The 1900s going, going, gone?

ApacheBob

ApacheBob

Cleared for Takeoff
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ApacheBob
A Colgan pilot said the Beech 1900s are being replaced by the Qs. She said that company is phasing out the Beechs. I wonder if a certain 1900 pilot will be training on the Qs, considering his disdain for the model.:blueplane:
ApacheBob
 
The Qs aren't so much replacing the Beeches (they're on Continental, we're on US Airways; they're out of EWR, we don't go near there; they can't make it into half the airports we use if they wanted to), but the company is indeed phasing out the 1900s.

When I was hired, we had 11 D-model airframes on property, down from their all time max of 13. As of this week, we have 4 airframes flying the line, with a fifth getting torn apart to be sent back to Raytheon. With all the Qs coming online, the company doesn't want to try to balance a three type fleet, and it just so happens that our leases all run out sometime this year. So, as the leases come up, we take the planes back to Raytheon's facility in OKC.

We're holding on to these last four airframes to fulfill our EAS contracts here in Maine (and have a spare plane to cover routes for the Saab, when it breaks - we are known as the SRC:Saab rescue crew for a reason :)). The company is trying to get the EAS airports certified for the Saab, but the airport managers are fighting it (they need better crash/fire/rescue than what any of the are equipped for...RKD and BHB need fire boats, which isn't happening), and the company is asking for more money to make a Saab profitable (which it won't be).

So as it stands now, our EAS contracts expire in October, so that's when we expect the last 1900 to go back to the factory (you can find some of our old planes in Controller - if anyone wants to buy one, I'll come fly it for you :rofl::yes:).

As far as my plans...they offered me a May 12th or May 28th Q transition class. I had to turn it down because I leave June 11th for my wedding, and I wouldn't have been down in time. So now...I have no idea what they're going to do to me. June is my grace month for recurrent ground, and July is my grace month for sim, so if they don't have another Q class at the end of June I'll either get unpaid vacation until they run another class or I'll have to requal in the Beech...then all bets are off.

I'm not so opposed to the Q, it's the Saab that I really don't want to fly :hairraise::no:. I do think most of its current pilots are wusses, but that's a different matter:goofy:. I mean, it's no Beech, but it should be fun enough. I'll finally have a chance to learn glass cockpit/autopilot flying, and see more than the same five airports day in/day out! And who knows, Bob, I might even get a chance to talk to you some day!
 
Why does the Saab need different rescue and fire equipment and fire boats?
 
AdamZ said:
Why does the Saab need different rescue and fire equipment and fire boats?
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It's certified for more than 30 pax seats. That puts it into another category for airport services required. We're trying to get a waiver to disable four seats and bring it into these airports without the additional crash/fire/rescue, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Planes with 19 seats or less are kind of in their own world...we get to do a lot that other planes can't.
 
:)If you head toward MDW, ask for ApacheBob when you are on frequency 127.55 near Kalamazoo.:)
ApacheBob
 
Teller1900 said:
It's certified for more than 30 pax seats. That puts it into another category for airport services required. We're trying to get a waiver to disable four seats and bring it into these airports without the additional crash/fire/rescue, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Planes with 19 seats or less are kind of in their own world...we get to do a lot that other planes can't.
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You're right this won't be happening, because of Sen. Oberstar. "FAA is too cozy with the airlines!" These cities will just lose commercial service.

Sigh.
 
bbchien said:
You're right this won't be happening, because of Sen. Oberstar. "FAA is too cozy with the airlines!" These cities will just lose commercial service.

Sigh.
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Negative. That's what we all thought was going to happen to (or that Cape Air would take over with their 402s...how much would that **** everyone off!!!!!!), but word came down this afternoon...Rockland got a waiver - we have to "deactivate" 4 seats, so the plane is less than 30, but then we can get it in and out of RKD/AUG without the additional crash/fire/rescue. Saab takes over once the Beech EAS contract is up. At least that's the plan this week.
 
Teller1900 said:
Negative. That's what we all thought was going to happen to (or that Cape Air would take over with their 402s...how much would that **** everyone off!!!!!!), but word came down this afternoon...Rockland got a waiver - we have to "deactivate" 4 seats, so the plane is less than 30, but then we can get it in and out of RKD/AUG without the additional crash/fire/rescue. Saab takes over once the Beech EAS contract is up. At least that's the plan this week.
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So... How do you "deactivate" seats? Remove them? Or is there something less than removal that will fit, but allow the planes to easily be fitted for flights into other places?

Are you going to get into the Saab and keep flying the same routes, or are you going to get into the Q?
 
flyingcheesehead said:
So... How do you "deactivate" seats? Remove them? Or is there something less than removal that will fit, but allow the planes to easily be fitted for flights into other places?

Are you going to get into the Saab and keep flying the same routes, or are you going to get into the Q?
Click to expand...

I think we just have to "placard" them inop. We do that anyways when they break or are "soiled," so I think they'll just placard the last four seat in the plane and call it good. We also have two A model 340s on the certificate, which only have 30 seats in them, so they'll probably pull those out of mothballs and use them. I'm going to go to the Q at some point...just a matter of when, now.
 
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