Mountain AIr Cargo

[tacojet]

I heard that Mountain Air was buying our (COEX) old ATR-42-320's to replace the F27's. Any Mounain Air people have any info? Just curious, that big ol' cargo door and escape hatch in the cockpit roof make it a perfect freight dogger. You'd most likely bulk that thing out before you went overgross.

TJ

 

[Airpiraterob]

its true

FedEx is buying the ATR-42 and 72 ...yes the 72...for gradual replacement of the F27's. This is going to happen with MAC and Empire first then others later if they need this sort of utility. For example, Wiggins in the northeast "might" get a 72 to replace 3 caravans. it depends on if they really need that or not. they gain one less engine to worry about and one less pilot to worry about. remains to be seen if its true or not. we shall find out when it happens i guess.

anyone with contradictory info? things could have changed in the last few months since i heard this. that 72 is big.

 

[upndsky]

I fly into Kinston (ISO), NC on occassion, which is where MAC has their maintenance operations. In the past few months, there have been a number of ex-Coex ATR-42s parked on the ramp, although I have yet to see a 72 or see an ATR painted in FedEx colors. Also, FedEx officially announced buying the ATRs a few months ago, so this is most definitely not a rumor.

 

[tacojet]

Thanks for the info.

Those are good old sleds, they sure took a licking and kept on ticking.

 

[wingnutt]

...question for the gurus, whats the MTOW of the 42/72? it would seem to me that the 72 is overkill, dosent the FedEx scope disallow feeders hauling more than 9,999 pounds, unless its hauled be a FedEx crew...or is it only UPS that has such a clause???

 

[WrightAvia]

I have never heard anything about a scope clause at the fedex feeder level...doesn't mean it don't exist, just means I haven't heard of it.

Here is a link to the fedex press release on atr 42 and 72 aircraft. To tell you the truth, I doubt any of the fed ex guys want to come down to flying turboprops again, making turboprop wages and flying outside of their own system.

Our industry is similar to the the passenger airline industry...and it's not cost effective for fedex to pay their line pilots, line pilot wages to fly an ATR turboprop plane from mke to cwa putting 1 hour on hobbs and let them sit in a hotel all day and then fly back 1 hour on the hobbs in the evening.

They tried to say they it would be profitable at USAirways to have furloughed mainline guys flying the CRJ's at the USAirways Express operators making their old MAINLINE wages on whatever equipment it was they were flying back at the MAINLINE. It didn't work did it. Those pilots took major wage concessions to fly those RJs.

Here is that link...

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin.../www/bw/fedex-ex/footer-test.shtml&grabfont=1

 

[WrightAvia]

Incase you missed it in the press releas

Here is a link to the Cargo Conversion page of ATR's website.

Looks like the the payload of the 42 sized ATR cargo plane exceeds 9,999 pounds, much less the 72.


http://www.atraircraft.com/assetcargo.htm

 

[wingnutt]

well, i guess "scope" was the wrong word, lol.

anywhoo, i guess its kinda moot, as the F27 has been in use for quite some time. i was just wondering if there were a limit to the weight a feeder can carry, as UPS has.

 

[WrightAvia]

That's actually a good question. I can ask around at work but then everybody in management will think somethings up. If I can find out I'll let you know.

Maybe you could post your question on the majors section and get one of the FEDEX guys that is in the know to tell you. As FEDEX contractors we just manage and fly planes that FEDEX owns. Whether or not there is limits, I don't know.

Good question though.

 

[SF3CA]

Just looked it up in the contract. Aircraft over 60,000 lbs mtogw are to be flown by Fed Ex pilots. I did not see anything about the amount of cargo that could be moved. Also nothing about props or jet equiptment. I know there are exceptions to this for emergency charters and other things.

How much does the ATR 72 weigh? I think the ATR 42 is about 40,000 lbs. I had heard that the loads were terrible in the south cone (Brazil) and that an F27 was taking over the 727 run.

SF3CA