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Today I am going to tell you what it is like to fly in a turboprop plane like the Dash 8 Q200 from the Ecuadorian airline Airplanes, An incredible experience.
I have been asked many times if it is safe to fly in a plane with propellers, whether these are new or old planes, you feel a lot of turbulence or endless doubts that today I am going to try to answer.
the last days in Ecuador other air operators brought to the fore, out of the four traditional scheduled domestic airlines operating in the country. These operators were air taxi and charter operators.
Via photos or videos on social media, many people commented with surprise and ignorance about these operators and also curiosity about the type of aircraft they operate, primarily concerned with safety.
This is where the idea for this post was born., that thanks to the invitation of Airplanes I bring for you, with the aim that they know more about the operation of this charter airline and can learn more about their aircraft turboprop Dash 8 Q200.
We fly in the Dash 8 of Airplanes
This is the second time that I have the privilege of flying in this aircraft, and on both occasions the experience has been very pleasant and calm. For those of us who like to fly, doing it in a turboprop plane will always be special, since these planes fly slower and lower than a jet, which allows you to admire the landscape like few times before.
It is important to indicate that the idea of this publication was born from the comments on social networks, so I will tell you how this experience is, but if you want to know more details, You can see this AeroReport that I have also prepared with this flight on YouTube:
if you wonder, not only in the Dash 8 I have flown, also on other propeller driven aircraft such as ATRs, Seneca, Cessna 421 or even the legendary Avro of the FAE (and others) have been part of my experiences, all in complete safety.
talking about security, this is the public's biggest concern, but I can tell you that every plane is safe, not because it has propellers or a jet engine it is less or more worrying to fly, everything is in the sensation that one or another aircraft produces in the users and also in the responsibility of the operation plus its correctness maintenance.
It is natural for people to feel fear or concern when they see a plane with propellers before getting on, but this must change and understand that flying is safe, independent of the plane as it is the safest means of transport in the world. This will change when more people know more about aviation increasing the aeronautical culture.
Airplanes
Continuing with the experience of flying a Dash, I want to take the opportunity to briefly tell you something more about this company. Founded in 2007, is an Ecuadorian company with two lines of business:
- Air services with helicopters such as air taxi, cargo transport, long line, sightseeing, oil and mines.
- Domestic and international charter service.
As we can see, They have an experience of 15 years in the local market and from the 2018 offer in their charter operation with Dash planes 8 Q200.
The experience of flying in a Dash 8
Now yes, Let's get down to business after what I hope was a not-so-long introduction.. To begin to understand how special it is to fly in a Dash, we must understand that they are smaller planes, so yes you will feel older turbulence than in a larger plane. This is similar to sailing at sea in a large ship versus a small one., but nothing to fear, the plane is designed for this and higher forces.
This Canadian-made aircraft began production in 1983 and since then it has become one of the preferred aircraft for regional airlines or small countries with a complex geography such as Ecuador.
Turboprop aircraft consume less combustible what jet planes, they can operate on short runways and operate to destinations with low demand with lower operating costs, but they have less autonomy with a longer flight duration (around the 25% more time versus a jet).
As we talked, flying in a Dash is very particular and its size that can transport 37 passengers means that in the country there are no boarding gates adapted to their size, so we will always go up and down by transfer buses or walking depending on the airport (personally, I love this).
The interior of the plane is very comfortable for passengers, although it is not the widest in the market, for flights from 40 a 1 hour duration of Ecuador are comfortable. seats do not recline.
This is a high wing aircraft, this means that if we see it from the outside, the wing will be above us and not below as it would be seen on an Airbus. This also allows the aircraft to land on short runways given its STOL capabilities..
This aircraft has all the comforts of any aircraft such as ventilation, reading light, table to eat, etc. As for the noise, yes the plane sounds louder than other planes we have in the country, but it is no louder than for example a Boeing 727 o similar, but it is understandable since this one has 25 years since its first flight and it is not fair to compare it with state-of-the-art aircraft.
As a curiosity, the Dash of manufactures, do not come fitted with oxygen masks (same as ATRs 42), therefore, modifications must be made to be able to operate at the height of our geography and have that drop down system or implemented in each seat.
A recommendation, as I always tell you, ask for a window and more if you are going to fly in a Dash, since they will be able to enjoy the action of the landing gear, especially when landing you will even see that smoke that is generated by the top of the runway.
El Dash 8 Q200 has a maximum capacity of 37 passengers, It has a bathroom in the front, stomach 9.16 meters long, wearing 4.647 kilos, powered by two PW123 C/D engines, can reach the 25 thousand feet of altitude with a speed of 535 kilometers per hour and flying up 2.084 kilometres.
I hope this information, along with the video and the interview with the Commander of the flight serve for all of you, share and spread this information that is very valuable for the aeronautical development of the country.
Finally, I thank the kind flight crew who helped me with all the logistics and information about this aircraft to bring you this report.
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