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If the airlines switch from 737 to A320neo then all the 737 pilots would have to be trained on the new plane which would cost the airlines big $$$
by nerdbaggy 7y ago
If the airlines switch from 737 to A320neo then all the 737 pilots would have to be trained on the new plane which would cost the airlines big $$$
- yaur 7y agoIs it really possible for Boeing to fix this problem with out making changes that will require pilots to recertify anyway? If not then it seems like the training costs are a wash.
- kozak 7y agoAdd a third AoA sensor.
- yaur 7y agoMy understanding from what I’ve read elsewhere is that changing the AoA sensor from non-safety critical to safety critical is enough for it to be considered a new type of aircraft. This makes sense as you would expect pilots and crew to be trained on how to interpret all safety critical instruments.
- lukewrites 7y agoIf Boeing were to hire me to consult on this project, I'd suggest that they just go directly to five blades and/or make changes to instruments so they can be dialed to 11.
- travisjungroth 7y agoSouthwest has ~10k pilots. At $20k type rating per pilot, that’s $200mil. An A320neo is $110mil. So, a big cost but not the biggest.
- cmurf 7y agoThere are on-going costs of maintaining each type rating, so it isn't a one time cost. Also, you'd want most or perhaps all the pilots maintaining both type ratings, so they can still be matched with any 737.
- phire 7y agoApparently, pilots can only be rated for one type at a time. So during the cross-over period, you will need two completely independent fleets of pilots, one to operate the old 737s and one to operate the new A320-NEOs. Each fleet needs to have different spare pilots to cover absences or overtime emergencies. And the pilots who currently are training for the new type rating can't be in either fleet. The airline will have to temporally increase the number of pilots until the whole switch-over finishes.
- spockz 7y agoInteresting, if this is the case it would also have meant needing a second set of pilots for the MAX if it received a different rating.
- phire 7y agoIt gets more complex. Airbus have designed their A320, A330/A340/A350 planes with almost identical cockpits and handling characteristics to allow cross-crew qualification. A pilot with an A320 type rating can take a 7 day course to become qualified on the A330 (instead of the 40 day course normally required). And they can maintain the type rating on both types simultaneously. Since the A330 shares a type rating with the A340 and A350, this allows a pilot to fly quite a few airbus planes. Given the Max is so close to older 737s, I see no reason why Boeing and the FAA couldn't come to a similar arrangement, were pilots can be cross-trained with a 1 week course and maintain simultaneous type ratings on both the Max and Older 737s. Boeing does have a few common type ratings: The 757 and 767 share one; The 777 and 787 share another. But as far as I'm aware, pilots can only be qualified on one Boeing type rating at a time.
- CaptainZapp 7y agoGiven the Max is so close to older 737s, I see no reason why Boeing and the FAA couldn't come to a similar arrangement, were pilots can be cross-trained with a 1 week course and maintain simultaneous type ratings on both the Max and Older 737s. Greed and hubris, would be my best guess.
- rsynnott 7y agoSure, but the same goes for the 737 MAX-2 or whatever they call the eventual result of this, probably. I really doubt that they'll be able to continue to claim it's just another 737.