Alright everyone!
Here’s John’s “Everything you always wanted to know about Regional Jets but were afraid to ask” thread. I’m going to start it off with some of my previous posts-there were some GREAT questions in there from you guys and gals, and my answers.
So I’m going to start it off with the basics of each RJ-some general info, links to photos, and their some links to outside sources for your enjoyment. Then, I’ll have every question that I’ve been asked about the RJ’s that I’ve kept. And then, it’s open to even more of your questions! Enjoy!
The Types of Planes called RJs (and Commuters)...
We’ll start with some basic RJ terminology (for the most common regional aircraft):
Surge-Pilot slang for the CRJ (say the letters all at once, like instead of SEE-ARE-JAY), also known as the Canadair Regional Jet, CRJ-200, -700, and –900, and soon, the -1000 series.
Urge-Pilot slang for the ERJ, also known as the Embraer Regional Jet, including the ERJ-145, -170, and -190
Dash-The DeHavilland Dash-8
The Mighty Beech-The Beech 1900D Airliner
Since I’m a CRJ pilot, I’ll concentrate on the CRJ primarily, but touch on the other aircraft that my airline operates as well.
History:
Airliners.net, and the online encyclopedia Wikipidea.org are excellent sites for finding photos, stats, info on pretty much any aircraft ever built-as they’ve already built a wonderful history for each aircraft, I will link each aircraft to its respective history page from airliners.net, and Wikipedia.org.
The Canadair CL-600 Regional Jet: I fly the CRJ-200, -700, and –900 variants. A wonderful plane to fly.
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=125
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=126
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRJ
The Embraer ERJ-145 Regional Jet: Embraer’s Version of the CRJ-200. I have friends who fly the Urge, and they say it’s a great plane as well.[/font]
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=198
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ERJ
The Embraer ERJ-170, 175, 190 and 195 Regional Jet: Embraer’s “Version 2.0” of the RJ. Holds from 70 to 110 people. Looks like a baby Boeing 737-I’ve had folks tell me this is their favorite plane to fly on-PERIOD. No middle seats, extremely roomy and comfortable for passengers. It’s also extremely advanced-I’ve got friends who fly these birds, as well-they’re in love with the plane.
Airliners.net for the E-170
Wikipedia entry for the E-170
The De Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8. This thing is a Cadillac to fly. The groundschool and training for the Dash is supposed to be very tough. These planes were made for mountain flying.
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=121
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash_8
The Raytheon Beechcraft 1900. The 1900 is what gets the job done where no one else can. It can get in and out of places that the Surge and Urge wouldn’t be able to-and its pilots are very, very good. No Autopilot-which means it’s all hands on flying-and that tends to breed really skilled pilots!
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=329
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_1900
Cabin Temps...
Okay, WHY is it always so darn cold in the cabin of a CRJ? I had on thick socks and leather boots and my toes were icicles!
Because hot feet are smelly feet. We don't want to stink up the cabin, do we? ...Kidding, Kidding. It's all about air circulation. Basically, you have the gaspers (air vents) up top, and larger vents for heating/cooling on the sides near the floor. Those floor vents are a bit bigger, so the temp closer to the floor (and your little piggies) is going to be less (If it's set to a cooler setting. Plus, cool air tends to sink.
So the air near the floor of the cabin is going to be cool than at the top. Also, since at cruise, the cabin is at 8,000', your circulation might not be as good. Nothing dramatic, but just enough for you to feel like your toes will snap off and rattle around in your boots.Also, the F/A's are up and moving. They're going to feel the temperature in the cabin differently than you in your chair due to their physical activity. They're also the ones who tell the pilots (i.e., the F/O) to turn the temp up or down. Ray goes over this a little more in detail (and better) in his book.
Probe-u-lators...
What exactly IS a heated probe? What purpose does it serve?
Well, the air temperature up at cruise is well below 0 degrees C. The probes (pitot/static/TAT, etc.) are all heated to keep them clog (from ice and other stuff) free, so they can do their job without interruption.
But most planes have them-the Pipers and Cessnas I've flown have them, for the same reason. But most of the jets have their probe heat on almost continuously, versus "as needed" in the smaller planes.
RJs don't come with whitewalls...
Why are the tires inflated with Nitrogen?
'Cause the mechanics like to suck on the bottles and talk in that really high-pitch funny voice...oh, wait.
That's helium. My mistake.
Simply put: Nitrogen is an inert gas (unlike my uncle after a large Tex-Mex meal).
Example: Do you remember that JetBlue Airbus gear incident back in 2005? The nosegear wheel came down incorrectly-meaning it was canted to the side. They circled around L.A., burning off gas, then the pilots brought the plane in for a completely safe landing.
When the nosewheel gear finally touched down, the friction of the wheel sliding down the runway probably heated the gas inside the tires pretty quick. When the tires finally blew, all the sparks being sent up from the gear assembly could have helped ignite a bit of a fireball...IF the tires had been filled with regular air. I say could, because regular is already almost 4/5 nitrogen anyway-but with oxygen (a combustible) in the mix, who knows.
Since nitrogen was used to inflate the tires, and it's inert (non-flammable), when the tires finally blew, they just let out all of their nitrogen. Plus, most aircraft wheels have blowout plugs in the wheels to pop out if the tire temp gets too hot for comfort. Again, since nitrogen's inert, no ka-boom.
Just a thubububububububububup.
Campfires are great! Plane fires? ...Not so much.
What happens if the plane somehow catches fire...? …I worry about this so much!
I'll start with the John Robinson movie quote of the day..."Worrying's like sittin' in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but you don't get anywhere. Write that down, Taj."
-Ryan Reynolds, Van Wilder.
Actually, turbine engines are always on fire. But they're "on fire" in much the same manner your car's engine is "constantly exploding", a.k.a. internal combustion. A jet engine relies on the expansion of hot gas (from fire, as it were) as part of its means to generate thrust. Or, as was explained to me: "Fire makes it go."
As far as other types of fire, well...modern commercial aircraft are equipped with many types of fire extinguishing systems for different systems, in different parts of the aircraft-pretty much anything that can catch fire-there are going to be extinguishers (plural!!!) there to ensure that a fire could be put out.
The planes are designed from a blank piece of paper with safety in mind-even the so-called "old" designs. The pilots-we're trained for safety, whether we are a private pilot in a 172 to an airline Captain. I learned about dealing with engine fires in my first flying lessons years ago.
Gliding?
Is it true that if the engine fails, the plane can still glide???
Yes.
Very well, in fact.
As a matter of fact, you probably glide down from cruise most of the time and didn't know it. I try to be able to pull the engines to idle and glide down to our destination-it's quieter and it saves fuel. It doesn't happen all the time-traffic flow and ATC can sometimes have different plans in mind-but if you've flown commercially, there's a good chance your plane glided at least part of the way there! Engine failures are RARE. Most pilots will go a lifetime without ever experiencing a (real) one outside of training.
Just what are we doing up there?
Since pilots do flying so often, don't they get bored of it and pay little attention when they fly? And if they detect something wrong, just something very, very minor, will they just leave it or make sure it's fixed?
Yes, we can get bored sometimes. But, we have the best seats in the house for the scenery-I have yet to get tired of that. Also, pilots by nature are the detailed-geeky-technical types. Unless you're a gray-haired, grizzled airline veteran who's been flying for 35 years, you're still figuring out all of the little idiosyncrasies of the aircraft-the kind of stuff that's not really in the manual, but you pick up from actually flying the plane.
But most of the time, you can find stuff to do-get some paperwork ready for the next leg, get the destination's weather, etc., tell your Captain you much you admire his landing technique.
As far as if something minor goes awry, on the ground, we can have it fixed there, or we can defer it per our Minimum Equipment List (I'll explain later...or look it up in a sticky).
In the air, basically we determine: Does it affect the safety of the flight RIGHT NOW? Will it conceivably affect the safety of the flight BEFORE WE LAND? If the answer to either one of those questions is YES, then we follow some different steps (SAFETY FIRST-we want to get home, too!!) than if the F/A informed us that the lavatory was broken.
Statistics don't LIE.
And are you sure plane are safer than cars or buses? And how come it always feels like it's going to be me ending up in a plane crash...I'm so anxious!
Personally, in my life, I've been in...six or seven car accidents-from minor rear-enders to jaws of life, twisted soda can type collisions.
In planes, I have the same number of landings as I do takeoffs. I plan on keeping it that way.
I don't have to be sure that air travel is the safest form of travel there is. The statistics will overwhelmingly show that.
It's a matter of scale...
It’s so little! I feel more comfortable on large planes, somehow I feel they are safer.
Not really. The CRJ-700 weighs around 75,000 lbs., and the -900 weighs close to 83,000 lbs, and is 120 feet long, with a wingspan of over 75 feet. That’s over forty tons, and 60 yards long. Hmm. Not so little huh?
But compared to those other planes…
The Boeing 737-700, has a max ramp weight of around 154,000 lbs. It’s 110 feet long, with a 113-foot wingspan. So that’s 76 tons, and about 53 yards long. Didja notice that the CRJ-900 is actually ten feet longer!
But the 737’s bigger…
Of course. It carries more people. The CRJ-900 can carry 86 passengers, where the 737 can carry close to 140. So, the 737 weighs around twice what the CRJ does. It’s all relative.
Yeah, but it’s so little…
Sigh. Look at it like this: The Boeing 777-300 weighs around 660,000 lbs., with a length of over 240 feet. That’s 330 tons. That’s over FOUR times the weight of the 737. Plus, the 777’s engine cowling (the painted cover on the engines) is roughly the same diameter as the fuselage (the main body) of the 737. So, it’s all relative.
So, are those little planes safe?
Yes. All commercial aircraft, be they the 19-seater Beech 1900 or a small-town carrying 747, are safe-they’re built for safety, and maintained for safety-to the same high standards!
Age and Experience...
How come all of the RJ pilots are so young?
We all come out of a breeding farm just outside of Modesto, California. It’s just how we look.
Seriously, there are young and old pilots flying RJ’s. The simple answer is that many Regional airlines like ExpressJet, Chataqua, Republic, Mesa, Eagle, Freedom, ASA, and SkyWest have lower hiring minimums (experience) than the larger carriers.
This does not mean that pilots flying for regional airlines are unsafe!!
Regional pilots are held to the same standards that the pilots at the majors are held to-for aircraft knowledge, decision-making, airmanship, and safety!
Many of my fellow pilots are younger than me (I’m a spry 33 years of age), and quite a few are older than I am-many are doing this as a second career. I have noticed that the younger the pilot, the more driven they are to get where they are by that age. This is taken from a post on another thread regarding this very question:
I imagine John will weigh in on the experience level of CRJ pilots and the like. But, I think there we can get back to one of the basic facts that we always spew on the site. If CRJ pilots were under-experienced, and that lack of experience were a dangerous thing, we'd see that borne out in accidents. I don't see any CRJ's dropping out of the sky...I think pilots like John would admit that there is great value in experience. The more the merrier.
”Newer pilots have a great deal of respect for more verteran pilots like Ray and the experience they bring to the table (or yoke). However, they would also say that they are plenty qualified to do what they do. I think in any profession, there is a minimum level of competence required to even play the game.”
Though maybe "less" qualified than someone who has been at it a long time, they are still quite capable of doing the job and making appropriate decisions, even in a time of stress. In the airline industry, that level of competence is VERY carefully regulated since it actually impacts the safety of the traveling public...”
Indeed! Every Captain I've flown with has been happy, nay, EAGER to show me techniques, tricks, tips, etc. on how to fly BETTER, SAFER, MORE EFFICIENTLY, and SMOOTHER.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE for EXPERIENCE. But that's what I am doing right now-building experience. Am I any less qualified to fly the plane than the 10 year Captain I flew with the other day? Technically, no. I am qualified to fly the plane, held to the same standards that an F/O that's been flying years longer than I have.
But, Experience-wise? Of course I'm not as qualified, but that's why you're not a Captain your first day on the job. That's why it takes time to become a Captain.
Two Pilots?
Since the planes are so little, why do you need two pilots?
Another size joke, huh? Anyway, there’s a few reasons but the driving factor behind all of them is safety. The CRJ flies as fast (and faster) and as high as the other…*ahem* bigger planes-and they have two pilots, for the same reason-safety. The pilot workload on a jet is much greater than in a piston-powered plane due to the speed at which things happen, and the complexity of the aircraft. Splitting the workload makes flying much more manageable, and safer. Most airlines operate with the PF and PNF system. The Captain’s still in command, but the Captain will split the flying duties with the First Officer.
Here's what the pilot flying (PF) does:
-The PF flies the plane.
Here's what the pilot not flying (PNF) does:
-Radio calls.
-Builds the flight plan in the FMS (the Flight Management System Computer.
-Builds and sets up the approach into the landing airport.
-Runs all the checklists (and all the work associated with them).
Basically, the PNF's job is to take care of all of the stuff that's not flying the plane!
When you're the PNF, your workload is much higher than the feller sitting in the other seat. But that’s okay, because they’re the one flying-you’re the one helping them do all of the stuff that would distract them from flying the plane.
Generally, the Captain will be the PF one flight, with the First Officer as the PNF. The next leg, they switch, with the First Officer as the PF, and the Captain as the PNF.
Time Changes?
Serious, albeit very blonde question: How in the bloody hell do you keep up with all the time changes???
Personally, I keep my watch set to Central time, since I live in Dallas, and work out of Chicago. For local time, I usually consult my trusty mobile phone. Its clock is taken from its network (which gets its time from the atomic clock in Colorado), so I know the correct local time wherever I'm at. It can get ya kind of loopy after a 4 day trip, though.
Rest, sleep, and duty?
How much sleep is required for a regional airline pilot? At one time, I don't think the FAA governed them. Is that still the case?
As a 121 carrier (majors or regionals), the FAA mandates how much time you are required to be off duty based upon how much time you're on duty. Regional Carriers have always been governed by the FAA-they are 121 Carriers, same as the Major Airlines.
Fer example:
Anything up to 7.9 hours of duty, you're required to recieve 9 hours off duty. However, if necessary, the company can reduce that to 7 hours off duty, but are required to give you 10 hours of "compensatory rest" within 24 hours of the the beginning of the reduced rest period.
Anything from 8 to 8.9 hours of duty, you're required to recieve 10 hours off duty. However, if necessary, the company can reduce that to 8 hours off duty, but are required to give you 11 hours of "compensatory rest" within 24 hours of the the beginning of the reduced rest period.
Anything over 9 hours of duty, you're required to recieve 11 hours off duty. However, if necessary, the company can reduce that to 9 hours off duty, but are required to give you 12 hours of "compensatory rest" within 24 hours of the the beginning of the reduced rest period.
Now, keep in mind that the off duty time dosen't include waiting for the hotel van, checking in, eating dinner (if you haven't eaten that day), getting up, catching the van back, etc.
Also, keep in mind not all schedules have you at the bare bones minimum hours of rest. Some overnights are a lot longer, some a lot shorter.
Come say Hi!
A Comment, more than a question: “I've always been too shy to ask to meet the pilot. If I ever did, and s/he was this sweet, I would probably cry or something! Most meet-the-pilot stories are very complimentary to the pilot, and I'm sure they like the idea of easing someone's fears.”
Pretty spot on. Pilots by nature love what they do (well, the vast majority of us), and to be given the chance to help someone see past their own trepidation and enjoy what they do, they jump at it! Don’t hesitate to ask to talk to a pilot! The only advice I can give you is to get to your gate a bit earlier than usual to allow for a quick Q and A. More than likely, you’ll get a friendly face in a pilot’s uniform answering any questions you have. Come on up and say hello!
Baggage convienence!
With RJ’s you sually have to load/unload outside - not fun in bad weather to stand out there waiting for your bag to be unloaded!!!
I’d have to agree with you on that. However, look at it this way: you can skip baggage claim!
Cramped Quarters?
There’s not much leg room unless you are bulkhead or exit row.
I can think of carriers that fly “normal sized” planes where this is the case as well! In any case, remember that the ERJ-145 and CRJ’s are pretty much the “first generation” of Regional Jets, because this type of air service was almost non-existent 10-12 years ago.
The new ERJ-170’s and –190’s are great! Those are the ones that look like baby 737’s or A319’s-the passenger comfort in those are much improved over the ERJ-145s or CRJs. Canadair is working on a next-generation version of its CRJ, called the C Series-it will compete with the ERJ-170/190.
Bafrooms?
The RJ’s have a teeny tiny lavatory with usually no running water!
I feel for you on this, I really do. It’s not fun trying to maneuver my six-foot, 200 plus pound frame around in there, believe me! The lavatory size is somewhat restricted by the plane’s size, so it’s a bit of a trade off. The running water is an issue that varies from airline to airline-some of the operators choose to install anti-bacterial hand cleaner in their lavs instead of the water.
Moving around in the Cabin?
What’s with having to move passengers around to "balance" the aircraft - I mean could we do anything else to freak out a scared flyer then this???
Look at like this: Instead of freaking out, be reassured that the crew is doing EVERYTHING possible to increase the safety envelope/cushion to its maximum point.
By moving a few passengers around, we stay safe (within our weight and balance limits) and we stay legal (we can’t takeoff unless we’re within our weight and balance parameters).
Sometimes, we can move a few people around, so we can fit a couple of more bags onboard-that way, everyone can have their stuff at their destination-or some folks who weren’t able to get a bag onboard on a previous flight will have their bags returned to them!
It's not duct tape on the wings. Seriously.
One question is, what and how is the wing built and attached, and what redundancies are there to make sure it's staying put?
It's actually pretty similar to a Cessna's construction-a central wing spar (a large tube that connects the wings together through the fuselage-extremely strong-it's usually the structurally strongest part of the plane.
The chances of the wing just poppin' off...well, you'll win the powerball on the same day you're struck by lightning before that happens. In other words, the same odds that I'll end up having Claudia Schiffer as the mother of my children.
So, not to worry.
What do you do if the controls froze?
As to the tail section, how are they built and what redundancies ensure that your pitch control doesn't go out on you - ala Alaska's jackscrew problem.
This is a good one!
The CRJ does have jackscrews for actuating the elevator, but like every other flight control system on the aircraft, there are controls in place to stop unwanted control surface movement. If you look on the center pedastal of the CRJ's cockpit, you'll see two red handles. One is for PITCH DISCONNECT (the elevator) and the other one is the ROLL DISCONNECT (the ailerons).
If we have an elevator runaway, we'll know (aside from all the lights and bells going off) by the plane not really doing what we want it to do. So, we follow a procedure that will call for us to pull the PITCH DISCONNECT handle-and it will disconnect the pitch control from the pilot's side that is causing the malfunction.
If the pilot that was flying that leg was the side that was causing the problem, then the other pilot will simply become the pilot flying the plane that leg, and they switch duties. Yes, they will go ahead and land ASAP, and declare an emergency to ATC, just to be on the safe side.
The same goes for the ROLL DISCONNECT handle, for the ailerons.
In fact, in simulator training, myself and my sim partner had a dual aileron/elevator failure. We had to pull both handles, and we had "split controls". One of us controlled pitch, and the other one controlled roll!
It was actually easier to fly and land the plane (after a minute or two of getting used to it...), because you only had to worry about one thing either pitch, or roll, but not both (like you usually do).
So, it's yet another layer of redundancy the engineers (dang those dudes are SMART) have designed and built into commercial airplanes.
