Type Regional Jet
CRJ900
Before the E175 wave, the Bombardier CRJ family carried regional America, and the CRJ900 still flies daily for PSA, Endeavor, and SkyWest under major-airline brands. Based on a stretched business-jet lineage, it sits low to the ground, boards fast, and gets out of short gates quickly.
Pilots describe the CRJ as a pilot's airplane: quick controls, a wing that likes speed, and approach handling that keeps you engaged. The cabin is tighter than the Embraer's and crews rib the type for it, but the left seat pays the same and the turbine time counts identically.
- Seats
- 76 in US scope config
- Engines
- Two GE CF34-8C5
- Cruise
- Mach .78 class
- Range
- About 1,500 nm
- Deck
- Collins Pro Line 4
- Role
- First airline type rating
Representative figures for the type. Model year and configuration move the numbers.
The Seat It Represents
CRJ operators hire on the same ATP timeline as every regional, and because the type competes with the E175 for pilots, carriers flying it often sweeten bonuses or upgrade speed. Endeavor's flow to Delta and PSA's to American mean a CRJ type rating can be a scheduled stop on the way to a major, not a detour.
Training runs the standard airline pattern: systems ground school, full-motion simulator, type rating checkride, then initial operating experience on the line. Winter CRJ flying into the northeast will teach you more about real-world jet operations than any textbook printed.
Student Questions, Answered
Should I avoid CRJ operators since the fleet is older?
No. Take the first class date a quality regional offers; seniority compounds and fleet plans change. Pilots who waited six months for a 'better' fleet assignment gave away six months of upgrades, bidding power, and flow-line position.
Is the CRJ harder to fly than the Embraer?
Crews call it more hands-on: higher approach speeds, a wing that wants energy managed properly. That reputation builds exactly the instrument and energy discipline majors interview for, so treat it as a feature.
What does winter CRJ flying actually teach?
De-ice procedures, contaminated-runway math, holding fuel decisions, and diversion judgment, several times a week, for real. A northeast CRJ winter is the densest jet experience a new first officer can log anywhere.
Where It Fits On Your Path
Same career rung as the E175, different flavor. If the regional hiring you falls into a CRJ base, take the seat; the seniority number matters more than the fuselage.
Related Aircraft
- Embraer E175: Regional Jet
- Boeing 737: Narrowbody Airliner
- Back to the full aircraft guide
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