Jetmagic - ERJ 135 - London City

[Tom the Tenor]

What kind of flight testing operations have to be done and gone through before an aircraft like the Embraer ERJ 135 will be certificated to operate from Cork to London City. At first glance the runway at LCY appears to be quite short for '135 flying so how does a new carrier like Jetmagic and, presumably, Embraer hope to succeed in having operations cleared for take off, so to speak. Light fuel loads, pax restrictions, short flight to Cork??

Being from Cork I hope all these hurdles can be overcome by Jetmagic.

[mutt]

Tom,

I believe that the problems have to do with the approach requirements rather than the ability to stop on the tarmac. The approach gradient is double the normal standard.


Mutt.

[ICT_SLB]

You have to meet NPA-28 (if memory serves - don't have my files at home) - it was known as NPA-SAL. The main thing is, apart from demonstrating correct operations on the approach you want, you have to show that you can do an approach 2 degrees steeper without the throttles going to idle - not easy in a jet.
I know someone who was on the dash-8 400 LCY cert and they used a private airfield in eastern California that allowed them to set up not only the normal 5.5 degrees but also the 7.5 required.
They also then had to go and do it for real at LCY. He said a big problem for them was the length of their aircraft & manouvering around at City - apparently there's not a lot of apron space.