Is it time for another "how's Lynx doing?" thread?

[cale42]

Proving runs started Monday before Thanksgiving.. expecting certification Dec 4.. rev flights Dec 6, six airplanes on property now.. 10 by Feb 1 08...

cale

 

[johnsonrod]

Proving runs started Monday before Thanksgiving.. expecting certification Dec 4.. rev flights Dec 6, six airplanes on property now.. 10 by Feb 1 08...

cale

So, what are the initial routes again out of Denver? I thought Wichita and Sioux Falls were at least two of them - right?

 

[cale42]

First 4 are Wichita, Sioux City, Rapid City, and Billings.

Expected to be added by January are Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, El Paso, and Tulsa.

cale

 

[WSurf]

Are they getting any kind of inflight entertainment put on them?

What? Flying in a Large Prop airplane at 350kts at low attitudes isn't entertainment enough????

 

[D-Bo]

Proud owners of 6 aircraft now. No certificate, obviously, F9 is hoping for December. Lynx management has acted responsibly, it's the Feds that are sucking wind, as their team learns how to certify an airline. $15 million-ish has been burnt to this point. In the meantime, thanks for the help, XJT.

Do the other F9 pilots share the same enthusiasm you do? You've got Lynx taking dollars away from the mainline operation and I haven't heard one comment about F9 NOT being in this situation with the Q400s if your management would have just put the things on your F9 certificate in the first Fn place! Can't blame the Feds for dragging their feet. Your management has to take the blame. They wanted to put them on a seperate, brand new, certificate and never gave the pilot group a good reason why it was so essential to do so.
You sound happy. I wouldn't be over this situation.

 

[johnsonrod]

Frontier already contracted with Republic to use E170/175s out of Denver. Why not do the same with Q400s? Why start from scratch?

Also, what sort of overlap will you see between the Q400s and the E170s out of DEN? Why use both aircraft? Will the Q400s be serving airfields that the E170s can't like ASE?

 

[cale42]

Many people have been quick to say why not just contrat the Q400 flying.. well who would fly that contract exactly??

Horizon is the only current US Q400 operator and F9 has made no secret of the fact that they would like to end the Horizon relationship due to the cost. So there was not a practical option to contract them.

F9 management saw a good opportunity to fly large t-props. Keep in mind in this $100/barrel oil environment then Q400 burns something like 30% less gas than a 170/175 with very little time loss over a 350 mile route. It burns something like 60% less than an A318.. (don't quote me on those fuel burns.. but it is significant). Also you are correct that the prop can get into places the jet can't.

In answer to johnsons specific questions, no one knows what sort of overlap there will be, but once Lynx is running, it will be significantly cheaper for F9 to run a Lynx flight than a Republic flight, and I expect to see that reflected in scheduling..

cale

 

[D-Bo]

Frontier already contracted with Republic to use E170/175s out of Denver. Why not do the same with Q400s? Why start from scratch?

Also, what sort of overlap will you see between the Q400s and the E170s out of DEN? Why use both aircraft? Will the Q400s be serving airfields that the E170s can't like ASE?

Or better yet, fly them on their own, original certificate? Too late now but the route they should have gone to begin with. They say they're a low cost carrier right? So why did they feel the need to outsource and wipsaw against their group?

 

[cale42]

Can you imagine the nightmare of trying to have 74 and 132 seat aircraft on the same certificate. The pay, work rules, and advancement opportunities that exist for most 74 seaters are entirely different than that expected for 132 seaters.

Look at all the problems Airways is having even with a 98 seater..

the list of conflicts is long and complicated..

 

[Cardinal]

Do the other F9 pilots share the same enthusiasm you do?

No. Most actually don't mind the principle of the thing, but do fret over the 2-3 million/month (more with all these deliveries) "burn rate" when we are going to extravagant lenghts to control fuel burn and contain costs. I think the execution could have been better, but nobody always gets it right. They would have fit just fine on the Lakes certificate, however Voss would have had to extract his head from his ass, and that wasn't guaranteed. Could have bought GLUX outright for $30 million.

I don't lose any sleep over the Dashes, it's 17 outsourced 170s that creep me out, but the pilot group made that decision before I showed up, so whatever.