Mesa's 900's

[146guy]

any truth to the rumor floating that your 900's aren't performing as expected in the west and they will be moved to the east coast? anybody from MAG heard anything like this?

 

[Wingbolt]

I don't think it has anything to do with performance. It's all about the potential merger between America West and USAir. If they merge, Mesa will send 900's to the East to cover some flying.

 

[Av8rPHX]

Interesting this was brought up, I just commuted in from MSP and I was told that there were a bunch of downgrades and cancellations today due to the fact that the 900 cant handle the heat? I was told they were substituting 200's for 900s in some cities today. Does anyone know if the 900 has limitations like this?

 

[FreedomAList]

Max operating temp = ISA +35C.

PHX for the next 3 months, 11am to 7pm = 44C (or more)

ISA +35C PHX = about 47C. (this is rare, even in PHX)

So yah, no ops at 48C, and some pretty big hits at lovely 44C, especially for longer flights requiring more gas.

But IF they go east, it's going to be for the U/AWA merger "strategy". Specualtion at Mesa is rife that the "18" 900's mentioned in all these articles might refer to is Mesa exercising the 18 options that they have for ADDITIONAL CRJ 900's. Wishful thinking, probably.

 

[Weasil]

I read an article in the wall street journal about a month ago that said that 18 900's would be brought out east to replace some flying currently done by 737's. These 737's are being returned to GE and released to somebody in Europe as part of GE's plan to reduce their exposure at Airways.

 

[KingAirer]

The 900s are going to the east coast and the RP E190s/170s are going to east and west.

 

[JetMonkey]

Has the last 900 been delivered yet? One of your capt's mentioned it a few months back while I was sitting jumpseat on one of your 900s, the last one was to be delivered in June, is this correct? Unless the do exercise the 18 options I suppose.

 

[FreedomAList]

Not sure. We were supposed to get the last of the original order by June, but we slowed down delivery for awhile. In any case, the original order will be done by fall at the latest.

Heard a rumor that the options would be exercised for CRJ 900 ER - - presumably to take over U/AWA 737 routes. God help our poor passengers.

 

[PSAChiefPilots]

Is the "Last One" still in tuscon? It's the First one built and has an "Extra" Rear Galley service door which will require a Escape slide because of A/C Height. At least that's what Bombardier told me when I was there in March. Lower front end made forward Right side slide obsolete but jacks rear up and apparently the A/c is tied up trying to figure out who will pay for it! Would this require additional certification and FA training?

 

[Captain Overs]

Is the "Last One" still in tuscon? It's the First one built and has an "Extra" Rear Galley service door which will require a Escape slide because of A/C Height. At least that's what Bombardier told me when I was there in March. Lower front end made forward Right side slide obsolete but jacks rear up and apparently the A/c is tied up trying to figure out who will pay for it! Would this require additional certification and FA training?

Where is Tuscon? Is that somewhere in Airazona?

 

[Iceman21]

Where is Tuscon? Is that somewhere in Airazona?

Hello Earth, glad to have met you.

Yeah Tuscon is in AZ

 

[PSAChiefPilots]

I work for an airline that has no idea what's east of the Miss. besides LAX... LOL

Sorry for the Mispelling!

Where is Tuscon? Is that somewhere in Airazona?

 

[Iceman21]

I work for an airline that has no idea what's east of the Miss. besides LAX... LOL

Don't you mean WEST of the Miss?

 

[PSAChiefPilots]

Yes

Either way, Whatever, I'm going to bed!

I work for an airline that has no idea what's east of the Miss. besides LAX... LOL

Sorry for the Mispelling!

 

[Frac Daddy]

Hello Earth, glad to have met you.

Yeah Tuscon is in AZ

Where exactly is Tuscon? Is it anywhere near Tucson? Next time I overnight in Tucson I might have to check it out.

 

[Iceman21]

I believe it is about a block over.

Point taken

 

[Captain Overs]

I work for an airline that has no idea what's east of the Miss. besides LAX... LOL

Sorry for the Mispelling!

At least you caught my joke and didn't take me seriously like some other idiot.

 

[Iceman21]

Idiot? Where?

I apologize for not getting your sarcasm through the montior here.

 

[Av8rPHX]

Tuscon is fairly close to Pheonix I hear.

 

[Captain Overs]

Idiot? Where?

I apologize for not getting your sarcasm through the montior here.

FYI-

Tucson is not spelled Tuscon and Arizona is not spelled Airazona. I thought it was obvious. I guess I overestimated you.

 

[Iceman21]

Yeah, I did spell Tucson wrong.

I did concede that I was acting like an ass a few posts up (i.e. point taken )

It is obvious I overestimated your ability to take a joke as well.

 

[SanJuanPlebe]

Heat is an issue, but in PHX, except for full boats going to MEM or MCI with thunderstorms, the 900 can make it work. Even with extra fuel, the weight restriction is only about 3 pax, unless you have several half-weights.

While good news for the narrowbodies, the 86-seater, at today's oil prices, creates good feed and frequency for our mainline partners. That frees up the narrowbodies to work in markets where they can fill the plane up.

I don't care who you are, unless you are 3/4 full, you aren't breaking even, let alone making a profit on a narrowbody..... So, can the rhetoric, as of now, these RJs are helping ensure the survival of our partners. Doesn't mean it won't change, but as of now, they are help, NOT a hinderance. At $60 a barrel of oil, you need all the help you can get.

These RJs are here to stay, and we should accept and solidify their place, not fight them, because those actions would be "draconian" and not based on reality. A set fee for a professional pilot would be helpful and prevent a "race to the bottom."

Any expansion or use is to the benefit of our mainline partners who couldn't make it financially in today's weak-yield environments.

The 900 is a great airplane to use and America West seems to be using them properly. We've seen several markets developed and graduated to mainline service with buildup from the RJs...as it should be.

The other markets, where loads are thin, but frequency is key, are doing well with the 50 and 86 seat RJs. Plus, with the exploratory markets HP is doing out of Las Vegas at night, I can only suspect they are rolling in the dough, which benefits us all.

While not perfect, this is a good airplane, and it seems to make money for everyone...pilots and the company. And it helps keep costs low, which benefits the passengers.... So now, to work on that base fee for the professional airline pilot.........................

The Plebe

 

[TDK90]

Mesa in Phoenix

Which airplanes and companies do Mesa fly out of Phoenix?

 

[taxicabdriver]

Heat is an issue, but in PHX, except for full boats going to MEM or MCI with thunderstorms, the 900 can make it work. Even with extra fuel, the weight restriction is only about 3 pax, unless you have several half-weights.

While good news for the narrowbodies, the 86-seater, at today's oil prices, creates good feed and frequency for our mainline partners. That frees up the narrowbodies to work in markets where they can fill the plane up.

I don't care who you are, unless you are 3/4 full, you aren't breaking even, let alone making a profit on a narrowbody..... So, can the rhetoric, as of now, these RJs are helping ensure the survival of our partners. Doesn't mean it won't change, but as of now, they are help, NOT a hinderance. At $60 a barrel of oil, you need all the help you can get.

These RJs are here to stay, and we should accept and solidify their place, not fight them, because those actions would be "draconian" and not based on reality. A set fee for a professional pilot would be helpful and prevent a "race to the bottom."

Any expansion or use is to the benefit of our mainline partners who couldn't make it financially in today's weak-yield environments.

The 900 is a great airplane to use and America West seems to be using them properly. We've seen several markets developed and graduated to mainline service with buildup from the RJs...as it should be.

The other markets, where loads are thin, but frequency is key, are doing well with the 50 and 86 seat RJs. Plus, with the exploratory markets HP is doing out of Las Vegas at night, I can only suspect they are rolling in the dough, which benefits us all.

While not perfect, this is a good airplane, and it seems to make money for everyone...pilots and the company. And it helps keep costs low, which benefits the passengers.... So now, to work on that base fee for the professional airline pilot.........................

The Plebe

I believe you started that race yourself by paying for an airline job. Whoever gladly plucks down $50G or however much it costs to go there in exchange for a "chance" at making $19/hour is not helping out the industry. If I plopped down $20 Grand to go to a Michael Jordan fantasy camp could I become a professional baskeball player, I hear they make good money.

 

[labbats]

I can dunk.






My donut.

 

[Biatch5]

The 900s are going to the east coast and the RP E190s/170s are going to east and west.

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

 

[FreedomAList]

Heat is an issue, but in PHX, except for full boats going to MEM or MCI with thunderstorms, the 900 can make it work. Even with extra fuel, the weight restriction is only about 3 pax, unless you have several half-weights.
The Plebe

I beg to differ. The TUS flights have already been grounded once this year . . . all you need is a temp of 45 C (113 F boys and girls) on a standard temp day and you can neither land nor takeoff in TUS. Not exactly uncommon in southern Arizona . . . for the next three months.

Add that to the fact that the APU's routinely being broken (for 10 days at a time . . . ) = huge perfomance hit for takeoff . . . this thing sucks ass in the summertime desert.

For those who care . . .Mesa flys 900's out of PHX and (to a lesser extent) LAS and LAX for America West. NO ONE else (Delta, USAir, United) wants the 900 . . . some say it's scope, some say its an ungodly uncomforatble airplane who's days are rapidly passing (ERJ 190 gonna blow it away).

 

[FreedomAList]

It's official:

Flights for the CRJ 200/900 being cancelled/delayed out of LAS past 3 days due to the heat. ISA +35 (45.7 in LAS, or 45, since that's the highest our dispatch software will go) is grounding these planes from about 1500 local until 1830 or so. . . . since the heat is at 46.7 or more . . .

And that's takeoff AND landing, so ya gotta beat the 1558 local ATIS if you don't want to divert (METAR specials not issued for temp).

And the LAS a/c doesen't work. So the pax get to sit in a hot, stuffy terminal and watch all the WN birds take off one after another while they miss their connections . . . .

Not that I think anyone should really care . . . but this IS on thread . . . .

 

[FreedomAList]

Here's one I had to dig out. Private pilot days quite awhile ago!

To determine ISA temp at a field:

ISA = 15-(field alt * .002)

EX: KLAS Field Alt = 2140ft

15 - (2140*.002) = 10.7 ISA


And since the CRJ limit is ISA +35, at LAS you're looking at 10.7 + 35, or 45.7.



(assumes zero humidity, so this is a quick and dirty figure)

 

[GEUAviator]

Your Math is Faulty

You stated that the formula for ISA is:

15 - (field elev. * .005)

Well, in your example of KLAS that should be the following:

15 - (2140*.005)

equals

15 - (10.7)

equals

4.3

So, If ISA for KLAS is 4.3 and the limitation is ISA +35, then that should come out to:

4.3 + 35 = 39.3

Sorry, I couldn't stand by and see a math problem go astray!

The Geek,
GEUAviator