Will you fly on a Boeing 737 Max 8?

[kdonnel]

This article might shake your confidence a bit.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/boeing-737-max-the-latest-example-of-a-passive-dot-11552409944

Nope. I would still get on a 737 MAX 8 without hesitation.

 

[LSUmiss]

My flight home is listed the same as you. I would also like to know if the 737-800 is the same as the 737 Max8. I hope someone know the answer.

From what I saw it’s not. Is this SW? When it’s a SW flight it will say 737 max 8. From what I read the 737-800 is part of the older fleet.

 

[Sandeep1]

I'm sure the unions as well as the FAA and the airlines will take that information into consideration.

You sure do have a lot of faith in unions. What makes American unions so much wiser than the rest of the world?

 

[LSUmiss]

This is a totally different discussion but I'd much rather perish in a car crash than a plane crash.

That’s me. What a horrible way to die. Also, I am more in control of my defensive driving. On a plane, I have to trust that the pilot is adequately trained. I know a few pilots personally & they are some of the most arrogant ppl I know so I’m concerned they may overinflate their own abilities at times. This is by no means a proper sampling of all pilots, but it’s enough to shake my confidence. I think the reason planes don’t crash that often is b/c of technology so when technology is now thought to be the cause that’s alarming to me.

 

[DLgal]

Nope. I would still get on a 737 MAX 8 without hesitation.

Fair enough. I won't. Especially now that Boeing ADMITTED that a "software fix" is needed and "will be available by the end of April." My flight is at the end of April. Not taking that chance. The end of April is over a month away. What makes them so confident that they can continue flying these planes safely for a month while a software fix is NEEDED?

I have lost faith in either our government or big business doing "the right thing" on their own.

 

[LSUmiss]

I disagree as they are the people who have been flying the planes.

But I believe our pilots believe they’re more trained & this couldn’t happen to them...which may or may not be true. They can’t know that until they know exactly what the problem is.

 

[LSUmiss]

You sure do have a lot of faith in unions. What makes American unions so much wiser than the rest of the world?

Arrogance? Money? Both?

 

[LSUmiss]

We're flying SWA tomorrow. Checked the web site and we're on a 737-100 each way. DH really likes the Max8 because it gives us a little more room between rows of seats.

Funny thing is we were on one in Feb last yr (didn’t pay attention then but know now) & I felt safer b/c the plane was new lol! It did have more room too.

 

[morgan98]

But I believe our pilots believe they’re more trained & this couldn’t happen to them...which may or may not be true. They can’t know that until they know exactly what the problem is.

This is what I think too. This is a situation where it is somewhat easy to say that pilots in the US are better trained, have more experience, held to higher standards or whatever, but without knowing the exact issue that caused these two crashes, it is possible that American pilots would have been involved in plane crashes if the same situations would have happened while they were flying.

This is sort of an "it can't happen to me mentality."

At this point, I would do all I could to avoid a MAX 8 until all facts are known. For the record, I am not overly cautious and more of a when it's my time, it's my time sort of person. But this makes me a bit nervous.

 

[JaxDad]

You sure do have a lot of faith in unions. What makes American unions so much wiser than the rest of the world?

I don't understand where you are coming from on this.

I just disagreed with your statement that the pilots unions are irrelevant. I would not call it faith, but I do gain confidence from the unions having no problem letting their members fly this aircraft type. I would likely gain similar confidence from other professional associations in their respective fields. If the pilots unions change their position, I would be very concerned and would also expect something from the FAA. One of my best friends is a SWA captain, and I'm hoping to talk with him about this when I see him. Maybe my mind will change after that. I know it won't change from an unrelated online message board.

 

[LSUmiss]

For those who quote stats about the unlikelyhood of dying in a plane crash, if there is someting wrong with the max 8, your odds go up if you’re on that type of plane. The odds overall stay low but only b/c there are not that many in circulation.

 

[Sandeep1]

I don't understand where you are coming from on this.

I just disagreed with your statement that the pilots unions are irrelevant. I would not call it faith, but I do gain confidence from the unions having no problem letting their members fly this aircraft type. I would likely gain similar confidence from other professional associations in their respective fields. If the pilots unions change their position, I would be very concerned and would also expect something from the FAA. One of my best friends is a SWA captain, and I'm hoping to talk with him about this when I see him. Maybe my mind will change after that. I know it won't change from an unrelated online message board.

Where I'm coming from is that nearly all countries have grounded the 737 Max 8. And you tell me you have confidence because the FAA and Pilots Union are still okay with it. So why are you putting more trust in our organizations than the rest of the world? Isn't that the epitome of American arrogance?

 

[bcla]

My flight home is listed the same as you. I would also like to know if the 737-800 is the same as the 737 Max8. I hope someone know the answer.

No. The 737-800 is part of the Next Generation series (-600,-700,-800,-900). The MAX series would be called the MAX 7, MAX 8, or MAX 9 with Boeing's new numbering scheme. The number is based on the size of the plane, where it gets longer with a bigger number.

 

[JaxDad]

Where I'm coming from is that nearly all countries have grounded the 737 Max 8. And you tell me you have confidence because the FAA and Pilots Union are still okay with it. So why are you putting more trust in our organizations than the rest of the world? Isn't that the epitome of American arrogance?

I guess that's one interpretation.

 

[dish rag]

I would yes, no problem. I’ll be flying later today on an air bus, not the same I know but I’m not afraid at all. Probably will be sleeping before push back. That said I wouldn’t fly on any Air Ethiopia jet. Along with some other air lines.

 

[Floridaman999]

I'm shocked I tell ya.

 

[RedAngie]

We're flying SWA tomorrow. Checked the web site and we're on a 737-100 each way. DH really likes the Max8 because it gives us a little more room between rows of seats.

Better check again. AFAIK, all 737-100 planes have been retired for many years.

Back when the FAA pulled the type certificate for the DC-10 many proclaimed that the DC-10 was dead. It went on to fly passengers for 20 years.

Travelers appear to have only short term memory.

Well, the DC-10 did sort of die after the Chicago incident in 1979. While those still in production were finished, McDonnell-Douglas didn't receive any new orders for passenger models.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Where I'm coming from is that nearly all countries have grounded the 737 Max 8. And you tell me you have confidence because the FAA and Pilots Union are still okay with it. So why are you putting more trust in our organizations than the rest of the world? Isn't that the epitome of American arrogance?

The NTSB is recognized as the world leader in accident investigation. Most countries will bring in the NTSB for accident investigations within their country.
And yes there are also some expertise within our aviation unions.

 

[Sandeep1]

Canada has now grounded the 737 Max because of additional data they've received.

Batter up USA.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Canada has now grounded the 737 Max because of additional data they've received.

Batter up USA.

And if the FAA/NTSB gather data that shows the airplane should be grounded, I’m sure they will do so. In the meantime I don’t see the need to panic.