From: gs26@prism.gatech.EDU (Glenn R. Stone)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Little Planes
Date: 28 Jul 92 15:16:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: hydra.64506
Reply-To: glenns@eas.gatech.edu
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Group W Bench

In <KMEYER.92Jul27141050@solarium.aero.org> kmeyer@aero.org (Kraig R. Meyer) writes:

>On Fri, 24 Jul 1992 21:20:01 GMT, hoff@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Wildfire) said:
>> ...The flight just happens to be
>> on one of those little dinky "Express" planes.  I've never had any trouble
>> flying before, and I've done quite a bit of it, but I've also never been
>> on a small plane run by propellers.  Needless to say, I'm a bit nervous...

>Probably the three greatest dangers on an express flight are 
>(1) getting airsick, (2) having someone nearby you get airsick and 
>(3) not being able to hear anything when you get off the plane.  

>Express or commuter airplanes can hold anywhere from about 8 passengers
>up to 60.  The smaller the aircraft, the more prone it is to
>turbulence.  It doesn't take much turbulence to get an 8 passenger
>plane a-rockin'.  (Anyone who has ever ridden in a 2 or 4 seater cessna
>or pipercub can tell you that most days it is constant turbulence).
>The propellers are very loud--earplugs are a good idea!

Don't know where this fellow got his info, but with improvements in
soundproofing technology and the advent of the turbofan engine (and
its increased noise), a turboprop aircraft is not appreciably noisier
than a modern jet.  (Granted that unpressurized, piston-powered craft
will probably be noisier, but I don't know who runs these anymore for
passenger aircraft... and it's not going to be in the Chicago area...)
Turbulence will be more of a factor, but the previous poster is out
of line in saying turbulence is constant.... for one thing, commuter-class
aircraft don't fly high enough to encounter the jet stream, where 
turbulence can be *worse* than at the lower altitudes.  (at least, not
this time of year....)  The smaller craft fly slower, and are thus more
able to maneuver around weather formations rather than plowing thru them...
these two factors also mean the air traffic controllers can work them 
into the traffic flow more easily, resulting in a better chance of you
getting to your gate on time.  

The "little dinky" aircraft used on scheduled runs still undergo the same
stringent maintenance programs the big boys do, and have most of the 
sophisticated electronics as well, without being over-computerized a la 
the Airbus we beat to death in a recent thread.  As for the "diving at
the runway" phenomenon discussed in a previous post, this is due to (a)
the fact that smaller aircraft (hmm, how to not digress into aeronautical
theory) approach at a faster speed relative to their minimum speed than
the large aircraft do, and thus do so with the nose pointed down rather than
up slightly.... (more or less) , and (b) commuter aircraft are generally
shorter pavement-to-windowise than Big Iron, which means the runway looks
too close for comfort when you're really ten feet off the deck.

In short: Don't worry about it.  You'll be just fine.

Glenn R. Stone (glenns@eas.gatech.edu)
Sign seen leaving Greeneville, TN (GCY) airport
"You are now leaving the safety of aviation.
        PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY."
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air