AN ACR E120 FLC LOST A MAIN HYD SYS JUST AFTER TKOF AND WERE UNABLE TO RAISE THE LNDG GEAR. THE FLC DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO THEIR DEST WITH THE LNDG GEAR EXTENDED. THEY HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED BY THEIR TRAINING DEPT AND NOW REALIZE THEIR ERROR.

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AFTER TKOF AND GEAR RETRACTION I NOTICED A HYD LIGHT ILLUMINATE ON THE WARNING PANEL. GEAR DID NOT RETRACT NORMALLY; AND HYD QUANTITY GAUGE READ ALMOST ZERO. AFTER PERFORMING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AND THE LOSS OF (1) HYD SYS CHKLIST I PROCEEDED TO PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN AND THE L MAIN GEAR LOCKED INTO PLACE. R MAIN AND NOSE GEAR WAS ALREADY DOWN AND INDICATING LOCKED. AFTER WEIGHING OPTIONS AND CONFERRING WITH THE FO I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE SHORT FLT TO ATLANTA FOR A WIDER; LONGER RWY. LOSS OF THIS HYD SYS DISABLES THE NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION/RETRACTION; HALF AVAILABLE BRAKES; FLAPS; (PARTIAL FLAPS); AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING. I FELT THE FLT COULD HAVE A SAFER CONCLUSION IN ATLANTA WITH A WELL LIT 11000 FT RWY AND RESPONSE VEHICLES AVAILABLE. AFTER REVIEWING THE ENTIRE SIT WITH OUR TRAINING DEPT A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER; I FEEL AS THOUGH A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RETURN TO ALBANY FOR LNDG PROVIDED THIS COULD BE DONE SAFELY AND WITHIN ESTABLISHED WRITTEN GUIDELINES. EVEN THOUGH I FELT LIKE I HAD EVERYTHING COVERED WITH MY ORIGINAL DECISION TO FLY TO ATLANTA I CAN SEE IN RETROSPECT HOW IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BEST DECISION IF WE HAD ENCOUNTERED ANOTHER PROB OR UNKNOWN FACTOR. (THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A 12 HR DUTY DAY). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 385479: OUR BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS THAT WE DID NOT CONTACT OUR DISPATCHER. HAVING A DISPATCHER IS VERY NEW TO US AND IT JUST DIDN'T OCCUR TO US TO DO SO. WE DID CONTACT MAINT. ADDITIONALLY; WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT ABY SINCE THE GEAR WAS STUCK DOWN. WE DO HAVE LNDG DATA FOR A ZERO FLAP LNDG AND THE RWY WAS SUFFICIENT. THE ONLY PROB WITH THE CHKLIST IS THAT; WITH GEAR STUCK DOWN; THERE IS NO CUT AND DRIED 'LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL' STATEMENT.