I see the Boeing haters are piling on already! By the way where is MH370 with his usual retorts? First of all, why are airliners not falling out of the sky over the years after being struck by lightning? Because they are built to withstand it anyway,Duh-huh! I love how the masses jump on any media tripe without questioning their source. There is usually a reason why a change is made to an airplane, and it is not always cost related. That is why they use block numbers for a model when a change is made. Second, I was on an old Lockheed Electra many years ago flying into Anchorage, and we had a lightning strike, and we survived. Not bad, but the captain was a 30-plus year veteran of flying in the Aleutians.

(Written on 12.12.2019)(Permalink)

Kudos to you for getting it straight instead of jumping on the Boeing hater bandwagon. Of course, I am reminded of the quote from Bill Lear that, "The FAA is the carbuncle on the a** of aviation."

(Written on 10.12.2019)(Permalink)

Kudos to you for seeing thru the "closed end question" from a "sensationalist" not a journalist. The media has truly been piling on instead of reporting facts. They love to manufacture "click bait" sound bites instead of doing their jobs. Ric W. is also correct in his comparison of Microsoft w/ Boeing. New technology is nothing to fear, but must be examined and fully understood, and Trained with! , before you go off into the wild blue.

(Written on 18.11.2019)(Permalink)

Was this not the same union that complained about the size of the loos on the MAX when they were first put in service? Talk about looking hard to find fault! At least the tail has not fallen off a MAX like it has on a Scarebus. When the MAX does fly again, it will be the most scrutinized airliner flying.

(Written on 01.11.2019)(Permalink)

I agree totally!

(Written on 08.10.2019)(Permalink)

Is there some unwritten maxim that you don't have to get familiar with a new type aircraft? Have they stopped doing check rides? As Neil Armstrong once said, "Sims are for learning." So you have less chance for error once in the air. This sounds like more shifting the blame or CYA.

(Written on 08.10.2019)(Permalink)

I know it is a film, but the scene from "The Right Stuff", where the couple are arguing about a recent crash w/ a test pilot is as relevant today as then. The wife says, "You know what happened, the machine just broke!" The husband replies "It is not the machine, it is the man, the guy was dead before he went up." I would love to see younger pilots try to use a good old-fashioned chart & Jeppsen plotter today & not a handheld GPS unit.

(Written on 27.09.2019)(Permalink)

History is NOT, repeat, Not quite repeating itself. While the "Diesel 10" did have a few shortcomings, it was not what could not be corrected. Case in point, the United incident at Sioux City IA was a great example. Capt Al Haynes used both experience & CRM to overcome an impossible situation. Not to mention that a fan separation in the engine combined w/ a triple failure in hydraulics had to be dealt with. He could have just given up like the two crews on the two 737MAX flights did. Just because something is new in technology does not mean it is to be feared. Learn from mistakes, and move forward. Oh, by the way, you still have to fly the D**ned airplane!

(Written on 09.08.2019)(Permalink)

I truly relish the Boeing bashers that do not fact check before bomb throwing. Oil & Gas companies, and pharmaceutical companies contribute far more than any other entity in this country. B. Littlejohn is correct in his observation about subsidies from five gov'ts in the EU for Airbus Industries. Talk about a flying carpet, there you go!

(Written on 10.06.2019)(Permalink)

Let me state for the record that I feel the Loewy scheme is iconic as well as great. That being said, I do feel that any proposed change should be carefully considered. However San Fran Nan, just wants to stick her nose into anything while she can. I do not think she would have been as much of a gadfly toward the Kennedys had she been in the same spot then. No paint scheme has come close to being as garish as the 'Independence' when Truman was in office! I would also suggest a look at the colors on the E-4 aircraft. Simple, and yet bold.

(Written on 06.06.2019)(Permalink)