New passenger on prop. What to expect?

[passenger101]

I've flown on just about everything except a "prop." I'm not afraid to fly, but I'm leary of my first flight on a Saab 340 out of MSP next month (Mesaba Northwest Airlink).


I'm strictly a passenger.......What can I expect? Will I feel the bumps more? How is it flying in rough/rainy weather (just in case)?

I have no other options to travel for this business trip except for this type of aircraft.


I would appreciate ANY info.


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[Rollingthunder]

Well don't be leary anyway. Until the late 50's they were all prop jobs. Small modern commuter aircraft fly at lower altitudes and the ride can be a bit more bumpy depending on conditions. Sometimes smooth as silk. Either way they are built for the conditions and are safe.

[Tinker]

Despite having a few hundred hrs experience on several types of single and twin GA aircraft and numerous trips on commercial aircraft, up until last year I had never flown on a turbo prop aircraft.
I then had to make a trip from Kalamazoo MI to Tampa FL in a Beech Turbo Prop (approx 25 seat?) in the worst conditions I had flown in either commercially or in training.
It was my first experience of being on board an aircraft that had to be de-iced before take off and the weather was best described as a blizzard.
I was expecting a rough ride but was pleasantly surprised, the aircraft presumably had no yaw damper as we appeared to be yawing from side to side an awful lot but other than that was particularly unremarkable except for the noise. (It's the sort of noise that is over dubbed on early post war aircraft scenes in the movies and tends to drone).
Since then I have flown on a larger turbo prop from Southampton to Glasgow, again the flight was smooth and uneventful but that noise (although dulled a bit due to the aircraft being newer and bigger) was still present.
You will feel the 'bumps' a little more if you fly through turbulence as the aircraft will presumably be allot lighter than anything you have flown in, and you will probably be flying a little lower than you are used to but all in all you will most likely have a pleasant experience.

If anyone can knows what aircraft I flew in from Kalamazoo to Tampa from the description above I’d really like to know, I have an fatpl but haven't a clue when it comes to aircraft spotting.

[passenger101]

Thank you so much for your replies. I've been browsing this forum for a couple of weeks hoping to bump into an answer. Finally decided to register and ask the question.

Pilot "speak" is so foreign to me. I couldn't even comprehend 98% of the posts here. Passengers are really in the dark as to what a pilot goes through in their career. We're used to just boarding/deboarding without a thought to the talent and skill it took to get us from point A to point B.

Is it true that these planes can "glide" if they lose power? So, I can expect to fly under the clouds instead of above?

[PaperTiger]

A window seat in row 2 isn't. It's a wall seat. Otherwise they are fine.

[chippy63]

A seat in the centre of the aircraft beside the wing may reduce the yaw effect referred to above.

[Rollingthunder]

It is extremely rare for a twin engined aircraft to lose all power. Any aircraft can glide without power. It's a question of altitude, speed and distance i.e. trading altitude for speed. You may remember Air Canada's B767 "Gimli Glider" or more recently Air Transat's A330.

As for clouds - clouds can be very low and clouds can be very high - so your question can't be answered.

[knobbygb]

A bit less technical...

The inside of the aircraft will seem very cramped if you're used to larger jets - you can't stand upright, and there is virtually no overhead bin space. If you have anything but the smallest hand luggage, this will probably be taken from you on boarding and returned as you leave the aircraft. The seating is three abreast (1+2) - great if you like privacy and once sat down you should have plenty of room - get a single seat on the left hand side. As the posts above say, it'll be a bit nosier and possibly more bumpy than you're used to, depending on the weather, but flying lower and slower you'll get a better view of the scenery too.

All the turboprops will be parked together at MSP and you'll walk out to the aircraft. Boarding and deplaning is so much quicker with so few passangers (approx. 34 seats) and the few Saab 340/Embraer 120 (similar aircraft) flights I've had have been a refreshing change and quite enjoyable.

Dont expect too much in the way of cabin service (not that you get that anyway over there ;). There'll be a single flight attendant who MAY hand out water etc.

How long is the flight? Turboprops travel at approximatley half the speed of jets (a bit more actually) but you'll find that if the flight is less than perhaps 200 miles, it will take not much longer on a turboprop than a jet.

All in all, a (relitavley) painless experience - enjoy it while you can as most routes using these aircraft seem to be being switched to regional jets.

[SLF]

Think I went on one of these about 8 years ago. As I recall, one seat on the left and two on the right - go for the left every time! With 12 or 13 rows, no knee room at all and about enough space for a newspaper in the o/h locker...:(

Flight time around double the Jet equivalent, hope it's a short hop!

Cheers - SLF

[bealine]

.....Of course there are still those people round who believe that, without an airscrew or two (or three or four), it's not REALLY an aeroplane at all!!! Gawd bless the old Viscounts and Vanguards!!!

My best flight experience of all was a BEA Viscount to Jersey as a boy - clear blue skies, massive oval windows to look through, two seats facing forward for mum and dad and our two opposite facing aft........nostalgia indeed!!!

[Avman]

TINKER If it was a beech, it may have been a Beech 1900. Was it a 1+1 seat configuration? I guess it was a corporate charter and not a scheduled flight.

[Tinker]

Possibly 1+1. Don't know whether it was charter or scheduled but it was definately a Beech, I saw it on a placard when I boarded. Could have been less than 25 seats though.

[Just an other number]

P-101
Well I'm just jealous.
Give me an aeroplane with propellor(s) any day.
My last flight in one was Cairns to Dunk Island in Australia in a Fokker, and back again!
Great.
You should really enjoy it.
Because you know you are 'flying' rather than sitting in an anonymous aluminium cigar tube in the sky!
Regards.

[redsnail]

A Fokker??
Ummm I used to do the run in a Twin Otter. :D
Very scenic and quite fun. :)

[ExSimGuy]

Ah :) The old Dehaviland Dart Herald ;)

2+2 seating, with rows 1 and 2 facing each other across a table, so you could hold a business meeting during the flight - apart from the deafening prop-noise in the front half dozen rows !

Some were pressurised and flew (about I think) 15-20,000 feet, others weren't and you really got a good view of the scenery. Really bumped in bad weather

Those good old aircraft with the "first stage compressor" outside the engine cowling :) :)

(British Island Airways, LGW to Manchester, Rotterdam and Guernsey - early 70's)

[PaperTiger]

Um, HANDLEY PAGE Herald I do believe.
aka Radlett Rattler.

[Hartington]

I only had a couple of rides on a 340, both Liverpool to London at a point where "Manx" operated the service. 2+1 seating. Very small overhead lockers. I'm 6ft 2in and standing up was only possible if I bent slightly. Seats were a little narrow but quite comfortable. Was very impressed by the take off performance. Cruised at about 18-20,000 ft. On that sector no slower than a BA 757 from Manchester to London and the cruise altitude wasn't that different either (24000 in the 757?). I don't recall the flights being particularly rough (or smooth) but that might have been the weather being nice to me.

In any prop aircraft I would always recommend a seat at the back (they used to put First Class at the back of a prop aircraft). However much the manufacturers work on the issue the noise from the propellors is almost always better at the back. I remember flying on a CAAC IL14 once and asking for a seat at the back when I was first at check in and the Chinese thought I was mad but they complied and it was a real benefit.

[passenger101]

Thanks for responding. Will check back here often to see if anyone else has anything to add.

[DuncanF]

I was on a CityFlyer out of LGW a couple of years back. AFAIR it was an ATR or some such godforsaken noise machine. Anyway, I'm seated in row 1 right up by the bulkhead where the noise resonated beautifully. I'm not talking mild droning, but full on pain between the eyes. Head felt like it was falling off when we arrived in LUX.

So my hints for a peaceful prop filght? Don't. Dr if you must, take ear plugs!

[pulse1]

If you think the Herald was noisy, you should try the Russian copy (can't remember the name).

Flew in one from Warsaw to Wroczlaw. The only noisier aircraft I've flown in was a Lincoln bomber.

[MarkD]

I've been SLF in Saab 340, Dash 8, Fokker 50, Jetstream 41 - all livable though noisier than most fans.

The exception being the A320-100 which nearly did my head in one day.

I've had bumpy rides in everything up to 777 so I wouldn't worry about size so much as the driver :D

[PAXboy]

I agree that any prop can be noisy - just like any jet. It can depend upon the age of the machine and where you are seated.

In Props, the main thing to avoid is being in the row that is 'in line' with the props themselves. I tend to get to the back. Ear plugs are a standard part of my travel kit but normally used for anti-baby defence!

Also, I invested in a pair of noise cancelling headphones for my mini-disk player. These are useful even if you don't play anything through them!!! They are not cheap but very good for plans and trains.

[DuncanF]

Well there's a nice off topic question ... what sort of noise cancelling earphones/headphones do you guys use?? I have some old Sony type things which are quite good, but my friend swears by his Bose stuff.

Let's have your votes ...

[PAXboy]

Good Idea - so I started a new thread!