What safety improvements does the MAX cockpit offer?
I've not read or heard much about that, have you?
If you go through the antiquated B737-2/3/4/5/6/7/8 and 900 series flight deck, I'd imagine most, especially 7-37 crew, are waiting for the damned thing to catch up with today's modern advanced (B-787 and A350 come to mind) technology or will we get handed yet another dressed up 1965 aeroplane that still doesn't have EICAS after how many 'advancements' and new-and-improved versions of it?
If you love to fly aeroplanes, who gives a ratzass about what engine type or percentage of fuel costs are saved? Yer sitting on the flight deck! How about s'more automation and gee whiz stuff. Put the IRSs where a 5' 10" bloke can reach them. Synoptics would help. We have a whole entire generation weened on Synoptics. Pilots don't buy aeroplanes anyway.
When is the single digit fuel cost saving lost through increased fuel prices? Let the financial weenies and airline managers worry about that. I'd prefer to see something state-of-the-art in the MAX. Something that addresses the aeroplanes safety issues and human factors issues. I think it's time these issues were addressed and not just strapping on a 'new' engine.
Otherwise, those new engines and fancy sharklet and sceptre-like winglets are nothing more than a bandaid solution to hopefully keep market share losses to a minimum.
Good choice or bad choice for Air Canada? Doesn't matter. I'm sure there will be some disappointment in the Airbus crews moving over to the MAX.
Willie
