag as far as dispatch reliability. If you pulled out the overhead bins and the tight seats you could have 20 "very" nice seats installed and still have a lot of room. You have a 3500 lb limitation if I remember right on the cargo bin, so there would be no need for overhead bins with 20 people. It would make a nice reliable shuttle aircraft, since that is basically what it was designed for.

Yeah, saw one for sale but no price.

That would make a hell of corporate jet interior for sure, as well as performance in that configuration.

 

[BoilerUP]

Can't find that company.

I dunno what to tell you, but believe me, the 2 J328s in LFT are operating under the "Western Airways" name (at least that's what their parking lot says). I don't know who owns/operates them, and Western Airways might just be a dba name, but they are definitely there; you might call Odyssey and see if they know specifically.

I don't think they are Envoys but configured as an airliner because all they do is haul oil field workers to Houston and on to somewhere in Mexico and back.

 

[SabreFlyR]

I dunno what to tell you, but believe me, the 2 J328s in LFT are operating under the "Western Airways" name (at least that's what their parking lot says). I don't know who owns/operates them, and Western Airways might just be a dba name, but they are definitely there; you might call Odyssey and see if they know specifically.

I don't think they are Envoys but configured as an airliner because all they do is haul oil field workers to Houston and on to somewhere in Mexico and back.

Western Airways is a 135 outfit out of SGR that is owned by a company in Lafayette. One of the guys in our hangar used to fly the D-Jet, next time I see him I'll ask what the story is. But IIRC those planes are on someone elses certificate.
edit:

 

[LJ45]

You know which company is operating them?

I was told they are used to change out oil crews for Frank's casing company. Don't know who operates them for Frank's, or if they are even operated by someone else.

 

[jasonwb]

Can't find that company.

here ya go....


http://www.flywesternairways.com/aircraft.htm

 

[LaGarbage Man]

Con- Fairchild/Dornier is out of business. You are pretty much forced to deal with AvCraft Inc. out of KMYR for parts and heavy MX. I don't want to throw to many stones but if you do a Google search on there CEO BB, you might find you want to think twice about having to deal with them. They are pretty much the only show in town (It least North America). Trust me after having flown and instructed in the aircraft I know you will become very familiar with one particuliar part of the plane. The dreaded 1VE panel. Pretty much count on most of the Gremlin messages being linked to it.
The other posters are spot on about the Pro's. launching out of KBTV I swear I could almost climb with the Green Mountain Boys. A/C would definitely go up.
As long as you mashed the correct rudder on a V1 cut, It was pretty much a non-event. I saw 1500fpm to 2000fpm sustained SE at MTW. Hardest thing in the sim was the two engine go with a level off at 1,500ft. at KLGA
It was a fun A/C. Slower than snail snot but fun.

 

[Apache06]

There was a company at NBAA last year doing corporate retrofits on the CRJ200. The aircraft uses a lot of runway and is a bit heavy on fuel burn.

I really have nothing to do with the selection process. I was offered a job with this company last year when they were going to get the Legacy. I just spoke to them yesterday asking if I was still available that they were settling on something soon.

I think your choice is excellent in the CRJ-200. Just checked it out, it would be perfect with a corporate interior. I would assume it could seat about 20 in a moderate corporate set-up. Not talking about big giant seats, but nice and comfortable. A max of 20 is what they'd like to carry. Short trips like they're planning on would be quite nice for that plane.

What would one go for $$$???

 

[BoilerUP]

Fltplan.com has profiles for both the CRJ2 (CL850) and J328; it appears as though the Dornier would burn 800lb less than the CRJ on a TEB-PBI segment and take 25 more minutes to get there.

Sounds like a regular old E135 would do the trick, giving you the seats you need at a higher speed and probably less fuel than the Dorkjet. I also understand there are quite a few E135s from Expressjet and Chautauqua looking for new homes...

 

[JJET44]

It was a fun A/C. Slower than snail snot but fun.

I too had fun flying the Dorkjet. The only airplane that climbs, cruises, and descends at the same airspeed.
I remember panels falling off in the cockpit during the summer due to the heat melting the glue that held them on.

TOGA-TA-10!!

 

[BoeingBaller]

I flew it as CA at ACA.

Pro's:
* Nice avionics package (for 2000-2001) VNAV; vertical profile on HSI display and systems pages on EICAS ...
* Great climber (10,000 fpm sustained if it was light/winter)
* Relatively roomy cockpit
* The most comfortable pax cabin of any RJ.

Con's:
* It broke -- a lot.
* Had a cheap, plastic-and-velcro feel to it, far worse than an Airbus.
* Was a moving roadblock at altitude (one profile had us cruising at .66)
* The packs had a hard timing keeping it cool in the summer
* Noisy cockpit.
* The APU had no auto-fire-fighting feature, thus we could not leaving it running unattended (this is probably a package ACA went cheap with.)

I have found if you keep the curtain and the rear service door closed on the gound it stays very cool. All the ones I have operated that have had good 328 mechanics work on them did not break a lot. It is a slug at altitude but a blast to fly.

 

[Fly91]

I remember panels falling off in the cockpit during the summer due to the heat melting the glue that held them on.

TOGA-TA-10!!

Thats great. Seems like the plane that an owner wishes he never bought....after they buy it.


.

 

[Cat3C]

not to drift but I think there is an FBO out of KCAK that operates them on a 135 certificate- used to do a ton of sport team trips.

 

[soardtk]

I really have nothing to do with the selection process. I was offered a job with this company last year when they were going to get the Legacy. I just spoke to them yesterday asking if I was still available that they were settling on something soon.

I think your choice is excellent in the CRJ-200. Just checked it out, it would be perfect with a corporate interior. I would assume it could seat about 20 in a moderate corporate set-up. Not talking about big giant seats, but nice and comfortable. A max of 20 is what they'd like to carry. Short trips like they're planning on would be quite nice for that plane.

What would one go for $$$???

Check out the Part 125 regs. If you have more than 19 seats, then you will have to operate under a Part 125 letter of compliance. It can take some time to get done if your FSDO doesn't have any experience with Part 125.

 

[con-pilot]

When it first came out we saw the mockup at a NBAA Convention. The boss was real impressed with the intial offering price and the size of the cabin. However, after I reasearched the performance we decided against buying it primarily because the slow speed and lack of international range.

It is a darn good looking aircraft.

 

[flying zephyr]

I flew the 328 at Skyway, flew great, climbed awesome, but speed brake at cruise. Boots for de-ice, I saw a lot of ice in Midwestern winters, no reverse, but good brakes, no speed brakes, definately need to plan the descents, but it will side slip down nice if you need it. Good luck. I know that parts were a little problem toward the end for us??? I don't know how they rectified it or stopped flying them altogether before it got bad.

 

[J3CubDriver]

I currently fly the DO328 jet for Ultimate Jetcharters out of KCAK. Flown it Part 91 and 135. 12 seat Envoy config and standard 30 passenger config. Like any other plane many pro's and con's. Any specific concerns?