Boeing
04-05-2019, 10:28 AM
#91
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Foothills East of Sacramento
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Thought this article was interesting; it shows systemic problems with Boeing go beyond production of just one aircraft. I appears a top to bottom overhaul is needed to get Boeing back to it’s core business.
The Air Force is rejecting, again, new deliveries of KC-46 tankers because of low construction quality.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...paign=16478831
The Air Force is rejecting, again, new deliveries of KC-46 tankers because of low construction quality.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...paign=16478831
04-16-2019, 09:23 AM
#92
Got an email from American Airlines this morning related to this topic that I thought might be of interest. Here is the core point of the email:
Sounds like a reasonable move by AA considering how much trouble Boeing is having getting the MAX flight control software updates certified.
To avoid last-minute changes and to accommodate customers on other flights with as much notice as possible before their travel date, we have made the decision to extend our cancellations for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft through August 19, 2019, while we await recertification of the MAX.
Sounds like a reasonable move by AA considering how much trouble Boeing is having getting the MAX flight control software updates certified.
04-17-2019, 06:05 PM
#93
I get to take the same course every year on FOD, foreign object damage.
A foreign object control plan should be implemented and reviewed by all members who are allowed access to the factory floor.
They are an incredible pain in the butt, but if your plane got rejected huge dineiros, it might matter a little more I guess.
05-05-2019, 07:01 PM
#94
Reading the latest CNN report it appears my suspicions were correct, that Boeing engineers knew about the safety issues well ahead of the first accident and chose to do nothing about it. The proper safety system that should have been put on all of their planes was only available to airlines as an option - i.e. - extra cost. Reports say the upper Boeing management knew nothing about the issues, but I can't imagine how they would not know. The report is very damming for Boeing.
05-13-2019, 03:42 AM
#95
Reading the latest CNN report it appears my suspicions were correct, that Boeing engineers knew about the safety issues well ahead of the first accident and chose to do nothing about it. The proper safety system that should have been put on all of their planes was only available to airlines as an option - i.e. - extra cost. Reports say the upper Boeing management knew nothing about the issues, but I can't imagine how they would not know. The report is very damming for Boeing.
05-13-2019, 04:50 AM
#96
you could say it was engineered managed to fail.
I helped develop the flight simulators for the Boeing 777. If I recall they were on the order of $20 million a pop.
The processing behind it was 160 powerPC processors on a high performance mesh with a dedicated graphics engine.
So sure, An Ipad is probably close enough.
I helped develop the flight simulators for the Boeing 777. If I recall they were on the order of $20 million a pop.
The processing behind it was 160 powerPC processors on a high performance mesh with a dedicated graphics engine.
So sure, An Ipad is probably close enough.
05-13-2019, 04:26 PM
#97
This article pretty much confirms your suspicions about Boeing management's handling of the problem. The engineers were made to be the scapegoats, it appears.
05-14-2019, 04:14 AM
#98
The CEO's job is to set the culture.
How does the CEO value ethics and integrity? How does he reward or punish business wins and losses?
Extremely difficult to change an entrenched culture.
How does the CEO value ethics and integrity? How does he reward or punish business wins and losses?
Extremely difficult to change an entrenched culture.
05-14-2019, 06:05 AM
#99
Thread Starter
Wow, they are grounded for the summer!
06-20-2019, 05:56 AM
#100
Join Date: Aug 2012
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From some pilot blogs (I have not verified)
It is interesting the AF A330 (my plane) that went down after unreliable airspeed/altitude, the non-military first officer flying had 2000 total time, almost all autopilot. He managed to override the safety systems putting the plane in the stalled configuration it was at ocean impact. All, ALL, of my company's pilots successfully recovered that scenario in the simulator.
It is interesting the AF A330 (my plane) that went down after unreliable airspeed/altitude, the non-military first officer flying had 2000 total time, almost all autopilot. He managed to override the safety systems putting the plane in the stalled configuration it was at ocean impact. All, ALL, of my company's pilots successfully recovered that scenario in the simulator.
B-737 MCAS System
(Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System)
But, of course, we already knew this………
Subject: 737 MAX...The rest of the story.
For those interested in the recent spate of accidents involving Boeing's newest 737 variant, the real story of what is going on behind the scenes is largely not being reported.
It was interesting to note that President Trump alluded to the problem in a round about way, but unless you are a pilot you probably missed the point. In essence, President Trump was saying that technology is a poor substitute for a qualified pilot in command.
One of the most basic skills a pilot learns from day one is energy management of the airplane. If the plane is too slow, it will literally drop from the sky. Too fast and the wings/airframe can come apart with disastrous consequences.
In the history of commercial aviation in the US and western countries, the first crop of pilots to enter commercial service were the post world war two pilots. Those guys were the real deal and not only hand flew almost all of their hours but also in some of the most demanding conditions. The second wave were the airport kids who just fell in love with the idea of being a pilot and scrimped and saved to take lessons. Both categories of pilots were skilled in the art of aviation.
With the explosion of second and third world travel, there were nowhere near the number of skilled pilots to fly the thousands of new generation planes coming out of Airbus and Boeing. Unlike Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong airline that was almost exclusively piloted by British pilots, the new Asian airlines wanted Asian pilots to man the cockpits...often with disastrous results. Asiana flight 214 crashed in SFO in 2014 because the pilots did not know how to hand fly the plane when the ground-based approach ILS (Instrument Landing System) was out of service.
Boeing, the FAA and worldwide aviation agencies track not only accidents, but also INCIDENTS...crap that was going sideways but didn't result in a crash. The number of unqualified pilots from Asia and Africa was plain to see in the number of errors being committed on a daily basis.
To make a long story short, airbus saw this eventuality decades ago and implemented automatic safety systems in anticipation of unqualified aircrews. Boeing resisted for a lot of very good reasons...but after the Asiana crash, the Chinese government basically told Boeing to "idiot-proof" the 737 as China would end up being the biggest purchaser of that model. Since Boeing had opted not to add automated control systems (which often override pilot's inputs) they were forced to apply a band-aid solution which, unfortunately was not done well. Only one sensor was driving some very complicated algorithms which worked against the pilot's decision-making inputs.
The fact that the Asian and African pilots were essentially unqualified is highly embarrassing to the respective governments and Boeing kept it quiet. When ALPA, the pilot's union reps, found the system was added without informing the pilots, they went insane...
However, what they DON'T know, is that the MCAS system can be enabled or disabled per plane, and can be done remotely on a real time basis via uplink. The US airlines management, due to the superior training and piloting skills of their pilots, opted NOT to activate MCAS...but the Asian/African carriers DID. That is why most of the " crappy" airlines self-grounded while all the major US airlines initially continued to fly without a problem.
Its a very PC issue, but basically comes down to 30-40% of the global pilot population are really not qualified to be pilots, but more just data input managers.
(Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System)
But, of course, we already knew this………
Subject: 737 MAX...The rest of the story.
For those interested in the recent spate of accidents involving Boeing's newest 737 variant, the real story of what is going on behind the scenes is largely not being reported.
It was interesting to note that President Trump alluded to the problem in a round about way, but unless you are a pilot you probably missed the point. In essence, President Trump was saying that technology is a poor substitute for a qualified pilot in command.
One of the most basic skills a pilot learns from day one is energy management of the airplane. If the plane is too slow, it will literally drop from the sky. Too fast and the wings/airframe can come apart with disastrous consequences.
In the history of commercial aviation in the US and western countries, the first crop of pilots to enter commercial service were the post world war two pilots. Those guys were the real deal and not only hand flew almost all of their hours but also in some of the most demanding conditions. The second wave were the airport kids who just fell in love with the idea of being a pilot and scrimped and saved to take lessons. Both categories of pilots were skilled in the art of aviation.
With the explosion of second and third world travel, there were nowhere near the number of skilled pilots to fly the thousands of new generation planes coming out of Airbus and Boeing. Unlike Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong airline that was almost exclusively piloted by British pilots, the new Asian airlines wanted Asian pilots to man the cockpits...often with disastrous results. Asiana flight 214 crashed in SFO in 2014 because the pilots did not know how to hand fly the plane when the ground-based approach ILS (Instrument Landing System) was out of service.
Boeing, the FAA and worldwide aviation agencies track not only accidents, but also INCIDENTS...crap that was going sideways but didn't result in a crash. The number of unqualified pilots from Asia and Africa was plain to see in the number of errors being committed on a daily basis.
To make a long story short, airbus saw this eventuality decades ago and implemented automatic safety systems in anticipation of unqualified aircrews. Boeing resisted for a lot of very good reasons...but after the Asiana crash, the Chinese government basically told Boeing to "idiot-proof" the 737 as China would end up being the biggest purchaser of that model. Since Boeing had opted not to add automated control systems (which often override pilot's inputs) they were forced to apply a band-aid solution which, unfortunately was not done well. Only one sensor was driving some very complicated algorithms which worked against the pilot's decision-making inputs.
The fact that the Asian and African pilots were essentially unqualified is highly embarrassing to the respective governments and Boeing kept it quiet. When ALPA, the pilot's union reps, found the system was added without informing the pilots, they went insane...
However, what they DON'T know, is that the MCAS system can be enabled or disabled per plane, and can be done remotely on a real time basis via uplink. The US airlines management, due to the superior training and piloting skills of their pilots, opted NOT to activate MCAS...but the Asian/African carriers DID. That is why most of the " crappy" airlines self-grounded while all the major US airlines initially continued to fly without a problem.
Its a very PC issue, but basically comes down to 30-40% of the global pilot population are really not qualified to be pilots, but more just data input managers.