Metroliner Question

[jafo20]

How do you load the Metroliner? I'd imagine it's a pain in the neck to put a bunch of square boxes into a round fuselage.

 

[Thedude]

With knee pads and a belt for back support.

 

[Linetech]

From what I see they have rollers in them, so you mostly roll the boxes all the way from the door to the 1st bay or throw the bags to the first bay. i guess it can take its toll on the line service people.

 

[DirtyBeech]

it's not hard at all to put square boxes into a round metro. the steps are as follows:

1. panic
2. scream
3. cram that mutha in any way you can.
4. and never tell the pilot you've blown out a bay and are filling the next one. weight and balance is for sissies.

these actual instructions are posted on (insert large freight company name) 's main building in (xyz hub).

actually it loads just fine. it's not nearly as roomy as a 1900, but it gets the job done. also, i don't know what the big deal about flying it is. if you can fly a chieftain you can fly a metro. i like it alot, just don't bring your B game to a V1 cut.

 

[VVJM265]

Agree about needing to be on you game w/ a V1 cut, a bit of a handful, but nothing that one couldn't be taught to handle.

Our birds were configured w/ 13 seats (1 for the crewman), a toliet compartment and the baggage area. On one flight, our last leg back home, the terminal at Sigonella pulls up with 5 baggage carts of mail to take to Naples, 1700#! After an hour and a half, and the 3 of us working together, we managed to get all of it in the airplane and still had room for one SpaceA pax! It was pretty funny watching the expressions on the guys back home as the bags never seemed to stop coming out.

 

[mdanno808]

I flew a metro 23 and 3 heavy (16500 MGTOW) with 10 seats, and a honey bucket in the back. Some of the most fun I've ever had flying airplanes. It's really fun when someone in the front seat decides to step to the back to take a leak. You can feel the CG moving rearward. BTW you can get a single pilot type on the SA 226 & 7, but I've only heard of single pilot op's when flying cargo under part 135. BTW, don't forget your film cannister lids to shut that damn beeping up.

 

[mar]

Why didn't I ever think of that?

BTW, don't forget your film cannister lids to shut that dang beeping up.

I have 3000 hours in that wretched machine and I've got the nervous twitch to prove it and I never thought of this.

I'm so stoopid sometimes.

 

[chriskcmo]

Never flown a Metro, but I heard that when you get your type rating, you're issued a set of ear plugs at the same time?

 

[DirtyBeech]

Never flown a Metro, but I heard that when you get your type rating, you're issued a set of ear plugs at the same time?

if you're flying a freighter then yes. ofcourse, i wore earplugs in the chieftain and 99 too. a 99 is far louder on the indside than a metro.

 

[chriskcmo]

if you're flying a freighter then yes. ofcourse, i wore earplugs in the chieftain and 99 too. a 99 is far louder on the indside than a metro.

I've never flown anything with Garrett Engines, only the PT6 in King Airs and the PC-12. Both of which are pretty quiet. Is the 99 noisy because it's not pressurized?

 

[DirtyBeech]

yeah, because it's not pressurized, and all the soundproofing has been removed. everything i've flown with garrets (conquests and metros) seem to be much quieter on the inside than the pratts. might just be me though.

 

[SDCFI]

For me the Metro is comfortable without a headset, something I can't say about the 99. I don't do this regularly to save my ears from the freqs you can't hear, but it's nice to be able to take the clamps off for a few mins on a long leg. Also, the RPM is lower in the Metro with the big 4-bladed props. Out on the ramp is a different story however, dem Garrets are LOUD when you're outside, much worse than the 99.

 

[mdanno808]

As you taxi by everyone sticks their fingers in their ears. This is known as the metro salute.