Airsouthwest Aircraft! (Merged)

[WOWBOY]

It has been Rumoured that air southwest will be buying bigger aircraft soon!
What aircraft do you think they would buy?

[we_never_change]

They already operate DHC8-300s so possibly DHC8Q-400s or statying with Bombardier, CRJs. Plenty of spare space going on the production line at the mo.

WNC

[dada]

the biggest they can - b747's or a380's?

[aeulad]

well considering Plymouth, I would imagine the Q400 to be the most likely choice. possibly the ATR72.

Regards

Mike

[TwinAisle]

I would have thought the ATR72 would prove a bit hairy for PLH. ASW will be a little hamstrung for ever by that runway. Would have thought the Q400 would prove a handful as well.

Even "Little Dog" has issues out of there I hear.

[david_wilding]

I know that Air Wales uses ATRs into there ok and British Airways used to fly BAe 146s in there too! So the runway can't be that bad!

[TwinAisle]

6G use the ATR42, not the 72. Any 6G pilots want to comment on their experiences of PLH??

Just because you can get an RJ in there now and again doesn't mean you would want to do it year round.

You can get a 747-400 into CWL - but I would worry if someone planned it in August with a full payload....

TA

[terrier21]

I believe that BACX used to Canx flights when they couldnt get a dash 8 for the PLH sector because the 146 couldnt land at PLH

[Dash-7 lover]

terrier and david wilding


The only sectors BACX cancelled on a regular basis were the evening BRS-PLH and subsequently PLH-BRS in the morning mainly because PLH weather was crap, and for the following day's operation it would be easier for all concerned to leave the DH8 at BRS. For tech problems Titan Airways were used and if the ATR's GBUPS or GZAPJ weren't available we'd be left with the 146 which could get in and out of PLH but empty. Operationally the PLH-NQY-LGW route was protected as best we could but with no standby a/c and hideousley poor third party maintenance support the route was killed. WE NEVER DID PUT ANY 146 INTO PLH.

Despite the rumours...the route was profitable when BACX operated it but not profitable enough. Once we tried positioning a spare ATP from MAN-LGW to ops LGW-NQY-LGW but it was a total disaster........you try you're best for the pax but it doesn't always work. The ATP crew had never been anywhere NQY before. MAN handling delayed the departure due to....well....being MAN and then NQY fogged out so the pax that should have left LGW at 1720 ended up no further than BRS at 2300 then faced a coach journey BRS-NQY. When NQY closes at 2200 and EXT seem to operate Monday - Friday 9-5pm there isn't alot of options. Good luck to Air Southwest as despite being ex Brymon aircraft and crew they're doing a far better job than BACX ever attempted to do.

Previous attempts with the -42 have resulted in bags being off-loaded or not carried at all, especially in the summer months and even the Dash-8-300 became payload restricted in certain conditions. Unless the current runway work at PLH to increase the TODA/LDA on rwy 13/31 makes any difference.....?

ps TITAN....why did you get rid of the ATR's? they were a god-send for covering prop sectors....

[david_wilding]

Oh i beleived that i saw a picture on Airliners.net of a BAe 146 of BA in Plymouth!

Shame about the Titan ATRs! I have been in them aswell! at STN!

[Wycombe]

Only 146 ever at PLH AFAIK would be 32 (TR) Sqn, RAF

[marlowe]

It will be a Dash 8-300 from citiexpress ,yankee juliet or yankee india BACX disposing of both early 2005 why would air south west get a 146 or an ATR when there whole fleet of 2 airframes are dashes?? its what the crews and background staff have known and operated for more years than they care to remember!!YJ and YI have been into PLH thousands of times both A/C are knackered though!!!! was ashamed to be a crew member on YJ couple of weeks ago the interior was awful how much speed tape can you use to hold an aircraft together!!??

[witchdoctor]

3 airframes now. They just flew G-WOWC over from the other side of the pond in the last few weeks.

[Northern Hero]

G-WOWD is coming from Jordan, another Dash 8 - 300

[MarkD]

CRJ needs 5,000ft+, PLH has less than 3500 and from the aerial photos I have seen has no room to expand. Even Q400s need 4000ft+.

[terrier21]

If Wo are apparently bringing in more aircraft any idea on the new routes they have planned?

[Ace Rimmer]

Not quite MarkD Q400s don't need more than 4000ft they are after all LCY capable ( a 1200m/3960ft runway) That said, I think you're right it might be a bit tight at PLH. I suspect thought that in this case it's more a question of economics than performance, even though -300 lease rates have gone up loads in the last eight or so months (so much so that I believe ASW has bought rather than leased the third aircraft) they are still significantly cheaper than Q400s.

we_never_ change is right...there's plenty of space on the CRJ production line right now (05 planned production of the 200 has been cut by 30 from this year and nay be cut again if DL goes into Ch11).
The Q400 is a different story though, with production rates at a couple a month planned for 05 it's going to be difficult to get your hands on a Q400 for awhile especially if FlyBE sign to convert their options - which I have on good authority they are very close to doing.

Nah I suspect that ASW will stick with the -300s adding the odd route here and there and grow the fleet to five -300s over the next 18 months... 2 years

[MarkD]

Ace

I take a keen interest in the Q series since they are built a few miles North of where I sit :)

YTZ (Toronto City) has 4002ft and is deemed marginal for Q400 but gets higher summer temps than LCY and PLH!

As for Q300 availability, have flybe got shot of all their Q3s yet?

[Ace Rimmer]

I guess it depends on how marginal...what payload and so on restrictions you'd encounter. I was scrabbling around for the Q400 manuals I have around here somewhere so I could offer the book numbers but can't seem to put my hands on them (they could be in the loft I supose:rolleyes: )

Weren't Regco going to operate an all Q400 fleet out of CYTZ? I wonder what payload/range hits they thought they might get in summer?

Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of the 400 truly the mutts nuts -

MarkD check your PM

[worzel]

The problems at Plymouth are not only the short runway, but also the steep approach, the steep slope, and only having an ILS on one end. This frequently means having to take a tail wind on landing. How would a Q400 fair landing at Plymouth (LDA 1045m, 0.89% upslope) with a 20kt tail wind? These are the kind of conditions you could face. I think you’ll find that the Dash 8 300 is just about the biggest and best for the job.

[MarkD]

CYTZ and Deluce (and Mayor Miller :yuk: )

http://www.resonation.ca/archives/000222.html
(anti Deluce website)
http://www.communityair.ca/FAQ_04.htm
(anti Deluce website, which among other things implies props are so over)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20041213/CITYHALL13/TPNational/Toronto
(Globe and Mail newspaper)
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Sue-Ann_Levy/2004/12/09/774125.html
(Toronto Sun)
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1103065819454
(Toronto Star)
Toronto hits 30-35C in midsummer. Destination range proposed is 500nm US and Canada. AC Jazz currently ops Q100s to YOW for $400+taxes :uhoh: :(

[Dash-7 lover]

marlowe....


been a while since flying on YI (s/n 256 and first reg'd 27/03/91) or YJ (s/n 319 and first reg'd 27/03/92!)but I know about the speed tape scenario...they are the first two -300's on the UK register though.....starting to get a little ropey now, but what do you expect when you fly the guts out of them day-in day-out. The rest of the DH8's are split between MAN and SOU and one on maintenance at EXT.

FLYBE seem to still have the Q3's as they're pictured on airliners.net flying out of MAN presumably to SOU that we do 6 times a day with our DH8-300's or spare 145/146 when we're running short....

[we_never_change]

Flybe currently just have the two DHC8-300s, GJEDE & GJEDF which I believe will be traded back to Bombardier next year.

WNC

[WOWBOY]

Does anyone know of the popularity of the new Airsouthwest routes?


-Newquay-Dublin-
-Newquay-Bristol-Leeds Bradford-


Are they good?


EDIT: Please do NOT start another thread when your question could easily have been placed on your first post. I have done that now. Don't do it - multiple posts are not acceptable on PPRuNe.

[Jet2LBA]

Not sure, but if you look on their 'Low Fare Finder' on these routes the starting fares (excl taxes) from LBA are £5 for BRS and £15 for NQY on weekdays. I have noticed that a few of the weekday dates have higher fares listed which normally indicates that the first few 'cheapest' seats are already sold.

I personally am booked on the LBA-BRS service on 3rd May.

[SpringbokDreamer]

Both of these new routes have taken off really well. Great passenger figures. The LBA BRS mainly for suit traffic but the family holiday seems to be well represented. NQY DUB also very popular. :ok:

[SpringbokDreamer]

G-JEDE is on lease to ASW at the moment. In an all white livery. still bearing the sacars of Flybe paint job underneath. They're awaiting the delivery of the 4th Acft WOWD. Which arrived a couple of days ago :O