Most Challenging Regional Aircraft??

[Coool Hand Luke]

Cardinal:

The funny thing about having all those generators on the EMB-120 is that if you loose the two main generators and the APU is not available the packs are inoperative and you loose pressurization...even with the two aux generators working normally. Cool. Not.

 

[coogebeachhotel]

+1 on the E120 being the most challenging.

second that

 

[lowtimedriver]

Hopefully, no Skywest regular PAX's will be reading this post!LOL. I always wondered about the Brasilia. The bird looks like a real stable platform when landing and you rarely hear about accidents with the Brasilia. Seems to me the biggest complaint is more on systems & equipment rather than flying qualities. At any rate, this is a great thread.

 

[OPECJet]

Gotta suck having to reverse engineer a turboprop in ground school.

 

[BCpilot81]

I have never flown it, but from what I hear, the Brasilia was a ball twister, and I know that ASA has some stories involving that one. Thank God I did not have to learn it.

 

[Blade Runner]

For my own experience I would have to say the Metroliner. I don't know if they still are flying them in 121 service or just Part 135 now. My instrument skills was the best they have ever been after I flew that thing.

 

[ArcticFlier]

I've flown both the EMB 120 and the SA 227................The Brasilia was cake compared to the Metro..........................



AF

 

[NuGuy]

Dash is nice in a crosswind. Use the wing down, and let the SOB hit. Got a huge rudder back there to keep it going straight.

I've hear horror stories about that little Limey Jetscream.

Funny thing about landing the Dash. I had a month where every landing was a greaser. Couldn't have made a bad one if I tried. The next month, every landing was crap. Opened the overheads a few times. My paycheck was the same as when I was making the good ones... Now I just don't give a frogs fat arse.

Heyas OPEC,

I have to agree with you 100 percent on that. In my 5000 hours on the Dash, I ran into the EXACT same thing. You'd have good months and bad months for no rhyme or reason.

I did love Flaps 35 though...that freaky pitch angle and that BIG flair at the end.

Still, I loved that bird. Built like a brick privy, and still able to carry 37 people and their sh!t out of HHH on a summer day (well, "1995" people, anyway...they weren't as fat back then).

A/C was weak on the -100s, but MUCH MUCH better on the -200s. Summer in CLT or MIA, though, with a -100 was brutal, even with the APU.

Nu

 

[nickfaith]

As for the 402's...I imagine they are a handful. Same goes for the Chieftain.

GP

I have no idea how a 121 Cheiftain was.. but I flew a corporate PA31-350 and it was marvelous. Flew about the same as a Baron... if you could get the engines started.

 

[BenderGonzales]

I can't believe all you Brasillia wussies.

You had an airplane with APU (air-conditioning), a lav, an autopilot, glass, and an F/A to bring you coffee and you're whining?

You guys wouldn't have lasted ten minutes in the Jetstream.

To the tune of Gilligan's Island:

Just sit right back and you'll hear the tale
Of a typical Jetstream trip
(We) Stuff nineteen paying passengers
Aboard our tiny ship.

No Drinks, no Stu, no Cockpit Door
Not a single luxury
Like Or-ville and Wilbur Wright
As primitive as can be
As primitive as can be

My armrest's stuck, my back is shot
I have a second job
The engines are not making torque
I wish I flew a Saab

We wrote one up, the boss is mad
It's me he wants to fire
I should have stayed in dental school
The majors will not hire
The majors will not hire

The freon's out, the flows are bad
No damper is installed
The passengers are turning green
The new guy is appalled

The pressure spikes, the radar's shot
The brand new engine quit
I hope I live to tell the tale
Of a typical Jetstream trip.
A-board our ti-ny ship!