flensr

Yea right? You can tell Boeing really didn't care, it's obvious whoever did the software specs and testing had little or no actual commercial flying experience. Just like continuing to hide or upsell the AOA gauges until the crashes... I get the whole deal about trying to avoid a specific type rating, but I thought we were over the whole "oooh AOA gauge scary!" thing a solid 20 yrs ago. Even primary flight trainers get AOA gauges now and in spite of decades of dire warnings from the dinosaurs out there, nobody is spinning into the ground staring at the scary confusing AOA gauge. I remember the debates raging over AOA gauges back in the 1980s, with pilots ranting about downwind turns and the hazard of "retraining" pilots to correlate AOA with aircraft performance... Clearly Boeing never got the memo and that disappearing flight number is proof positive that they don't really have anyone with actual *flying* experience in there. Fine, don't change the software. Just give me back the little rotary number wheel on the yoke and I'll be happy. Nothing sparks a late night last-leg cussing session like turning off the runway and proudly transmitting "Ground, Southwest uhhhhmumbleg*&@mmi^ clear of the active for gate A4".

flensr

Naw, we're gonna be parking/selling the -700s and replacing them with MAX8 even if the MAX7 never shows up. Maybe retrofit the 3-number dials on the yoke to the MAX when the 700s start showing up at the chop shops...

TexasFlight

What’s the hold up on the MAX 7? “Certification issues” is really vague but seems strange considering the MAX 8 has to be one of the most scrutinized aircraft in history. FAA finally putting their foot down on the 1960’s recall system?

flensr

Someone in another forum posted up something about a little snippet of legislation that changes the certification criteria starting in 2023, requiring a completely new alerting system. So if the FAA can manage to drag their feet on the max7 (and max10) certification until past the end of the year (Fiscal year if I recall correctly, so October), Boeing has to certify it as a new aircraft under new rules due to retrofitting them with the new alerting system.

Here's a little article discussing some of the problem: https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/...erting-system/

My bet is that someone is trying to kill SWA and/or force Boeing to get rid of the max. Like the rest of our government, there is probably someone with a huge pile of money behind all this pushing to require the MAX cockpit and workflow to be completely redesigned.

While I'm 100% in favor of killing off the 737, this is not the right way to do it. My preference would be to do it through airspace management efficiency/modernization requirements that can't be complied with using obsolete aircraft, or through market forces. Not by moving the goalposts in this way right at the end of the re-certification process of an existing aircraft that has had a pretty darn good safety record in the US for the last couple of decades, but which suffered a huge political hit due to crashes by barely qualified crews and slipshod maintenance outside the US.

jaxsurf

I’m down for it lol. **** Boeing.

This is not the Boeing of old. This monstrosity with the name ‘Boeing’ pasted on its forehead can die in a fire.

BeatNavy

When this rule was made, they made the effective date such that the MAX 7/10 certification would be done and it would therefore not apply to any of the MAX family. But then there were more delays than anticipated, and here we are. My guess is they get an extension since the spirit/timing of the rule was to enable all the MAX family to have the same eicas-less cockpit.

e6bpilot

This all day.

The certification was supposed to be done already. They will either get it done at the 11th hour or they will get an extension. This isn't designed to kill the max, it's designed to protect it.

flensr

That's great, except for the congresscritters who seem intent on forcing the new alerting system into the max7 and max10. Congresscritters don't push that hard on anything unless there's a big pile of money motivating them.

e6bpilot

Boeing has proven time and time again that their pile of money and (therefore) stable of friends is bigger.

porkchopexpress

CA’s discretion. But I prefer to have them on my side (FO) for engine start then switch them over if he/she wants them. Some always do, some would rather have the big nav display while flying.