Boeing 737

[ROGER Co-J]

Hi there?

Starting a 737 course next year (200).Currently flying King Airs with a total of 2200 hours, 600 ME?Turbine.Any advice from 737 drivers out there on how to best prepare for or approach the course?

Anything offered will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.

[Son Of Piltdown]

Brush up on Perf A, read 'Handling the Big Jets' and find a book on aircraft systems for complex types.

The first big surprise on an airliner type rating course is the complexity of the systems compared to smaller aircraft. Its a big feature of the job.

On the B737 you are always diving into the performance manuals as you often operate in the corner of the envelope. Knowing your basic Perf A will be invaluable here.

Check out the following website:
http://www.chris.brady.ukgateway.net/

This is for B737 guru's and had some good stuff on it. Glance at the MEL (minimum equipment list) and you will get a handle on the level of understanding of the job.

Finally, when you get to the course clear down all social activites for the duration and work really hard. Show a good attitude and, if you then have a problem, your instructors will be only too glad to help you through.

Hope this helps.

Things I wish I had known . . .

[Slasher]

Yeh Perf A and "Handling the big jets". Ground courses realy pull apart the aeroplane and its performance charts, so be prepared to put in the study time. Is the course CBT or talk & chalk?
Just remember a jet is only another aeroplane. Only it just goes a hell of a lot faster and makes more bloodey noise than the King Air. Only differences to keep in mind is coffin corner, effects of sweepback, effects of mach and high altitude, dutch roll (although the 737 isnt realy a dutch-rolling bitch even with the YD inop), and that jets are realy sensitive to airspeed: ripping over the fence in the King Air 10 knots too much is no big deal. Rip over in a jet 10 knots too much and the thing will refuse to touchdown (esp if close to MLW) and chew up all your runway.
Only other thing that comes to mind is to watch out for high sink rates close to the ground. Sweptwing jets (incl all types of 737s) hate it.
The 737-200 in my opinion is ok to fly with no tendancey to give you any nasty bites if you fly it well.

PS I prefer the 200 over the 300 anyday!

[ROGER Co-J]

Thanks for the replies S.O.P and Slasher
I've been reading the Perf A manuals and that website is really a great help.My future clasmates also thank you.


...To infinity and beyond!!

[Barbers Pole]

My adivce is to have a week off before the course so you are nicely refreshed for it.

It's not hard just heaps of stuff to digest in a short time. Put a couple hours study in each night.
Great machine to operate!

[Sink Rate]

It's just a big Piper Cherokee - and don't let the sim make you forget that.

It flies like any other aircraft - the biggest danger is to get intimidated by it.

My advice is for the Engine fail at V1 - put in half the rudder and at half the speed of what you have been used to - it's a very powerful control surface.

Otherwise chill out and enjoy yourself.

Best of luck!