where are the VARA F50's being parked at PER going ?

[BNEA320]

where are the VARA F50's being parked at PER going ?


With Alliance & VA getting closer(FIFO) perhaps Alliance will be/have been offered deal from hell ?


With Alliance's lower costs, could they perhaps take over some of VA's thin regional routes freeing up ATR's ?


Alliance has one F50 operating in New Zealand right now.

[Skystar320]

VH-FNA is being made ready for a contract in Adelaide.

The problem is wherever they go they need security screening! would be better with a small aircraft

[BNEA320]

Alliances F50's no longer need security as now under 20 tonnes. Not sure how they did it.


Early F50's were all under 20 tonnes. HGW models were over 20 tonnes. Not sure what was different. Maybe bigger fuel tanks.


If VH-FNA is to be used under Alliances AOC for Alliances Santos contract, it would be closed charters anyway.

[Skystar320]

Who said its going on Alliances AOC? Aircraft still/will be owned/operated by VARA as I understand

[BNEA320]

even if operated by VARA, if Alliance can get their F50's under 20 tonnes, then surely VARA can as well.


From media reports, it sounds like VARA & Alliance FIFO ops are effectively becoming one.


The Alliance aircraft doing a few ADL/WGT/ADL flights are flying in & out of WGT without security.


If security was required, the whole idea probably would have been shelved, due to the massive costs per passenger for 2 only return flights.

[Capt Claret]

Just out of curiosity, does the actual GW have to be below 20 tonne, or can the operator just opt to vary the certified GW to less than 20 tonne?

[B772]

The standard MTOW for the F50 is 19,950 kgs

Other options were 18,990 kgs (European airlines) and the standard F60 MTOW of 20,820 kgs (longer range operations).

All a/c were the same spec with 4,000+ kgs fuel capacity.

There were 3 different MLW and ZFW options.

Any changes to the weight schedule can be made with a new sheet of paper from Rekkof.

Ps. All airframes were the same structural spec.

[Captahab]

Adelaide Moomba etc for 1 instead of the thing with the four hairdryers.

[Stationair8]

Noticed on Flightaware, Fokker 50 operating in Mt Gambier and Wynyard during the week, along with a Fokker 70 into Albury.

[Capn Bloggs]

Heard one on it's last (I assume RPT) trip this arvo; poor fellow on the radio sounded rather despondent.

[Berealgetreal]

Despondent? I think they've been offered jobs on 777's etc, so it's hardly the worst outcome. Some, who happen to be quite senior in the group, would have liked this opportunity but are now faced with commuting.

[Druco]

Not everyone wants to fly long haul without a window seat and cop a $40k base salary pay-cut... so I wouldn't blame him for sounding abit teary 😜

[Capn Bloggs]

Sorry Okker, there's no more (real) Fokkers...

http://s26.postimg.org/yr4j914uh/Screenshot_2016_02_27_16_19_21.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[Capn Bloggs]

Here you go, you dirty little Fokkers...

ZKXxQaR0fSw

[poteroo]

FNF did the 10.00 ALH-PER run today and I think that was the last F50 for VARA out of this port. REX begin operations later tomorrow with their 1st flight landing in ALH at 1715 local.

The F50 was a good fit for ALH and ESP, but security proved to be really a bridge-too-far for patrons. Fare costs were already very high on these routes and adding security pushed them just too far. Yet we still had some locals reported on GWN, and the local rag, extolling the virtues of full security and how safe it made them feel!

Some local rejoicing because the security cordon is now defunct and at last the ordinary punter will be able to use the café without having to go through full screening. Hope REX and the airport operator get their act together and let a lease to someone willing to operate it for more than a few minutes per day!

That was no fault of SkyWest or VARA - but some brainless re-planning of the ALH terminal building by our esteemed owner.

Anyway, a new era in RPT begins tomorrow in ALH and we all hope they can make it work.

happy days,

[YPJT]

virgin to an extent were the architects of the screening debacle that now exists. Go back a few years to when it was only Jet aircraft that required screening. Virgin cried foul as their E jets were carrying fewer pax than the Q400.
The regulator was forced to re visit the legislation and introduced the 20000kg MTOW trigger. Skywest got tangled up in the mess being just under a tonne over. There was much talk at the time about them having their aircraft re certified for a lower MTOW. The fact that they didn't follow through is evidence perhaps that the exercise would not have been as simple as what has been suggested above.

[topend3]

Better outcome for the punters anyway in Albany and Esperance. Better schedule and lower fares. Can see REX taking Skippers RPT routes as well in time as they only got a 4 month extension to their goldfields network.

[Capn Bloggs]

http://s26.postimg.org/3x6h2sdzd/20160228_152543_cropped.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[DutyofCare]

Hey Capt Bloggs: " Topshot " of a real team of Workhorses bloke.

Will the local Council or WA Govt empower REX to have & partake in SECURITY SCREENING at their new ports ?

Will the law makers FORCE REX INTO: NOT JUST WASTING TIME / EFFORT BUT ALSO PAX HARDEARNT $s on a totally unfounded exercise ?

Hate to see another DUBBO DISASTER :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

[YPJT]

DoC,
Certainly not required at the ports they are operating from, assuming they are the only prescribed services operating through the terminal. Not sure what is happening at the Perth end though. If their pax are boarding through terminal with everyone else then then it will be ops normal on the screening front.

The Dubbo ruling in this instance would not occur unless Qantas decided to go back in with their Q400s which I would think is highly unlikely. The airports (councils) concerned would be very unlikely to complicate things any more than they need to. The only downside I can see in all this is there will be no screened transfer. In other words, take the walk of shame out the side gate at Perth and re-check.

[BNEA320]

security is a con. Show us some so called security & we'll show you a way around it. Close that down & we'll show you another way. Bit like tax & how to avoid it.

[ranmar850]

So -FNH did the last flight out of Perth? Passengered on it many times over the last decade. They may have been slow, and a little noisy, but I'll miss them. I see REX are beginning operations to Albany and Esperance--has anyone heard anything about Carnarvon? Rio Tinto had a F50 charter commute Geraldton-Carnarvon-Paraburdoo for the Marandoo minesite, which I have used a few times--low utilisation , <20 pax most flights--F100 can't use Carnarvon. Skippers Dash-8?