Anyone else nervous about flying 737-MAX this week?

[Aquahound]

9 hours ago, trophy_23 said:

Ours was definately a Max (IAH-FLL) end of Feb (Max has huge double winglets).  Return flight was 737-800. IAH-YVR was A320.

 

United does not have any MAX 8s.  That might have been a MAX 9.  

[Tapi]

737 pilot here for a major US airline. Despegue above pretty much summarized how most pilots feel about this situation. I was discussing this with two of my friends who are also 737 pilots for two other major US airlines. Besides political and financial reasons, we believe that the FAA is justifying not grounding the Max because there is a procedure in place  (and which existed before these accidents happened) to quickly disable the stabilizer trim actuators. All 3 of our airlines have a similar procedure in their manuals. We think that the FAA considers that this procedure provides enough relief to operate the airplane safely until the glitch with this system can be corrected. Whether that is satisfactory or not is a different story. 

 

If anything, these accidents have placed all 737 pilots in high alert about how to handle this problem should it arise. I know that I have personally been reviewing procedures so that they are fresh in my head. I do believe that our skies are safer this week than they were before the last accident. Many times pilots become complacent when nothing bad happens. These accidents are a sobering reminder to never become complacent.  Sadly, an ongoing joke is that most changes in the airline industry are written in blood, meaning that they only happen as a result of lives being lost. This time it won’t be any different. 

[VTcruisenut]

10 hours ago, WTXCRUISER said:

 

United Airlines (UA) does not fly the 737-MAX 8, which is the type involved in two crashes.

We are booked on a return flight from Fort Lauderdale on the 23rd and I was concerned as our reservation says Boeing 737-800 but someone I worked with looked it up (he found a link somewhere) and said our flight wasn't a 737-MAX 8 and that United Airlines doesn't fly those planes.  It still makes me nervous!

[canadianbear]

2 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

United does not have any MAX 8s.  That might have been a MAX 9.  

I think you’re right.  I just remember them all hyped about their Max plane.  I had taken a photo but must have deleted it.  

[lastlook]

I really appreciate hearing from the two experienced pilots who have posted here.  Thank you.

[boards]

Will the pilots fly them?  If they will, don't you think we should be okay too?

 

[lastlook]

43 minutes ago, boards said:

Will the pilots fly them?  If they will, don't you think we should be okay too?

 

Two of those pilots are now deceased.

 

[boards]

2 minutes ago, lastlook said:

Two of those pilots are now deceased.

 

Thank you for that information, are you speaking of the two flights that crashed or new ones after the problem showed up?  I am suggesting that since then I am sure pilots will not fly a plane they think is unsafe.  Give them a little credit.

Edited March 13, 2019 by boards

[Daisyloo]

After reading this thread, I went on-line to see what type of plane our WestJet flight will be using in November.  Not happy to see it is the 737 Max 8 !  I know that is a long time in the future,  so hopefully the problems with those planes is corrected by then.  Fingers crossed.  

[boards]

1 minute ago, Daisyloo said:

After reading this thread, I went on-line to see what type of plane our WestJet flight will be using in November.  Not happy to see it is the 737 Max 8 !  I know that is a long time in the future,  so hopefully the problems with those planes is corrected by then.  Fingers crossed.  

I am not a great flyer (passenger) on any plane, but I manage to make it with help of DW and the one above.  I am sure they will not begin to fly them again until they are sure the problem is solved and the planes are safe to fly.

[Daisyloo]

4 minutes ago, boards said:

I am not a great flyer (passenger) on any plane, but I manage to make it with help of DW and the one above.  I am sure they will not begin to fly them again until they are sure the problem is solved and the planes are safe to fly.

 

I wish that were true.  But Canada and the US are two of the countries that have not grounded theses planes.  Most of the rest of the world has.  😟

[lastlook]

8 minutes ago, boards said:

Thank you for that information, are you speaking of the two flights that crashed or new ones after the problem showed up?  I am suggesting that since then I am sure pilots will not fly a plane they think is unsafe.  Give them a little credit.

Yes - the two "MAX" planes that have crashed.  After reading what the two professional pilots have posted here, that's enough for me to make up my mind.

 

[boards]

1 minute ago, lastlook said:

Yes - the two "MAX" planes that have crashed.  After reading what the two professional pilots have posted here, that's enough for me to make up my mind.

 

Good!!  Whatever you are comfortable with is what I would do.   Hopefully by the time we are booked for our next flight (maybe the fall) the matter will be cleared up. and all planes will be safe or taken out of service.

[trophy_23]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

United does not have any MAX 8s.  That might have been a MAX 9.  

You are correct.  I’m positive it was a MAX, must have been a 9.

Edited March 13, 2019 by trophy_23

[Tapi]

6 minutes ago, boards said:

 I am suggesting that since then I am sure pilots will not fly a plane they think is unsafe.  Give them a little credit.

As I tell passengers when we are dealing with weather or a maintenance issues, and they ask if it’s safe to go: I have a family at home with two young children. I wouldn’t fly the airplane unless I felt confident that it’s safe to do so.

 

At my airline, I am protected and I have the right to refuse an airplane without any fears of disciplinary repercussions if I don’t consider that it can be operated safely. And it doesn’t have to be because there’s a major malfunction that’s forcing the plane to plunge into the ground. It can be for something as simple as the armrest on the pilot seat being deferred (I personally haven’t refused a plane for that reason, but I do have a colleague who did, stating that he couldn’t fly the airplane if he didn’t have an armrest to rest his arm while holding the controls).

 

While major airlines in the USA have contracts in place with their pilots that do allow this level of flexibility, unfortunately that’s not the case for all airlines or countries. The truth is that at some airlines, management will tell pilots that they must accept an airplane or face disciplinary action including termination. I personally encountered that type of pressure when I flew for a small cargo company and when I flew for a regional airline. I’m glad that those days are behind me. 

[trophy_23]

Just saw on the news this morning that Canada has now banned Max8 and Max9 aircraft from it’s airspace. 

[twodjs]

How can you not be outraged after reading post #20! It does sound like the reluctance to ground Max 8s in the the U.S. IS political. Shame on Boeing. Shame on the FAA! Do the right thing and ground these planes!

[Crusinsusan2]

5 minutes ago, twodjs said:

How can you not be outraged after reading post #20! It does sound like the reluctance to ground Max 8s in the the U.S. IS political. Shame on Boeing. Shame on the FAA! Do the right thing and ground these planes!

Thank you post #20 for your very detailed explanation we are not getting on the news. Could not agree more that these planes should be grounded. 

[Despegue]

9 minutes ago, twodjs said:

How can you not be outraged after reading post #20! It does sound like the reluctance to ground Max 8s in the the U.S. IS political. Shame on Boeing. Shame on the FAA! Do the right thing and ground these planes!

 

I really do not want to be political regarding this accident, but unfortunately, the facts do need to be told as they are.

Mind you, the FAA is also pressured by someone above their Administrator and Boeing is a company that puts profitability foremost.

Edited March 13, 2019 by Despegue

[CruiseMGM]

Just announced that the US is grounding the planes, saw it on CNN and MSNBC websites.

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, CruiseMGM said:

Just announced that the US is grounding the planes, saw it on CNN and MSNBC websites.

 

They didn’t have a lot of choice with Canada grounding them earlier.  They had no air space to go to other than the U.S.

[1ANGELCAT]

7 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

They didn’t have a lot of choice with Canada grounding them earlier.  They had no air space to go to other than the U.S.

Jacqui, does Air Canada or any other Canadian carrier fly these planes. 

I have been thinking about Ann and Pat today. I’m not sure what airline they fly.

[DaveOKC]

Looks like Trump solved the issue for us!

[kazu]

9 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Jacqui, does Air Canada or any other Canadian carrier fly these planes. 

I have been thinking about Ann and Pat today. I’m not sure what airline they fly.

 

Yes, Air Canada has about 20 of them and West jet about 11 I think (not that I’ve looked 😉 ) 

 

Ann & Pat should be fine.  The planes are grounded.

 

I didn’t think they were coming back until the 25th though?  They finish the Grand, I think?

 

I would guess that to get home they need to be on Air Canada or WestJet.  I’ve been wrong before though 😉 They’ll be good.

[Despegue]

Seems a Presidential order to ground B737MAX, overriding FAA.

Good.