Q400 course
Written: 26 MARCH 2011

 

I've finally started the required training needed for me to fly the Q400 version of the Dash-8. The plane has 78 seats, more than double the power compared to the 300 and equipped with a wonderful glass cockpit. Widerøe has a total of 7 of these in the fleet which mostly fly out of Torp and Bergen.

So far I've done 5 days of classroom training where we went through the systems on the aircraft. The Q400 is part of the same type rating as the other Dash-8s, but a differences course is required. This can be done in a couple of days, but as usual Widerøe is very thorough. In April I'm going to Stockholm for three days to fly the simulator. After this I get to take the plane out for landing practice before I have one week of route training with instructor before the final release.

With a maximum take-off weight of over 29 tons, it is the biggest aircraft I've flown, though it's still pretty far away from the A380 with its 560 tons. On each side the Q400 has two Pratt & Whitney engines giving more than 5000 shp each. Over twice the power than the 300 results in quite alot more speed which is nice when you want to get somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Northern Lights, this video on Vimeo is definitely worth a look

 

 

 

In January and February, Line and I escaped the cold winter in Norway and went to Mexico. First one week on Isla Mujeres outside Cancun, followed by five nights in Tulum which is about a two hour drive south. Lovely beaches, good food and cheap beer. On the way home to Norway we stopped by Toronto in Canada for a couple of days. Very nice city even though it was alot colder than Mexico. Amazing weather while we were there, but just as we left for home the snow came and we waited 1 1/2 hours in the de-ice queue.