I am still flying all three types of Dash the Q200/300/400.
They all have their pros and cons. The smaller dashes have lots of charactor and big cessna 172 feel about them. A good hands on flying visual circuits type of thing.
The Q400 has a much bigger feel cos it is (mauw 29.5t)! Not as throw aboutable but nonetheless very fun. For a turbprop it is bloody good. It climbs well, and goes forward well. Much to some jet pilots disgust we have out performed them when they are heavy. Types like the 146 and F100.
It has its troubles. Build quality seems a bit sporadic. Sometimes they are fine then all manner of things spring up. Its more to do with the electronics than the structure. Seems a less forgiving computer system was fitted (cost?) so it spits the dummy out when not happy.
Great glass cockpit with lots of situational awareness, things could have been made even better but they kept it similar to the "classic" fleet for common types.
Because of its performance we are now doing much more interesting routes into Europe. Verona, Bergamo, Toulouse, Geneva, Brussels, Paris, Salzburg. And I'm sure more to come.
I like it and the company. Have no wish to fly the 146 as it now seems a backward move in terms of aircraft. Much prefer to wait for the B737/A319 if we get them. Here's hoping.
I think of the Q400 like a B757 of the turboprop world. Long, thin, overpowered, and goes up well. They just need looking after and then they will not go tech.
This bit sounds silly but I'm proud to fly em as they are not as common as the other stuff. You still get funny looks at airports. I like to be different.