What it's like to fly Central Mountain Air's 328 turboprop

Most folks, when looking for a winter getaway, look to the south for a little respite. Places like the Caribbean or Hawaii typically top the charts for sun and sand. But then again, I’m not like most people. Instead, I looked to the north in December — specifically to Calgary, home to one of the latest airplanes of interest to me: Central Mountain Air’s (CMA) Dornier 328 turboprop.

A 30-seat commuter first produced in the early ’90s, the 328 turboprop was the wrong plane at the wrong time for the market. With an initial production-run forecast of 400 frames, only 107 were ever produced. And of those, only one remains in scheduled passenger service.

CMA announced in late 2025 that it would deploy the 328 turboprop solely on their latest route between Calgary and Prince George, British Columbia. I happened to have early December off at my day job, and tickets from Seattle to Calgary were under $100US each way. The deal was sealed.

Unfortunately, tickets from Calgary to Prince George and back were not so cheap. Each direction set me back $183CAD for the airline’s basic economy equivalent. Seat choice added another $20 per direction (I only paid for one), and parking at the carrier’s exclusive terminal cost another $15.

By the time the damage was done, the total came to $400CAD. Ouch. Fares that included checked bags, refundability and more lenient change policies were even costlier, with the next lowest bucket adding +$100CAD per leg.

The morning of the flight, however, I woke up sick. And not just a little sick. This was ‘go direct to urgent care’ level sick. The trip was not going to happen. I summoned what strength I had to log into my reservation and cancel the ticket. CMA’s policy charged me a steep $75CAD cancellation fee per leg, taken out of the initial fare paid. At least the rest I could keep as a credit for up to one year, salvaging $250ish of the total.

I was pretty disappointed, but if there was any consolation to be had it came in knowing the 328 turboprop ended up being swapping out that day anyways.

Several weeks later I was healthy enough to try again. The total cost was once again the same, less the $250 credit from the prior booking. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

A few days later, I found myself in Calgary, where the temperatures were sub zero and a stiff wind blew icy snow across the plains. In the pre-dawn hours, I pulled up to CMA’s exclusive terminal, which effectively operates as an FBO.

Check-in was quick and easy, and there was plenty of comfortable seating. Coffee, teas and a small selection of snacks are complimentary, and I made myself a cup of black tea to help perk up.

Boarding began on time, and I settled into seat 1F as the sun began to rise. Seat F implies an especially wide cabin, but I can assure you it is not. The seating is arranged in a 1-2 layout, with modest pitch and above-average recline. For a turboprop, it’s arguably roomy.

I had just been posting on social media about the Dornier’s notoriously poor dispatch reliability when I noticed the pilots furtively trying to get the flight attendant’s attention. Sure enough, they had a problem, and we all had to deplane while maintenance debugged the situation.

Central Mountain Air (CMA) Dornier 328 turboprop ready for boarding.

Luckily the wait was not long, and we were back on board and taxiing out for departure forty minutes later. Once airborne, a very friendly flight attendant served beverages and small snacks to all seven passengers.

PSU on the 328 turboprop

There isn’t much in the way of amenities. No Wi-Fi, no stream-to device or seatback TV to be had here. The bathrooms don’t even have running water.

But this flight did have two things that most don’t. First, the routing up to Prince George flies directly up and over Banff and the Canadian Rockies.

View of snow-capped mountains

When the weather is clear, like it became on the flight up, the scenery is stunning from beginning to end.

Second, this aircraft is outfitted with something I’ve never seen before: a cockpit door with a window in it. Yes, a little tiny window that you can peer into and see what’s happening up front. You can’t park there the whole flight, but shockingly, photos and video are allowed, making for an incredibly rare opportunity in 2026.

The flight time was only 80 minutes, and before I knew it we were descending into Prince George, which was somehow even colder than Calgary. The flight crew bid me adieu until the return flight several hours later, and I went into town for some lunch and to explore a local train museum.

The return flight was much the same way as the outbound, except for being full to the brim. Luckily, I had one of the left side single seats (3A, chosen at check-in for free). We landed in a snowy Calgary on time.