RE: Is the Dash8-400 (Q400) STOL?

Hi Mr. Lipton,

NONE of the Dash 8 family (100,200,300,400) are STOL by definition.

This does not preclude them from safely operating at the Island Airport as they have since the Tri-Partite Agreement was amended to include them as "General Aviation".

Take Care!
Joe

(NOTE: Here is part 2 of Joe's response)

Mr. Lipton,

I was wondering why you asked me that question but I did not initially see the significance of the "Transport Canada definition".

here it istc.gc.ca)
" short takeoff and landing aircraft

An aircraft that, at some weight within its approved operating weight, is capable of operating from a STOL runway in compliance with the applicable STOL characteristics and airworthiness, operations, noise, and pollution standards."

So, if I'm reading this correctly, the other piece of the puzzle is whether or not runway 08/26 at the Island airport is a "STOL" runway.

I worked there for 4 years and never saw that designation for the runway in any documentation. Perhaps Mr. Iler may know if, somewhere inside the tripartite agreement, if any of the Island runways are referred to as STOL runways.

IF runway 08/26 is classified as STOL runway and the DH8-400 meets the other criteria in the definition, then it 'may' be classified as a STOL aircraft.
After a long search, I could not find any Transport Canada designation of the Dash 8-400 as a STOL aircraft however their definition of STOL seems to indicate that the aircraft capabilities will dictate it's STOL status.

I'll keep looking and I may have a part 3 for you one day.

Take Care!
Joe