Silly Little Country

Embraer - yes!!

My flight to Chicago today was my second on an Air Canada Embraer airplane. My first was on a much smaller model, but both have been very pleasant. I love the aggressive liftoff, and landing as well.
This plane featured individual TV screens even in steerage Hospitality class, and I was able to watch an episode of 'Numb3rs', which certainly was an improvement on the normal entertainment on this route.
Embraer is, of course, a key Bombardier competitor. Perhaps it is heavily subsidized by the Brazilian government, and if so, I can only thank the Brazilians for helping improve my quality of lfe.
But the experience makes me even more annoyed with the recent announcement of a single-sourcing of new cars by the Toronto Transit Commission from Bombardier, with key politicians, especially our mayor, arguing that this was to support the Bombardier unions. Utterly appalling.
I voted enthusiastically for David Miller in the last election, and I fear I did not listen to the nonsense he was spouting.
Also, it must have been tough for Air Canada management to get the Embraer purchases past whatever hurdles the government might have placed. (Of course with the other hand they try to finagle support from the same governments.) But in the end I thank them for at least getting this nifty little airplanes into the fleet.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 5:22 PM