Ask The Pilot

[eric2011]

As far as I know, I'm the only one of the regular posters who has flown both Airbus and Boeing, and then only at the heavy end of the spectrum.

The A320 was designed with the same goals as the 737, and they have been flying for approaching 30 years now, so in similar roles I think they've proven their longevity. But, the 737 dates back much further, being based on the 707/727 era aircraft. As such it misses out on things like FBW, which nobody would now build a jet without. The inability to use cargo bins is a major issue. The newest versions of the aircraft are apparently being outsold by the A320NEO family by about 3 to 1.

I think Boeing is well behind the curve with this family of aircraft, and probably should have done something serious back when they still had the 757.

So where does boeing and the 737 series go from here. The 737 is such a workhorse, do they keep producing it until it dies a natural death and eventually be replaced by A3xx series or is there a replacement in the pipeline ?

 

[Himeno]

So where does boeing and the 737 series go from here. The 737 is such a workhorse, do they keep producing it until it dies a natural death and eventually be replaced by A3xx series or is there a replacement in the pipeline ?

Boeing has the Yellowstone Project which aims to replace each of their aircraft categories.
Y2 is the only one that has been completed (787).
Y1 is intended to replace 737, 757 and 762. With the 737MAX coming, it's been pushed back to the 2030s.
Y3 is intended to replace 777 and 747. With the 777X, it has also been pushed back.

 

[Franky]

(Thank you for lurking in these "woods", keeping the takeoff to landing ratio 1.0 and enlightening us with flight deck insights!)

Agree with that to the fullest. Having said that, I was never very good at maths at school, shouldn't the ration number be 1:1?

 

[por930]

Boeing has the Yellowstone Project which aims to replace each of their aircraft categories.
Y2 is the only one that has been completed (787).
Y1 is intended to replace 737, 757 and 762. With the 737MAX coming, it's been pushed back to the 2030s.
Y3 is intended to replace 777 and 747. With the 777X, it has also been pushed back.

Interesting. While the 787 is a great achievement, you would have thought Boeing would have equally put their efforts(let us at least match airbus) into their workhorse, the 737. Airbus are providing an aircraft with "modern" operating and cargo handling features, while the 737, with its old world technology, will cause the bean counting brigade to see the Airbus as the aircraft to operate until such days as the 737 catches up.

 

[JohnM]

(Thank you for lurking in these "woods", keeping the takeoff to landing ratio 1.0 and enlightening us with flight deck insights!)

Agree with that to the fullest. Having said that, I was never very good at maths at school, shouldn't the ration number be 1:1?

Same thing​, expressed differently.

 

[Quickstatus]

(Thank you for lurking in these "woods", keeping the takeoff to landing ratio 1.0 and enlightening us with flight deck insights!)

Agree with that to the fullest. Having said that, I was never very good at maths at school, shouldn't the ration number be 1:1?

Mathematically you are correct and you could express it in various ways:
Odds notation = X:Y
Fractional notation = X/Y
You could even say X to Y
However to be very correct you need to know the values of X, Y. 100:100 is not the same as 1000:1000 ...esoterically...
It is impossible to know a pilot's number of takeoffs (X) or landings (Y) but I can safely assume at least here in these "fora" that the mathematical value is 1.0.
Additionally, X is always > or = Y.
Parachuting out of a distressed plane can also make X>Y (aside from the other usual reasons why X>Y) but arguably there is still a landing just outside the airplane.
Now I wonder if any pilots here have X>Y due to parachuting/ejecting out of a plane

But I digress...

 

[Captain Halliday]

Theory and computer based training then 20 odd fixed task trainers (non moving sim) and real sims from memory. Then flying with a training captain after that.

Seems a lot Boris. Forgive me if I missed it elsewhere in the thread, but was this a conversion to a new type? If so, from what to what? Or was it another type of course?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Umm, as jb said,this equates to approx. 1.3 hours per sector. How many sectors per flying day?

Average about 3 (some 2's, most 4's, sometimes 3 or 5).

 

[Boris spatsky]

Seems a lot Boris. Forgive me if I missed it elsewhere in the thread, but was this a conversion to a new type? If so, from what to what? Or was it another type of course?

Yes, from another Narrowbody to the 737. New type rating. I don't choose to disclose my previous type due to employer media restrictions.

 

[por930]

Average about 3 (some 2's, most 4's, sometimes 3 or 5).

Were they mostly return to base each day, or overnights and keep moving on and return home at the end of your roster?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Were they mostly return to base each day, or overnights and keep moving on and return home at the end of your roster?

Most returned home each night (overnights cost the company money).

 

[jb747]

Here's another head scratcher....
Accident: Jet Airways B738 at Goa on Dec 27th 2016, runway excursion during rejected takeoff

 

[Quickstatus]

Here's another head scratcher....
Accident: Jet Airways B738 at Goa on Dec 27th 2016, runway excursion during rejected takeoff

Assymetric thrust condition?.

 

[ChrisGibbs]

Here's another head scratcher....
Accident: Jet Airways B738 at Goa on Dec 27th 2016, runway excursion during rejected takeoff

That would be a tough one to explain to the boss over tea and biscuits...

Based on a previous discussion re: thrust reversers I didn't think you could deploy the thrust reversers with the throttles being advanced past idle?

Not that it applies in this situation but many years ago I was the only passenger on a flight from Williamtown to Canberra on a twin turboprop with 2 pilots on board (this was back around 1988). It was the first flight of the day and they were doing some run ups and both pilots had their heads down in the coughpit not realising that we'd started to roll from our holding point for a slight excursion off the hard stuff onto the dirt...

 

[Boris spatsky]

Assymetric thrust condition?.

Yep i would think so, JetConnect did it in Sydney in 2007 after hitting TOGA with a thrust split (41% to 24%). I assume similar has happened here. The books say to set 40 % thrust, then once spooled up and even, hit TOGA.

 

[mjt57]

Yep i would think so, JetConnect did it in Sydney in 2007 after hitting TOGA with a thrust split (41% to 24%). I assume similar has happened here. The books say to set 40 % thrust, then once spooled up and even, hit TOGA.

When I did the Flight Experience sim in the B738 the instructor showed me how to set thrust buy advancing the levers til they both indicated 60% and the engines spooled up to match the setpoint.

Seemed easy enough to do, I thought.

 

[mjt57]

Here's another head scratcher....
Accident: Jet Airways B738 at Goa on Dec 27th 2016, runway excursion during rejected takeoff

Lots of what appear to be authoritative comments there....

 

[juddles]

Assymetric thrust condition?.

or a simple case of texting?

 

[lastrow]

Seen last night on YouTube - two landings where the nose wheel was stuck in the 90 degrees position. I think they were both 737.

The first looked genuine enough where the pilot held the flare as long as possible and when the nose wheel finally lowered to the runway there was much burnt rubber and wheel hardware but the aircraft successfully came to a halt with only a deeply gouged runway as a sign of the drama.

The second was highly problematical although it looked real enough. Same initial problem, a jammed nose wheel but an entirely different solution - a Nissan pick up positioned itself in front of the landing aircraft, matched its speed and allowed the pilot to drop the nose wheel into the back of the truck. Is this for real?

Question - how often is a nose wheel problem encountered whereby the wheel in unable to be steered even though it has lowered and locked properly? Is this something you prepare for in the SIM?

 

[Quickstatus]

There was a QF747 which accelerated down runway for takeoff with nosewheel stuck at 90 deg