MAX takes to the skies again

[ATLcrew]

The radar altimeter on my Cub is inop!

This has nothing to do with the MAX, but I've been curious on why some former airline pilots end up buying something like a Cub (or a 120 or a something similar). Can you explain the appeal to me? What's the point of an airplane that has no speed, range, or ceiling? I honestly don't get the draw, especially after flying jets.

[BoeingBobby]

This has nothing to do with the MAX, but I've been curious on why some former airline pilots end up buying something like a Cub (or a 120 or a something similar). Can you explain the appeal to me? What's the point of an airplane that has no speed, range, or ceiling? I honestly don't get the draw, especially after flying jets.

The Cub has been in my family for over 30 years. Ever fly a Cub or a Stearman? I usually fly twice a week for an hour or so. Real flying.

[Gabriel]

Regarding these flight tests where Boeing "coached" test pilots and whether or not (or how much) the corporate culture changed at Boeing (and at the FAA)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQIL8CzL-yY

[kent olsen]

Many of us older guys learned to fly in tail draggers. The challenge to coordinate turns and land 3 point is still there.

Ok I'll surely get some backlash from this. When I was doing IOE in the 747 this is how I taught my students to land in a crosswind. You are trying to land in the middle of a 150/200 ft wide runway. Stay lined up with the extended centerline. Now if you need to move to the left 10-20 feet and you put in a small bank when you roll out of the small bank 600,000lbs of inertia will cause the airplane to move another 10 or so feet before it goes straight. So this is how I taught it. Line up with the centerline. Crab into the wind as necessary. Keep your wings level. If you drift off the center line a little use your rudders and skid back into the wind and continue the crab as necessary. The airplane doesn't like the skid so when you return the rudders to neutral it will immediately go where it's pointing. Use those little skids to maintain the crab into the crosswind. Now when you flare you are used to pointing the nose where you want it and a little wing down into the wind and some rudder to straighten things out and you are down.

[ATLcrew]

The Cub has been in my family for over 30 years. Ever fly a Cub or a Stearman? I usually fly twice a week for an hour or so. Real flying.

I flew a PA-11 for my taildragger signoff. Can't say I had much desire to do it again, and certainly not to own one.

[BoeingBobby]

I flew a PA-11 for my taildragger signoff. Can't say I had much desire to do it again, and certainly not to own one.

What can I tell you? Some people love to fly, and some just do it for a living. Only thing that is better than flying a Cub or a Stearman, is a sailplane in my book.

[ATLcrew]

What can I tell you? Some people love to fly, and some just do it for a living. Only thing that is better than flying a Cub or a Stearman, is a sailplane in my book.

What can I tell you? Some people love to fly and some just go around the pattern thirty-seven times in a row at 80mph...

[BoeingBobby]

What can I tell you? Some people love to fly and some just go around the pattern thirty-seven times in a row at 80mph...

80? That's pushing it!

[3WE]

Quote = The media: "Boeing 737 Max takes to the skies again in crucial passenger confidence test following fatal crashes"

[Evan]

Quote = The media: "Boeing 737 Max takes to the skies again in crucial passenger confidence test following fatal crashes"

One diversion for a bad hydraulic pressure indication and fuel imbalance, maybe a FQIS sensor issue already made the headlines as "737MAX DIVERTS DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE".

It's going to be merciless for a while.

[3WE]

What can I tell you? Some people love to fly and some just go around the pattern thirty-seven times in a row at 80mph...

That's 37 takeoffs, 37 landings, 37 level offs, 37 descents to manage, and conceivably 36 of those pesky late go-arounds that Gabriel loves so much.

While straight and level is certainly a high-level skill, it's boring.

[Evan]

Update on the recent grounding:

According to Boeing and the FAA, the problem first became apparent during testing of a newly manufactured 737 Max 8, which had yet to be delivered to its owner. It was found that electrical power systems on the aircraft were not working correctly.

The fault was traced to poor electrical bonding, where panel assemblies that were also intended to conduct electricity and form part of a connection with the frame of the aircraft were not doing so effectively.

This meant that some components on the plane, including the pilots' main instrument panel and a standby power control unit, were improperly grounded, or earthed.

According to the FAA, this could potentially "affect the operation of certain systems, including engine ice protection, and result in loss of critical functions and/or multiple simultaneous flight deck effects, which may prevent continued safe flight and landing".

Design issues have presumably been rectified. Shoddy workmanship issues apparently have not.

Culture.

[3WE]

I’m getting old, but:

(And a bicycle ride can ever so slightly change your view of human perfection)

[Gabriel]

Update on the recent grounding:


Design issues have presumably been rectified. Shoddy workmanship issues apparently have not.

Culture.

Culture, but in a different way. It was an engineering workmanship issue. A minor design improvement that did not go as expected (changed rivets for screws to attach some components).

[Evan]

Culture, but in a different way. It was an engineering workmanship issue. A minor design improvement that did not go as expected (changed rivets for screws to attach some components).

Aha. Was that a mid-level improv move or a top level design move, I wonder. Was it coming from the pocket protectors in engineering (why?) or was it, "hey Barney, we're out of rivets... Yeah, yeah, just use screws, time's a wastin'"?

How much substitution is allowed within the limits of certification?