8636 replies to this topic

[Missed Approach]

Light read on AC performance numbers  23/24

 

 https://simpleflying...nce-by-numbers/

[Victoria Watcher]

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after an Endeavor Air flight's wing struck a runway at LaGuardia Airport and "somebody saw some sparks."

 

Seventy-six passengers were on board Endeavor Air Flight 4814, which was attempting to land Sunday night when the pilot executed a go-around maneuver due to an "unstable approach," the FAA said. 

 

Endeavor is the Delta Air Lines-owned regional carrier that operated the plane that crashed and turned upside down during landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in February.

 

 

 

https://www.cbsnews....ding-go-around/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 March 2025 - 08:32 PM.

[Missed Approach]

WestJet reducing travel to the United States, including a few reductions in seasonal service

Kelowna has reductions, but nothing seen for YYJ yet.

 

 

https://www.aerorout...50318-wsapr25us

[Missed Approach]

Helijet Airways has been granted a license to operate a scheduled international service between Canada and the United States pursuant to subsection 61(1) of the Canada Transportation Act.

Maybe with the loss of the Air Ambulance service contract bases in YVR and YPR, this might be their attempt at an old route down to the Seattle many years ago. 

[vortoozo]

Strange time to start a Seattle route.

[Victoria Watcher]

CTV:

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its preliminary findings into what happened when the Delta Air Lines plane crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Feb. 17, breaking down its initial findings.

“During touchdown, several things occurred, the side-stay attached to the aircraft’s right main landing gear fractured, the landing gear retracted and the wing root fractured between the landing gear and the fuselage,” the TSB said in a video.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 March 2025 - 05:37 AM.

[Missed Approach]

Strange time to start a Seattle route.

Yes, true - but I guess their application to TC was made months ago.

I remember when they had one or two daily trips to BFI from Camel Point Helipad.

If Harbour Air is still runnning daily service from Vancouver Harbour to Lake Union, I guess there is a few still wanting to travel up to see Canada and maybe a few from here wanting to take in a ball game this summer........

 

But yes, odd timing 

[Victoria Watcher]

The first officer was the pilot flying the plane. At the time of the crash, she had around 1,422 hours total flight time, including 418.7 hours on the type of aircraft involved in the incident, the report said. 

 

The captain was the pilot monitoring for the flight. He had 3,570 hours total flight time at the time of the crash, including 764 hours on the same aircraft type. 

 

Right landing gear fractured after touchdown, report says

 

At 2 p.m., winds were gusting to 35 knots in the area, the report said. After flight crew received clearance to land at Runway 23 at Pearson airport, they flew the approach at 149 knots, "given the reported wind gusts," it said. 

 

Around 2.6 seconds before touchdown, a "sink rate" alert sounded, "indicating a high rate of descent," the report said.  The alert came from the plane's enhanced ground proximity warning system.

 

At the time the alert sounded, the plane's airspeed was 136 knots, the report said. 

 

Less than a second before touchdown, the aircraft's indicated airspeed was 134 knots and its ground speed was 111 knots. Around 2:12 p.m., the right main landing gear touched the runway. 

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...crash-1.7488494

 

 

 

 

According to the Thursday report, the aircraft was on approach to Runway 23 in gusty wind conditions. At 50 feet above ground level, the aircraft’s rate of descent had increased to 1,114 feet per minute, triggering a “sink rate” warning.

This audible call-out, investigators stated, indicated a “high rate of descent.”

Just before touchdown, the aircraft had a 7.1-degree right bank angle and was descending at 1,110 feet per minute.

 

https://airlinegeeks...re-delta-crash/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under normal conditions, a Bombardier CRJ900 on final approach will typically descend at a rate of –500 to –800 fpm, a balance that helps ensure a stable and controlled landing.

 

https://www.airwaysm...trolled landing.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 March 2025 - 07:11 PM.

[vortoozo]

Yes, true - but I guess their application to TC was made months ago.

I remember when they had one or two daily trips to BFI from Camel Point Helipad.

If Harbour Air is still runnning daily service from Vancouver Harbour to Lake Union, I guess there is a few still wanting to travel up to see Canada and maybe a few from here wanting to take in a ball game this summer........

 

But yes, odd timing 

 

Some data in a TC article today that inbound tourism from the US appears to be holding steading according to Clipper, Black Ball & Tourism Vic. They were expecting growth this year but flat is better than I was expecting. Meanwhile, Canada-origin travel is definitely down on the two ferries. 

 

Is that enough to establish a new US market for a Canadian carrier in the current climate? Probably not. US Residents haven't heard of Helijet.

 

Trade war not deterring American visitors - Victoria Times Colonist

[Victoria Watcher]

WestJet has quietly flipped the switch on Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi. While the airline hasn’t made a formal announcement yet, sources with knowledge of the rollout confirm with Drive Tesla that 16 aircraft are now offering Starlink-powered Wi-Fi, following regulatory approval from Transport Canada earlier this month.

 

WestJet first announced in July 2024 a partnership with SpaceX and Telus to bring Starlink satellite connectivity to its fleet. At the time, the airline said it hoped to equip its airplanes with Starlink before the end of 2024, however that timeline came and went with no further announcements from WestJet.

 

However, we have learned the company was installing Starlink behind the scenes, in preparations for receiving Transport Canada approval to activate the system. That green light was finally granted in early March, clearing the way for WestJet to begin offering Starlink connectivity to passengers.

 

 

https://driveteslaca...google_vignette

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 March 2025 - 07:15 AM.

[Sparky]

I was just on a Westjet flight from Phoenix and it offered wifi for purchase. If they didn’t get a signal from Starlink, where else would it have come from?

[Mike K.]

Wifi has been on planes for a very long time, provided by other agencies, I guess.

[Victoria Watcher]

Yes. It’s just been lousy in the past.

[lanforod]

I was just on a Westjet flight from Phoenix and it offered wifi for purchase. If they didn’t get a signal from Starlink, where else would it have come from?

Gogo or Viasat probably. Low speed, high latency.

[Victoria Watcher]

Yes, this is about right.

 

[Victoria Watcher]

WestJet pilots ask judge to nix approval of temporary foreign workers in the cockpit

 

MONTREAL — The union representing WestJet pilots has asked a judge to quash federal approval of temporary foreign workers in the cockpit, despite a global flight crew shortage.

 

 

 

The airline requested about 60 permits for pilots from India and South Africa under the temporary foreign workers program, according to the filing.

 

[...]

 

The temporary foreign worker program, which allows non-permanent residents to work in Canada for limited periods, employs hundreds of thousands of people across a wide range of industries.

 

[...]

 

"The salary level that you would get as a WestJet Encore captain is higher than what you have as a WestJet Encore first officer. But if you have a 'direct entry' captain, there's a lower wage scale than a guy who's got 10 or 15 years' worth of service," said Gradek.

 

Moreover, those new temporary foreign captains might not stick around long enough to see the substantial wage hikes that come with more years of service.

 

A spike in pilots from abroad in the captain's chair could also reduce the opportunities for promotion among Canadian first officers.

 

Gradek further questioned the premise that large airlines and their feeder carriers, such as WestJet Encore, suffer from a pilot shortage.

 

"There are hundreds of potential pilots in the pipeline that we have in Canada," he said.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ockpit-10425315

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 March 2025 - 02:42 AM.

[Missed Approach]

Thru my days working at YYJ for a few carriers, we often traveled on our airlines for just the required taxes or ID rates of 75 or 90% off for positive space. When AIF's were introduced, airline employee's, were exempted for many years, till the VAA demanded we pay up, started to charge for employee parking as other fees airside grew and grew.

 

Sounds interesting if this will fly, even after YVR said their AIF was " temporary " .......... no such thing. 

Great to see the VAA now has another issue funneling funds away from projects to fund legal council on this case.... 

 

 https://www.timescol...-ahead-10423453