Originally Posted by
TJHarwood
As Boeing are still using control columns in the 21st century, even on FBW aircraft such as the B777, might it be to reflect pilot mindsets......?
I'm sure I read on here earlier that the original B777 design used sidesticks, but the launch customer's (UA) pilot's union objected - certainly not representative of pilots as a whole!
With the benefit of hindsight, would it have been better for all manufacturers to use the same control column system whilst jointly addressing the Stony Point "stick shaker"/stall issues? We now have nearly half the industry using a different system, with flaws appearing.
Originally Posted by
infrequentflyer789
The most interesting link posted on these threads (more than once)
was the Nasa study of A vs B control systems for CFIT escape. Covering sidestick, laws protections the lot. Result:
- the pilots overwhelmingly thought B was the better system
- the actual outcome was that the A system saved your ass more often
So which set of designers got it right ? Not easy.
Sums it up for me.
AF447 is critical so, unless pilots are better trained at high altitude manual flight, and with all the additional cost that entails, the pitot tubes and ADIRUs had better be damn reliable!
Colour me cynical, but I'd be surprised if most airlines couldn't purchase a small airfield hangar and a bunch of trainers (jet and prop) for a fraction of the CEO's annual bonus!
Anyways, I'm spent for now - later.