Originally Posted by
canyonblue737
Yes, clearly different than a runway and yes, the column cutout doesn't work with MCAS. Yes the trim wheel moving, even in manual flight, even when not trimming with the yoke switch is normal in a 737. That said you would think in 7-12 minutes of watching the nose get heavier and heavier and the trim moving downward on occasion on its own you would kill the trim with the stab cutout switches. I totally get the anger at Boeing but experienced 737 pilots should be able to figure this out, in particular with a bit of time, and after the Lion Air accident and the required reading of the MCAS system and its failure mode you would think any 737 MAX pilot would be able to figure this out very, very quickly let alone with time. Lots of blame to go around here in these accidents, starts with Boeing but as usual it ends in the point end of the jet.
Exactly!! There is a large range in pilot skill level and dedication. The most dedicated group I personally flew with was Japanese pilots at a small airline based out of Tokyo. They knew the aircraft systems backwards and forwards. They had their own study sessions and they also kept records of the expat Captains qwerks and briefed each other on those also. Was not unusual to pick up one of these young men who had a total flight time under 300 hours. And yes it showed but they matured rapidly and became very skilled pilots quickly.
but back to the question at hand.... Yes, there will be enough blame to go around and I really like Boeing and am sad that they let this happen to them. I have sympathy for people who work for unenlightened airline managements that let politics and favoritism trump safe operating decisions. There are people who are a danger to themselves and others and truly do not know it. I hope that on the positive side, this accident has drawn enough attention that ALL are watching and learning.
If the 737 MAX or any other aircraft can be flown out a corner of the envelope from which recovery is not possible we need to know about it and fix it.
BTW, my personal standard for releasing a pilot to line flying was simple. I imagined my family in the back and had him fly the entire let down and approach without the autopilot or auto throttle Very few had much problem with this. We trained for this, everyone was familiar with the power and attitude required for every common configuration.