How is Life at ATI?

[two(2)%]

The DC-8 is easier to fly then the CRJ. Done both. When you put the 8 somewhere it stays there.

Surely you jest.

 

[hmmm]

Nope. Don't.

 

[l8fr82hub]

The only flight control that is hydraulically powered is the rudder, the ailerons and elevators are manually activated by means of anti servo tabs.

The ailerons are hydraulically powered too. Though it doesn't seem like it.

 

[gearjockey]

Of the two commuter turboprops, the CRJ, the DC-9 and the DC-8, and 767: the RJ was, in my opinion, easiest by far to manually fly, with everything working. Maybe there's a difference in the 60s vs. 70s or something. Only flew the 60s. There's twice the throttles, twice the dials and all that cable which may or may not be rigged properly. Descent planning takes some getting used to also. Just my opinion.

 

[b707guy]

How many 767s are you guys planning to add? Will they be incremental to the current fleet or replace airplanes?http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6257114

We don't know, and we don't know! Our first four crews are nearly if not already done with training, and the second cadre has been selected, but their training dates have been delayed. That first airplane isn't fully in our hands just yet for them to fly it. It's currently in ILN having some avionics upgraded. There may have been some politics (way above our level...) behind that location as well. Anyway, I think the company was hoping to start proving runs in the next few weeks. Our second airplane was delayed by 45-60 days, meaning it should be out of the barn maybe Sept or so. There were stories of at least two more aircraft, plus some possibilities of two more which either are currently or soon will be farmed out to CargoJet. There was talk of us operating them, but I don't see it happening, at least not soon. No stated plan to park DC-8s, and we're D checking a -71 as we speak. Since that airplane is owned by our sister company, the heavy check isn't being performed to turn it back in to someone, so I can only guess that that particular jet will be around for a while. A few of our -73s have passed 100k hours, the others aren't far off, and we've been D checking them as they came up.


The rudder on a DC-8 is gi-normous. When it and the ailerons are powered, they are heavy, but not bad. It feels "right" to me anyway. Then again, I overcontrolled the snot out my last interview attempt in a 767 sim a while back. Look out, though, if you are out of hydraulics and have to deal with a crosswind. Both the input deflection required and the forces to obtain the desired results are greatly increased. The only flight control I've found to be perhaps less handy (pun intended...) as compared with other planes I've flown is the elevator. Even in daily line flying, you can easily run out of elevator if you get just a bit behind with the stabilizer trim in the flare, especially with a forward CG. That condition is even more pronounced if you land the plane on speed like you're supposed to instead of a bit fast like a lot of us tend to do. I know, this condition is true of any mis-trimmed stab-equipped airplane, but it seems more pronounced to me anyway in the DC-8. Maybe I just didn't know any better back when I flew the others...

 

[FastHap]

It's currently in ILN having some avionics upgraded. ....Our second airplane was delayed by 45-60 days, meaning it should be out of the barn maybe Sept or so. There were stories of at least two more aircraft, plus some possibilities of two more which either are currently or soon will be farmed out to Cargo Jet. There was talk of us operating them, but I don't see it happening, at least not soon.

I saw the 2 Cargo Jet 767's in the hangars in Wilmington, that sure is a pretty paint job, but I really hate to see them dry leased. I also saw what I'm guessing is the first ATI 767 in Wilmington, also a very smart looking paint job. There was a second obviously ex-AA bird in the hangar, which I'm guessing is also for ATI. But with CAM allegedly calling the shots, who knows. Things are far from certain under the ATSG umbrella.

Is it true that one CAM 767 airframe was destroyed in Italy during the modification process?

 

[b707guy]

Is it true that one CAM 767 airframe was destroyed in Italy during the modification process?

I don't know if it's been destroyed, but it seems to be out of commission for a while. My understanding is that the work was begun under questionable authority. I don't think that it was necessarily done improperly, but just out of order from how it "should" have been done from a regulatory standpoint. So now it's wrapped up in administrivial purgatory.

I haven't seen the CargoJet aircraft, but if it's like their 727s, they should look pretty nice, too. Ours sat on the ramp in TOL for a little while for mx fam and I guess to sit there and look good, which it did quite well. Didn't get a chance to see it from the inside, though.

 

[Colonel Savage]

Do you guys see this ATSG situation as being in your favor or the opposite?

 

[l8fr82hub]

ATI was in a precarious position before the acquisition and at first it seemed like a good thing, but now I'm concerned the DHL debacle may drag us down too.

 

[PHXFLYR]

Here's hoping it doesn't.


PHXFLYR