CRJ900 "Good to Go"	November 18, 2002

Hot on the heels of a recent CRJ900 demo tour and FAA type approval, a Bombardier CRJ900 test aircraft was taken up for a flight by its first delivery customer.

Capt. Dean McDaniel of Freedom Airlines (a Mesa affiliate) took the aircraft through its paces and came back smiling. "It was hard to tell the difference from the 700" he said of the flight to assess overall handling, which lasted 1.7 hours (including some 'touch and gos'). The flight took him up to 31,000 ft., and easily achieved a cruise speed of mach .823. Despite gusty conditions of 21-30 kts, the 900 displayed "very good handling", according to the captain.

Capt. McDaniel described the handling differences between the CRJ900 and the 700 as "almost non-existent"--if anything, he said, "it felt lighter". He added that from a pilot's point of view "once you close the door, you won't know what aircraft is behind you". Capt. McDaniel also thought that the cabin interior (very similar to the CRJ700... which he regularly flies), would also be a big hit with passengers. He called both the CRJ700 and 900 very "pilot friendly". Capt. McDaniel spent less than two hours familiarizing himself with the controls on the 900 and felt confident despite "coming in almost cold". He attributed spending even that amount of time as being due to the test aircraft configuration. That's very good news indeed for airlines, as they strive to match rapidly changing routes and load factors to the right aircraft size.

The Bombardier CRJ900 has also been shown recently to several potential customers in Europe and the U.S. The reactions have been enthusiastic, with many viewers commenting on the positive attributes of the interior plus the overall impressive performance of the CRJ900 and its very useful similarities to other CRJ family members.

On November 14^th, the FAA also awarded type approval for the CRJ900, with Europe's JAA approval expected shortly. "The 900 program is completely on schedule…" commented John Giraudy, president of Bombardier Aerospace Regional Aircraft.

With the first delivery aircraft is in its final stages of completion, there'll soon be three sizes of CRJs operating harmoniously in markets near and far. The benefits for passengers and airlines? A better trip and a better bottom line.

Ladies and Gentlemen - the CRJ900 - ready to roll and soon to be at your service!