long-gonner: the reason it's disappointing is that the B737 is stuck in a time warp. E.g. the picture that Iver has linked to doesn't show the overhead panel, and neither does it show the EICAS / ECAM system, nor the integrated digital data bus, and you have to wonder why not? Ah yes, now I remember, maybe it’s because Boeing can't fundamentally change the basic B707 design (
which all 737's derive from) and therein include those elements, because then they'd blow the commonality with previous versions of the type? Aside, and without naming names, at least one of our fltops bosses was hoping for an order of 787's, so go figure?!
And, wrt 'bigger aircraft’? Na, been there, done that (
and, trust me when I say, that flight times with double digit hours are tedium personified, as is living out of hotel rooms, and being jet lagged all to hell, imho). But I'll admit a side-stick would have made a pleasant change, if only to grab the rating and then foxtrot oscar with it, but hey ho and ah well, two buckets!
