Which regional jet/turboprop is hardest to fly?

[enigma]

I've flown the BAe3100 Junkstream, the B1900's(UB, UC and UE's), and the E120. I'll grade them on how tired I was after an eight leg day. On the 1900, I could come home and then go out dancing. On the Brasilia, I could come home and mow the yard. On the Jetstream, I could come home, eat, throw down a cool one and have just enough energy left to hit the sheets.

The junkstream is absolutely junk, no pun intended. It is heavy on the controls yet marginally stable, meaning that it constantly wandered off of straight and level and was hard to get back. The only good thing about the stream was that the time went in the Turbine 121 PIC column.

enigma

 

[IFLYASA]

I flew the Brasilia for 3 1/2 years, about equal time in both seats. It's pretty intimidating at first, but like anything, once you get use to it, it was a fun airplane to fly. As mentioned earlier, everytime you added or reduced power, you immediately had to adjust rudder trim. There were definately way too many switches. On a really long boring flight, I actually counted 400+ functional switches and knobs. That's alot to keep up with. As far as redundency, it had 5 generators. I'm sure that could have been designed better. The systems were a nightmare. If you could fully explain the electrical and prop system, you were either a mechanic or an engineer.

The CRJ is a different story. This thing is very easy to fly and simple to land. May be a bit tricky on a strong crosswind landings due to low wing tips. The hardest thing about the CRJ is keeping the boredom away.

 

[Gr82Aviate]

I can't comment on all the aircraft in question, but the only hard part about flying the Metro in 9000 hours was on the really hot days when the airplane became the "Sweatro", other than that it was a joy to fly! The only thing better in the Brasilia and CRJ is the paycheck...

 

[Stearmandriver]

Well, I've flown the ERJ and the 120. Considering that your list runs from the most simplified, automated jet to the most complex, over-engineered turboprop, I'd say it runs roughly from easiest to hardest.

It's relative, though. I mean, we're talking big, stable airplanes with almost a century of cumulative aerodynamic knowledge put into them. By far the most pilot-intensive airplanes I've ever flown are a J3 cub or a Stearman in a gusty crosswind. Compared to that type of flying, any transport airplane is dumbed-down to the point of being brain dead.

 

[J32driver]

All right... I'll chime in too.

J32.... No autopilot, no yaw damper, a flight director that didn't work, no electric trim, and the son of a gun would roll over the instant you took your hands off of it.

That being said, it was a hell of a lot of fun!!!



P.S. You know why the yoke on a 32 comes out of the dash and not the floor? Its because the pilots need room for their BALLS!!!

 

[Kyzer Socei]

P.S. You know why the yoke on a 32 comes out of the dash and not the floor? Its because the pilots need room for their BALLS!!!

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LegacyDriver]

Jetstream 31 by *far*. How could you have failed to list it? They don't call it a J-Ball for nothing.

ERJ is absolute CAKE to fly. I think it is a dream, esp. compared to the J-Ball.

 

[TWA Dude]

The J31 isn't hard to fly; all the rest are too easy!

 

[BAe3100FO]

All right... I'll chime in too.

J32.... No autopilot, no yaw damper, a flight director that didn't work, no electric trim, and the son of a gun would roll over the instant you took your hands off of it.

That being said, it was a hell of a lot of fun!!!



P.S. You know why the yoke on a 32 comes out of the dash and not the floor? Its because the pilots need room for their BALLS!!!

I'll second that! The BE1900 was a cadillac compared to the Dungbeattle. Now all I do on the RJ, is sound out the words in the USA today.
Ah...the memories!

 

[probablecause]

J-32.....

 

[Black Water Dog]

Toughest to fly? The Tomahawk... no question. Anyone for a spin?

MM

Did my private and commercial in the Tomahawk. Great memories. Great spins ;-)

 

[LegacyDriver]

Traumahawk rolls nice, too.

 

[ALPO]

Stand on a peice of plywood on top of a basketball, while trying to do stuff.

fying a J31

 

[Clyde]

Which regional jet/turboprop is hardest to fly?

1)ERJ
2)CRJ
3)DOJET
4)AVRO/BAE
5)SAAB
6)DASH8
7)ATR
8)EMB120

9) Convair 640

 

[Flywrite]

All right... I'll chime in too.

J32.... No autopilot, no yaw damper, a flight director that didn't work, no electric trim, and the son of a gun would roll over the instant you took your hands off of it.

Dude, that's what the knob on the back of the pedestal is for!!

Seriously though...my turbine experience runs to 20 hours King Air, 300 hours DHC8, and 2,500 J31/32. The Jetstream is definitely the most challenging thing I've flown, but at the same time I dont think its the constant struggle to balance the forces of nature that some people make it out to be. It CAN be trimmed, and it won't go inverted the moment you look away.

The company I work for has a couple of J31s with autopilots and it makes a huge difference. We often fly 7-8 hour days, five days a week with a significant portion of that in the NE corridor. Having a 'Stream with an autopilot makes a world of difference in workload (as it always does). Like someone else mentioned after a long day of handflying I am ready for a cold beer, a warm bed, and not much else.

Landing the Jetstream and the Dash 8 both have more to do with the black arts than aerodynamics.