Like it or not, the 737 MAX is a regular in the skies and has been for a good while now. You may have even flown it without realizing some of its unique design features. The plane continues the long history of the Boeing 737 as a short haul stalwart for airlines, and despite this plane’s horrific history, many orders are still piling in and production is actually increasing pace.
Add in the latest twist, where a fuselage panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight 1282 operated by a 737-MAX, prompting the airline to ground their entire MAX fleet on Jan 6th, 2024 and there’s a lot of feelings on this particular jet.
This, of course, is just the latest issue, after a series of issues from 2021 where some 63 Boeing 737-MAX aircraft were again recalled for electrical wiring faults, despite just being re-certified to fly by government agencies around the world, and there are even more justifiable reasons why someone might just want to give this plane a pass.
Here’s 10 ways to avoid flying in a Boeing 737 MAX, if you think you absolutely must.
Airlines Flying The 737 MAX
An easy way, for now, to avoid the 737-MAX is to figure out which airlines are flying the plane, and when. If you don’t want to fly it, the simplest solution would be to choose another airline. Here’s a look at most of the airlines with firm orders, deliveries or the intent to fly the 737 MAX.
Aeromexico, American Airlines, Air China, Air Canada, Alaskam China Eastern, China Southern, Copa, Delta, Ethiopian, Fiji Airways, FlyDubai, GOL, Hainan, Korean Air, Icelandair, IAG (likely for Vueling, Aer Lingus, Iberia), Lion Air, Malaysia Airlines, Norwegian, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Ryanair, Southwest, SpiceJet, Turkish Airlines, TUI, United Airlines, VietJet, Virgin Australia, WestJet and Xiamen.
As you can see, it’s not going to be quite so easy to avoid this beleaguered plane, after all. Deliveries have increased and it’s hard to walk through an airport without seeing one. Who are the biggest operators of the 737-MAX? The largest orders, with the most planes delivered thus far include Ryanair, Southwest, Alaska and United.
Alaska just grounded its entire fleet temporarily to inspect all of its MAX aircraft as a result of the unexpected loss of cabin pressure and the panel of the fuselage on Alaska 1282, the recent flight from the news.
Concealing The MAX
Some airlines plan to conceal the ‘MAX’ part of the aircraft name, making the plane slightly harder to identify for the general public. A little bit of extra knowledge below can help go a long way in avoiding the 737-MAX, even with airlines which fly it. Though there are always going to be some unique exceptions, the 737-MAX won’t tend to do much long haul flying.
If you’re flying Air Canada from Vancouver to London, or Qatar from Doha to Sydney, there’s virtually no chance you end up flying on a 737 MAX for the long haul trip so it’s hardly worth worrying about. If you have a short haul connection first, like Vancouver to Toronto, you may encounter it though. Basically, don’t fret for longer flights.
How To Physically Identifying The 737-MAX
There’s one fool proof way to identify the 737-MAX, and one good ‘guestimate’. The fool proof way is to look at the engines. If they look jazzy, like they’ve got special edges on the back side of the engine and you’re not on a long haul Boeing 787 or 747, it’s a MAX.
These newer MAX engines have a serrated tooth, or flame like design on the back, much like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. An easy way to know you’re not on a 787 or a 747 is if your plane has the serrated tooth engine bits and only has one aisle.
The other hint is the wingtips. A MAX wingtips will go both up and down, rather than just up, but some airlines fly a non-MAX variant which has a similar look, so it’s more of a guess. However, if it’s got the up and down wing tips, and you see teeth like serrated edge on the back of the engines, it’s a MAX.
Use Free Online Tools
Airlines do change up plans from time to time, but paying more attention to which aircraft your itinerary proposes in the first place helps. It should also give you more wiggle room, if your plane changes to a 737-MAX after you book.
If you’re searching on Google Flights, or with your favorite airline, look to see what plane the flight is operated by. Google Flights actually does a really excellent job of distinguishing between a standard 737, which has been around for decades, or the new 737-MAX.
Here’s an example from New York to Miami, which happens to be the first route American is flying the 737-MAX…
A big x-factor with avoiding the 737-MAX is that many flights you book today may swap to the MAX at a later date. As deliveries roll in, they’ll need somewhere to fly, and many flights marked as a 737 or A320 today may change to a 737-MAX.
Airline Flexibility Policies
For reference, there are over 5,000 MAX aircraft on order, compared to under 2,000 Boeing 777’s delivered in the history of the entire 30 year program. There’s going to be a lot of these things flying, and though moral objections are totally valid, it could one day be the safest plane ever to fly, given the additional testing and scrutiny.
Airlines offered flexibility policies between 2020 and 2022 with varying options, like the ability to swap to a non-MAX plane to a destination within 300 miles, but those policies have all been sunsetted.
If the 737-MAX gets through it’s latest round of checks, it’ll continue its moniker as the most scrutinized transport plane in history, which should certainly make it among the safest.
It’s going to be an interesting year for the 737-MAX, and if you don’t want to be a part of the ride, you’ve got more than enough info to make your own choices to avoid it.
IAG does not have any 737-max orders.
I have not seen one credible story outright stating that IAG has cancelled 737 MAX letter of intent. I’ve seen that they’ve been deferred to 2023/2024, and reduced in count. Can you share more? Thanks!
They never placed an order in the first place
They have an LOI for quite a few planes, with plans for 2023 though, no? Obvs these were destined for Gatwick, which isn’t much of a thing now for BA, but I don’t think you can pretend IAG have “no plans” for the MAX. Like I said, feel free to share anything saying they won’t be taking any planes.
Its a good plane dont be afraid of it…
Exactly. it’s as safe as any plane. When pilots from a third world country dont know how to fly the plane that’s the problem!!!. Talk about an article that is overreacting. Good God!! Dont they realize UNITED. AMERICAN, AND SOUTHWEST flew thousands and thousands of flights with the MAX for over a year with 0 problems!!! Horrible article!
I’d argue a much worse comment, than horrible article.
p kalnes , the pilots were not aware of the mcas system you utter moron
‘pilots from a third world country’ are in general western pilots… With same training as Western pilots. … V
Thanks to the recent antics of megalomaniac politocos it is rationally impossible to distinguish USA from a ‘Third World Country’, at least for the rational rest-of-the-world.
So what if it flew hundreds of hours – it has the most crashes per hour of any non-military aircraft since 1968 [post-Comet]. Hence the more it flies the more likely it is to crash.
Even more worrying – the avionics softness propagates to each new generation of the line. Given the demonstrable collusion of slovinliness between USA regulators and USA aircraft manufacturers can we ever trust USA mfred aircraft ever again?
There are literally REAMS of reports from aeronautical engineers on how the placement and weight of the engines makes the max plus unsound. It had nothing to do with pilot error, otherwise the fleet would not have been grounded. It has nothing to do with so called ‘3rd world pilots’. I will never fly this plane.
p kalnes
The 737 Max is an inherently flawed design, you’re an idiot and at least 25% of America looks like a third world country, filled with rednecks in trailers.
You are quite correct. You can adapt to hardware flaws, and you can overcome hardware flaws with software, but basically, you can’t fix them. The hardware remains flawed.
P Maine’s – Don’t you mean hippies and tents?
watch the documentary on 20/20 and then comment again
exactly!! I watched it on Netflix. How morally reprehensible.
Then to use racism as an excuse to cover up what they already knew? Disgusting.
If I need to work extra hard, spend more money and endure inconvenience, so be it, I won’t fly a Boeing again.
Either the most ignorant, uninformed comment, or a deliberate lie. You appear not to have informed yourself at all since Boeing’s knee-jerk denials and self-defense efforts after the first crash. You know, the ones where they blamed third-world pilots, the ones Boeing never even informed of the existence of MCAS, what it did, our how to override it.
They also failed to provide adequate training, stated that any pilot who flew previous 737 would transition easily to the new Max. They provided a 2 hour training module via IPAD on this. Multiple issues wrong with the whole thing. It’s all about money, absolutely disgusting that money is more important than human lives!
P. kalnes you are an ignorant a**h**e ….. end of story ! I laugh in your general direction. Idiot
I agree, but this is Boeings fault. They let the likes of Southwest and American intimidate them into continuing with this small outdated model that was mostly unliked by the flying public. they should have forced them to buy the 757, a plane that could have been upgraded just the same and not be practically dragging its engines on the ground. I hated the 737 when they only had the 500, it’s always been an uncomfortable plane to fly on. The new ones are even worse with cheap thin hard seats and tray tables that don’t work, weird air vents, and I’ve never heard a passenger EVER brag about how much they love this piece of shit plane. I miss the days when we had 2-3 Airlines that didn’t even own one. New planes are like the new cars, they are what we call plastic fantastics PURE JUNK do you see this boondoggle flying 30-40 years from now like the old planes are? And these Airlines that were so quick to ditch older aircraft to buy this piece of shit are just lawsuits waiting to happen, they should be ashamed of themselves, especially Delta. Sure we can inspect all the door plugs on all the planes-BUT WHATS NEXT??? see the problem here? This machine is not trustworthy. I’d choose a 45 year old DC-9 over this hunk of plastic shit.
A perfect example of an “Ugly American”. Congratulations! You have no credibility. Do you know what thàt means?
YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE IDIOT
as long as its on the ground and locked in a hanger
if its on the ground, and in a locked hanger
Thank you for putting Kalnes and Valdez in their place. Both obviously know very little about this issue and prefer to blame “Third World” pilots. Pathetic.
I’m not afraid of it. I don’t like to fly on ANY 737. I don’t like them. I don’t like the way they feel. I think they are uncomfortable.
I believe that any plane that requires a computer to correct inputs and make it possible for a pilot to fly because of the improper engineering re the motor location and weight is not a good plane. I believe it is just a matter of time until there are more accidents and fatalities on this plane. It may well take Boeing down with it and given the QC and continuing issues (2024) maybe that would be a life saving blessing. I think any rational and informed individual will ,like me, avoid this plane if at all possible. But feel free to stick your head in the sand and deny reality all you want.
Absurd that European airlines would consider buying Boeing rather than Airbus!
IAG is not even an airline… it’s an airline group, so this needs clarification on which airlines in the group have MAX orders. Sorry for being picky. Otherwise great article, as always, Gilbert! You rock! 🙂
I see you have now corrected the article – thanks.
Singapore also has some I believe (through Silkair)
As of Dec 22:
“Alaska said Tuesday it will buy 68 of the 737 Max 9 planes, up from the 32 it had previously ordered. Alaska will buy 23 of them from Boeing and lease 13 others from Air Lease. Alaska also announced options to buy 52 other Max planes.”
disable mcas and its unsafe, so you are prepared to put your safety in a “revised” piece of software? NO its not a “Safe” aircraft and never will be, if one more crashes and its attributable to sensor/sofware failure that will be the end of this aircraft , it shouldhave been permanently grounded and turned into scrap
Why is it unsafe with MCAS disabled?
aerodynamically unstable due to increased engine size/ placement and tendancy to pitch up and stall under certain circumstances ,still want to fly on this TURD
Most fighters are flying bricks (F-16, F-22, F-35…) and the V-22 has virtually no glide ability. These planes could not be flown without computers and sensors to take simplistic pilot inputs and drive hundreds of calculated outputs to avionic systems that keep the plane in the air. If it’s not your prerogative to fly on a plane that kept in the air with computers because it’s not aerodynamically stable then you’ll be flying less and less as new aircraft are developed. Especially when flying wings start coming out commercially. Just saying…
@Joe
So, I guess that if the computer fails everyone on the plane is dead.
Why would anyone would prefer to avoid flying the Boeing 737 MAX? Yes, it’s back and I am convinced that it is safer than ever before… probably one of the safest jet to fly now. …If it’s Boeing I am going, if it’s aint Boeing I am not going.
boeing is a disgrace, a once great company ruined by moron management and accountants, ENGINEERS should be making decisions about the safety of aircraft design period
Boeing is populated with deplorable company clods who would sell their mother’s for an extra bonus. Even if I were vacant enough to believe in Boeing ever again, I wouldn’t even consider flying in this plane. I’ll never go to Seaworld again either. “Fool me once” should be the rule above all.
Ok its a dc10 45 years old you still going nunb nuts
mcdonald douglas NUMB NUTS
Common folks …737Max is a good plane..lets fly with it…dnt be misled by other’s comment…
george valdez, educate yourself before posting garbage, its such a great plane it killed 346 people all by its self
Agreed. Boeing is most definitely at fault in it’s rush to get MAX certified, which led to urgent information regarding the aircraft’s design and MCAS system not being properly relayed to airlines that began operating this version. The aircraft itself is not at fault here. It’s one of the most technologically advanced machines flying, and easily one of the safest. You can have the world’s most foolproof and safest plane on the market, but when you put 2 pilots at the controls who are unaware of a key piece of automation it’s only a matter of time before it bites you.
MK- on the second crash the pilots did what boeing
said to do and all still died. Watch the documentary about it. Ill not fly in one of these “cost engineered” bombs.
DC-10 32 crashes, another pile of crap, trying to compete with the boeing 747, rushed into production just like the 737 max, then whitewashed as the MD-11
That was mostly the Airlines fault, the FAA issued a directive and some Airlines chose to ignore it. And American crashed one because they didn’t put all the bolts back properly on an engine. Dum dum dum, there is a lot of hanky panky we don’t know about that goes on behind the scenes in these maintenance hangars
…just be sure to chant that cute slogan when you find yourself hurtling towards the earth (faster than the speed of sound) as a passenger in a MAX that the pilot crew cannot control… see if that comforts you at that point in time.
Boeing has been corrupt for over two decades when the double-digit IQ Douglas management took over and moved their HQ to the flyover state and started making products with questionable quality like all the American auto-industries that are hell-bent on licking the investors’ behind.
You are such a fool to believe that BS LOL
What a prat, what does he know given all he does is fly about reporting on his experience of this airline or another, there a load like him but what does he know about the actual airoplane?
Um, a lot.
Ok, what makes the max unsafe?
Are you serious right now?
Why won’t you answer?
“buT tWo CrAsHeZ” will just show how unbelievably ignorant you are about the aircraft, and the two incidents in question, so choose your words wisely.
There are two types of people here: you’re misleading one group with your uninformed, ignorant BS and the other group is laughing at you for being such a Facebook soccer mom.
This may be the most ignorant thing I’ve read in weeks, and I just read the transcript of a Donald Trump phone call.
Why won’t you answer the question?
I know why you won’t, but I wanna hear you say it.
You’re simply regurgitating ignorant, MSM talking points. The aircraft is not unsafe when pilots are trained properly. The thousands upon thousands of flights flown by US/UK/European carriers prove that.
You might not be willing to say it…but I am.
You’re a low-budget hack when it comes to aircraft knowledge.
back to skool for yoo, invest in a dikshoonree
more like prat prendey
I will be flying these planes after my training is done. I don’t have any problem jumping in them at all. A properly trained pilot is the best safeguard against any incident. If you do the research of the companies that had these 737 Max accidents and look into the quality of training that they went through, especially Lion Air, it’s not surprising why there was an accident.
That’s completely unfair Jeff, and not very professional of a pilot. Boeing convinced these airlines SIM time to train pilots on this variant was not needed, as proven by subsequent investigations. I think that’s a really callous way of looking at the sad loss of life for some great pilots.
https://www.godsavethepoints.com/report-boeing-laughed-off-737-max-training-requests/
the design was CRAP from the start, doofus, thats why they had to “FIX” it with software duh
Software that Boeing deliberately withheld all knowledge of, including its very existence, from those pilots. They weren’t properly trained because Boeing refused to properly train them. Why is that so difficult to understand for you, Jeff?
thats NOT the point, the plane is UNSAFE what dont you get about that ?
That is 100% correct.
This comment was for you Jeff….
jeff, do you believe everything your told like a little boy at school ? boeing didnt even tell the pilots about the fucking crap they installed on it to prevent it stalling ,fucking WAKE UP FOR F***S SAKE
it wasnt an accident, it was deception, lies and criminal intent that caused these avoidable incidents
Jeff 8snt a pilot…. No pilot worth his salt would .are unfair and myopic comment like that… Jeff is a wannabe pilot
A properly trained pilot has nothing to do with doors or other pieces of aircraft suddenly fly off the plane, if they had been at cruising altitude this would have been much worse. You might have the best training in the world but if a door blows off at 35,000 feet people
most likely will die. What people should be thinking about here is that first it was MCAS now it’s door plugs. What’s next. How do we inspect things when we don’t know what’s next. At the very least they should order a stop production until the FAA and other inspectors can walk this plane through the entire build. Then cancel the program altogether.
Just. A quick question, why would anyone want to avoid the MAX now? Sure it has crashed once a many times but it should be fixed by now (I hope). And of course there are those safety freaks but other than them, everyone else should at least try it if they are flying anytime soon.
For the reasons mentioned in the article. Grievous program mismanagement resulted in death, which betrayed public trust. Some people will have moral conundrums with the aircraft, and or Boeing for a period of time. I note it’s likely the safest plane in the skies, but that doesn’t change perception.
Because the aircraft is inherently unsafe, and a software patch on a problematic software program to mask design flaws does not make it safe. Safer, perhaps, but safe, no. The only thing that will establish this aircraft as safe would be a thorough, quality, from-scratch FAA (NOT FAA/Boeing) certification as a new design, which absolutely should have been required from the plane’s inception.
Hi you have not Singapore Airlines flying the 737 max
Boeing does not desearve the public trust annymore.
“If it’s a Boeing i aint’t going…”
Boeing betrayed us all with their greed and total lack of respect for our life’s. They avoided taking responsibility along with the FAA until they were forced in to a corner. We’ll done China for taking the lead in grounding this dreadful abomination. Zero trust.
you have my vote charlie, well said
Why don’t European airlines avoid the 737max due to the fact the yanks are adding import tax for airbus parts into the states. Buy airbus, support local economy and stuff the yanks. Airbus are better aircraft anyway.
European Airlines tend to use Airbus aircrafts, not Boeing. Maybe a couple do but when I have booked for Paris and Spain, THANKFULLY, I was on an Airbus! I WILL NOT BE FLYING ON A BOEING!
Gilbert Ott seems to know better than the FAA who recertified the said plane. Do you?
What am I purporting to know, that the FAA does not? I’m simply stating facts about who will fly the plane, and how one might go about avoiding it, if they so wish. I won’t actively seek to fly it, and provide a balanced account of why one might not want to. My final line says it all “There’s going to be a lot of these things flying, and though moral objections are totally valid, it should now be the safest plane ever to fly, given the additional testing and scrutiny.”
and you trust the FAA ? they are even more of a disgrace than boeing l wouldnt trust EITHER of them
If the MAX is cleared to fly again, that means it has been fixed and tested, don’t ya’ll think that FAA would recertify the aircraft if is not safe to fly?
Facts!
its NOT safe “stupid” because without the crappy software update it WOULDNT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO FLY AGAIN ,GOOD GOD YOU ARE THICK
You’re a moron….
Well it certified an aircraft which wasn’t safe in the first place so it’s got form.
exactly ,its all about TRUST, the FAA are supposed to be answerable to the general public and the pilots ,FAILED, thats why 346 people are DEAD ,boeing management should be in jail along with FAA , utter disgrace
The key word in your post is “recertify” which should tell the FAA certified it once but we’re criminally negligent in their testing of the plane why would anyone trust them again, good luck if you’re gonna fly with them you’re gonna need it,..R.I.P….
You want “FACTS”(?) Here’s some: It doesn’t mean that it’s been “fixed”… It means that the FAA SAYS that it’s been fixed. Two different things. Further, tests don’t automatically reveal something’s flaws quickly-enough. Further yet, the FAA had originally certified it to be safe BEFORE the two crashes that took a combined 346 souls to their death, so it wasn’t worth much that it was certified at the time. So, this is an example of how the FAA ISN’T always correct when they say a craft is safe to fly, Fact-boy.
my comments about the 737 would equally apply to ANY aircraft manufacturer , they all have a responsibility to ensure their products are well designed and “SAFE” for the travelling public. As to the FAA, had they performed their job with integrity and conviction instead of rolling over for boeing 346 people would still be here today
They certified it the first time!
Basically it is an unstable aircraft made stable by software.
Carlos, Carlos! What are you smoking? This plane WAS certified safe to fly by the FAA, and 2 fatal crashes proved it was not. Then it was AGAIN certified safe to fly by the same FAA, and AGAIN wiring errors required grounding and reworking 63 of them. I think the FAA and the plane itself answered your question, Carlos. Let’s hope you were being sarcastic!
Early on the Airbus 320, 737’s direct competidor, had a couple of accidents due to software issues, different times, less demanding air authorities and particularly a less aggresive press, the 737 Max is the most thoroughy tested aircraft in history, I will fly it with no issues!
its not whether its boeing or airbus or anybody else, its doing the job right, peoples lives are at stake here, everybody involved in aviation must take responsibility whether its manufacturers, parts suppliers, regulators, operators, engineers,mechanics, and everybody else in this industry ,disasters like this should be “engineered out” not in, and must not be allowed to happen again
I recently flew In Southwest Airlines to Pittsburgh from Las Vegas. I noticed that we were in a 837 max 8 and I asked the steward why wasn’t the plane mod on the tickets. He didn’t know . We were in the sky , and I said we should have been advised that we were a recently recommissioned plane. We should have been given the option to decide for ourselves, before we were in the sky’s. The engine’s are yo heavy and large to be stable, and the CG WAS changed, and is still bad to be completely safe .
If the FAA are so efficient why did they pass the aircraft in the first place, Boeing knew it had faults but flew it anyway even after the first plane crashed, they also tried to blame pilot error, they are not to be trusted with people’s lives any longer and the FAA needs investigating for its obvious incompetence, if you value your life and your families don’t fly this aircraft and hopefully Boeing will go bust making air travel safer.
jeff , great post and TRUE
That’s very true , they modified the plane to accommodate the larger engines, and changed the CG OF THE AIR FRAME. CG is the center of gravity of the aircraft. And destabilized the aircraft so that a computer had to compensate for the instability of the aircraft.
This article is pure BS. I am a pilot. I have flown fighters in the USAF. and many other civilian aircraft in my 45 yrs. of flying. Let me state without a doubt. The MAX is one of the safest airplanes flying. It wasn’t 2 years ago, but it is now. I would load my entire family on it everyday for a year if flown by a US carrier.
The author of this article has no clue about flight safety. He is a fear monger. Disregard this clown.
What was the last line of my article? I’ll help you. “There’s going to be a lot of these things flying, and though moral objections are totally valid, it should now be the safest plane ever to fly, given the additional testing and scrutiny”
tell that to the 346 , the only “CLOWN” is you
randall , apologist for boeing and the FAA ? on the payroll are you?
I’m pilot also and while I’m not an airline pilot, I do know what the CG IS AND ITS NOT SAFE TO MOD THE ENGINE’s and not the frame of the aircraft! And that’s seems why it crashed. And that’s why the FAA GROUNDED THEM .
Ifs that so , why did the FAA GROUND THE PLANE? And by the grace of GOD AND THE COVID , that gave the Fed the ability to funnel billions of dollars to the stock market Boeing did n’t go bankrupt! And make no mistake they were very close, but saved by COVID 19 !
This “article” (blog post) is ridiculous. Spreading fear unnecessarily, only to end stating it should be one of the safest planes to fly on. Ridiculous.
Boeing is culpable for selling an aircraft
with a flight critical system that derived data from a single AOA sensor. They were further culpable for failing to ensure that flight crews received adequate training. That is enough to convince me not to trust Boeing or the FAA certification process ever again. There is, however, a bigger point. Modern aircraft designs continue to make the pilot ever more remote from the airframe. The warning signs were clearly there after Air France lost an Airbus due to sensors being impaired by icing. Pilots still need to acquire and retain the age-old basics of flying and be trained to recognise and manage systems degradation.
well said sir ,
Yes , it was not a redundant “anti stall system.”
But look at the defects they found while it was grounded! That speaks volumes! And lookup the fines they will have to pay. If it wasn’t for
COVID 19 they would have gone under , and at least had to have changed names!
Why would you want to avoid the 737max? It’s the safest plane around and has been tested and put thru more than any other plane.
For all the reasons noted in the article, and the 300+ souls who perished on the type.
Maybe, after the true facts ( over 300 dead ) , but it’s no way to run an aircraft builder. That’s a pretty poor to run you company, much like our military industrial complex, the cost in brown lives don’t matter to them either. So the end justifies the means again?
Because no matter how much lipstick (patches) you put on a pig (MACS), it’s still a pig, Brian. That’s why.
WELL SAID!
Gilbert, how much did Airbus paid you to write such a crap article
The same Boeing did. Zero. Enjoy yourd ay.
Good response…
Exactly what it was worth.
Cool story bro.
Please… I’m more likely to avoid the max because it’s seats are reportedly quite uncomfortable, but a short hop won’t really matter. If I avoided every plane that had ever crashed, I’d have a short list of equipment I’d be comfortable flying on.
I have flown the B-737 & several models…100/200. & 300…Never the Max. Also having flown the a320…is where I was introduced to stall recovery systems. Since the beginning of my training stalls were…recognition of & recovery from. Keeping the rubberband tight ( so to speak)…I am so sorry Boeing has to go thru this. The 737 is a very safe airplane. More power changed center of lift a bit…that’s why we train to standards…I would gladly fly on the 737 Max when certified.
Why would you publish a b*llsh*t piece like this? Just to scare people? Do you think anyone would get on the plane if it were not safe? Get a life.
Thanks for your time.
forrest vogel, this aircraft should have been retired decades ago, it belongs in a museum, instead it was fitted with engines that it was never designed for and we all know what happened next , like an old car thats past its best thats the 737 max
Totally agree. Boeing retired one of the greatest planes ever built, the 757, and decided to continue to polish this flying turd…737s are terrible aircraft…and always have been.
How many have died in Airbus crashes mr dalton?
whats that got to do with the MAX-i-mum crap 737 ? the workers building this joke of an aircraft were slagging it off as DANGEROUS, would you have put yourself or your family on it before the crashes ? l think not
stay on topic, discussion is about this aircraft
I understand that the software engineers that designed the MAX flight controls were a bunch of 20 year old Indian just graduated students. I hire these guys for my unrelated business for about $15 per hour.
Been there, as a pilot in Great distress!… “Total Loss of flight control reliability” did happen!
(See USAF Lockheed C-141 “Tab-Operable” procedure.). In 1983, those little “Trim Tabs” on the wings saved more than 25 souls aboard our “out-of-control” large transport aircraft.! (caused by spastic actuators)
Look; I’m a US Air Force retired “Heavy Aircraft” (and helos) drive; There IS a universal Engineering safety-fix for all aircraft which might encounter flight control problems (especially killer-Airbus!) when “normal systems” go haywire; uncontrollable due to flight control malfunction, (mechanical or software induced!)
Simple recovery procedure we figured out (after 1.3 hrs of Scary, nearly gone-inverted flight) at Charleston AFB. Step 1: Disable (neutralize) All hydraulics which power flight controls! Step 2: Engage Only the “trim tabs” for all aileron and elevator controls. Step 3: You stabilize with Very slow flight control responsiveness, but Very controllable!
Easy fix ! (trim tabs moved by separate elec wires; No computers! (or cables-only). All the fly-by-wire manufacturers need to do is add those direct trim control cables/ elec controls for immediate emergency back-up! Somebody, just “read and heed.!” Implement on All aircraft.! NOT that expensive!
Jack asses.
rick huff and il puff and il puff and il huff and il, il, jack a$$es how eloquent
737 MAX should NEVER have been certified in the first place, and now boeing and the FAA say it will be the “safest aircraft in the sky” what an insult to the 346 that are DEAD, they didnt get a choice, the scum at boeing and the FAA saw to that , break up boeing, and the FAA both have ZERO integrity.
Flying, like all endeavors in life, has risks. Pick your poison, or simply stay home. I myself prefer to fly my own plane…
And you are bad*** at it, and I love your IG : )
boeing to face possible $20 million fine ? it should be $20 billion that would teach the CRIMINAL b*****s a lesson
special extras for you if you order a boeing aircraft today, step ladder,string of lights, various tools , boots , ppe, used rags , metal shavings , all provided free of charge , we will even throw in a torch so you can spend all your spare time trying to find out where we left it
EVERYONE read “THE TOMBSTONE IMPERATIVE by Andrew Weir, then come back on here and comment
Everybody take a deep breath and remember that these (Max’s) were flying over your head and homes for almost a year and a half 12- 15 hours a day everyday 365 days a year before the 2 crashes happened.
j anderson , unfortunately the 346 cant take a “DEEP BREATH” as they have taken their “LAST BREATH” courtesy of boeing and the FAA but never mind, as the “max is probably the safest aircraft in the sky” pathetic
God, the author of this opinion piece is a fing moron! The Max is likely the safest plane in the sky right now. This guy is just an idiot.
“The author is a moron”.
Not mentioned: the author said exactly the same thing you just said in the article itself, which therefore makes YOU, a moron.
john , was it part of the certification that 346 people had to die first ? engage brain if you have one, before opening your mouth, but then again your talking out of your arse anyway just like DONALD TRUMP
You’re quite the mouthy person and enjoy insulting people meanwhile you probably have ZERO aviation experience.
jeff , ive forgotten more than you will ever know
Lol sure. Here’s mine just for a start
15,000+ hrs
737,767,787
I was flying planes while you were still an embryo
The Max is a turd! Building an aircraft with stall tendencies built in is a formula for disaster. Boeing should be ashamed for producing this turd. My thoughts early on were Boeing should be forced to buy back all Max’s they sold. After that all of them should be sent to the scrap heap. It’s time to quit applying Band-Aids and build a new aircraft from the ground up.
Why would u want to avoid the aircraft….they were banned for such a long time … but for a purpose that is to fix the problem. seems like it’s fixed…so they must have done many test flights and all…so after doing all of that…they are confident about the aircraft..so why would u want to scare people. There’s nothing wrong in the aircraft now as they r flying again…and there’s you who wants people to avoid flying the max….guess u don’t have any knowledge or experience about aviation or the max. Pathetic
“seems like” is when I stopped reading.
yet another d**khead ,take your place in the line with the rest
Wrong! They just applied band-aids on top of band-aids to the problem. They most certainly did NOT “fix” the problem. And unless and until this aircraft is fully certified as a new design (not a modification of an existing plane) by a CREDIBLE FAA (i.e., not one sleeping with Boeing), no one can actually say with confidence that this aircraft is san to fly.
rohit , the lemming , theres a cliff over there, go and jump off it, rohit “ok”
Are u a pilot or an engineer or the designer. Do you have any idea how much deadly crashes happened with Airbus? Do you know the emotion or the pain attached with the 737 max? Don’t spread hatred. Encourage people to fly more.
I do, daily, with an aviation and travel website.
aviation freak ,another retard
Mike, thats the point ,boeing said no extra simulator training was required to fly the max because it was almost the same as the previous model “NG” ,which is a blatant lie ,their reputation for producing a quality product is finished , and so it should be, everybody responsible for signing off this piece of crap should be in jail ,im sure most of the workers at boeing are decent people ,let down by the total arseholes at the top and that applies to the FAA as well
why not just scrap the piece of shit 737 max and design a brand new plane ?, airbus are producing a better product at the moment, and if boeing doesnt get its shit together they will be selling less and less aircraft in the future , and with china on the up, it wont be a boeing/ airbus duopoly for too much longer either, more competition is coming and its coming soon
I can’t believe this is even an article. If you don’t think that the MAX will be the safest aircraft after 20 months of intense scrutiny then you need to crawl out from under your rock and wake up.
Some people have moral objections, rather than safety concerns. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and this article provides empowerment to better make your own decisions.
joe, yet another retard dont you get uou cant polish a TURD and the max is a 40 year old Example
Given their sorry track record of culpability, what is the source of your apparent confidence in the scrutinizers?
joe ,it should never have been “certified” in the first place , do some research , thats if you can read
new, 40 year old, 737 max introductory offer : a one way trip to the other side, last rights, flowers, nice organ music, and framed picture of your newly deceased family member all included free of charge, book today
I hope you all know a Boeing flight from Indonesia just got missing….perfect time to discuss and raise these safety issues again…
Talking of the devil…hope you all know a Boeing flight from Indonesia is missing today…they should be kept in locks really…
737-500. Your joining the gun pretty quick. Prove it wasn’t related to poor pilot training/experience. Please don’t be pointing fingers before you know any facts
737 500, 19 fatal accidents apart from that its quite safe,
boeing, going, gone, (again)
If you’re so good, why don’t you design an airplane. I think we both know the answer to that one. Just quit with your uneducated opinions already
you need to read more , a lot more
M.C.A.S stands for, Make Crap Aircraft Software, but they have a new piece of software its called, T.U.R.D.S and that stands for Totally. Useless. Recovery. Detection. System. (available as an extra)
Fine boeing
$20 BILLION NOW
THEY ARE CRIMINALS
757,767, 737 ,R/C models im impressed NOT
Yep exactly what I thought. You have ZERO aviation experience. Get a life loser
jeff ,another brainless turd
jeff, l dont need to work as lm a multimillionaire ,LOSER
Haha you’re just an internet troll. Figures. Still have zero experience in the aviation field trying to prove to everyone you know everything about the Max. You know diddly squat. You’re a bloody joke. And being a millionaire is nothing these days you twit. Easy to do. Go read your online aviation week because we all here want to learn about the aviation industry from you. You make me laugh.
told you before about throwing your r/c toys out of the pram
Then keep your uneducated opinions to yourself. If you don’t want to fly on the max then so be it. I’m definitely not going to miss you on my plane.
is there life after death? ? fly a boeing 737 max and find out
March 21 2022, the Boeing 737-89P aircraft KILLED 123 People. Not a “MAX” But still a Boeing Piece of S__it plane! You have to be crazy to fly on a Boeing!
boeing…………….
going………………
wait for it ……….
thud ………………
gone ……………..
I have little aviation knowledge but 68 years life experiance and two terms that come to mind. “Bottom Line” and inherent “Corruption”
dont fly on this piece of shit…….ever
For all the Boeing lovers with that catchy ‘…not going’ slogan. Here’s mine; If it ain’t an Airbus…you’re nuts! Or…’If it’s a Max your judgement is lax’…Or my absolute fave; Boeing, Boeing, Gone.
I will do everything in my power to make sure I do not have to fly on one of these ‘aero planes’; at least until they have maybe 10 years clear of any total airframe loss. As for those spouting on about military aircraft being deliberately unstable; the occupants have ejection seats.
I refuse to be a guinea pig for an aircraft with proven issues, issues that, for whatever reasons, cost the lives of hundreds of people in fatal crashes. I might change my mind a few YEARS down the road IF the Max has been shown to be safe after YEARS of use.
I just wanted to say thank you for a great article and the only one that answered my questions ‘again’ online.
dang, those chocolate fan blades on my pw 4000 have melted again, and l really must use more duct tape to stop the cowling falling off duh
I liked the story and the comments are certainly entertaining. We have a long haul flight on a Max in a couple weeks. There are no viable alternatives for our trip as we would loose our Covid test window. And we really don’t want another 10 hours of airports & planes. I do, so,so, so blame Boeing and the FAA for the F-ups killing people. A high distrust of major corporations goes way back to tobacco companies and others. But as stated, we are in a new generation of flight and travel. I embrace technology…..when it works. Hear that Microsoft??? So we will fly and trust in our faiths that they have it right. But I would appreciate if something happens next week to a Max (or anytime for that matter.) that the people will bring the two aforementioned flight operations to the ground, for good! Please?
does anyone know if the Boeing 737-800 is the same as the max?
It’s not : )
I changed my flight from the Max to a 737-700 (adding 1 1/2 hour flight time and an additional stop) to AVOID the Max. I will continue to monitor what aircraft that will be assigned for any future flights and will change any future flights UNTIL I no longer can do so in the future. This DEATHTRAP will have to PROVE to be sound worthy before I will set foot in and fly in the Max.
It’s no big deal. Less of you people on my flight. Shrug.
the best way to sort the latest “ELECTRICAL GROUNDING” issue is to keep it on the ground
737 Max is a dangerous airplane. Boeing is a very, very poor manufacturing company. Many technical problems combined with inferior work force. I worked at Boeing for 7 years, including at Flight Test in Seattle. I will NEVER fly in a 737 Max. It will kill you.
I would avoid the 737 Max for the simple reason that the seats are too small at 17″. The A320 and the A220 are wider. Why on earth do airlines cram seats in when passengers are getting larger and taller?
This article is just spreading ridiculous fears based on manipulation. It has the same logic of fearing a vaccine because it’ll implant a chip that will turn people into 5G mutants.
First, it’s not. Second, it’s not. Third, make factual and metric based statements to illustrate a point.
More problems with the 737 max , metal shavings left in the plane during manufacture, dangerous wiring, hydraulic issues, horizontal stabiliser motor problems, flight control computer again , engine issues, its an unsafe aircraft badly designed and poorly made, by a what is now a third rate manufacturer, DONT FLY ON THIS TURD, if you value your life, its only a matter of time before another one crashes, boeing, a once great company ruined by greed, incompetence, and criminal management who should be in jail
BOEING……GOING…………..THUD………..GONE
That didn’t age well LMAO
737 ng structural issues, 737 wiring issues, 787 gaps in fuselage, 787 paint peeling, and christ knows what else ? boeing is a disgrace, run by fucking accountants, disgraceful
737 max is a turd and it will always be a turd, do you still want to fly on it ?its only a matter of time before another one hits the deck
Boeing 737 is a killer air line.
Just saw a news article about a Boeing crashing in China… Please tell me this hasn’t happened again!
I noticed quite a few possible shareholders / middle manager jobsworths / ignorant folk above. But good job to Gilbert for being balanced and as factual as possible in defence of people’s concerns.
Remember folks, people have died through what was a sound plane, cheaped out with a new design and withheld instructions and training to pilots.
Boeing, going, going, going, thud, gone………….again
Someone nicked the forks to eat their pickle with
Flew one a couple days ago. United, premium economy or whatever they call it. I can safely say that it was the most uncomfortable and longest five-hour flight I’ve ever taken. It may not be Boeing’s fault but it’s truly a dreadful airplane as configured.
I know this post is old but today January 5th 2024 a 737 Max 8 had a hole ripped in it and they had to make an emergency landing. they’re literally falling apart in mid-air. The 737 Max is a total piece of shit!
How to avoid: You cant.
As a tall overweight guy, What terrifies me more than doors ripping off or software bugs is the bathrooms on these planes!
The demand for this plane has one reason despite its flaws that airlines are willing to buy them even if some passengers may die.
They are dirt cheap as Boeing is dumping them
There is much that can go wrong without a defective plane
With A flawed plane it’s at your own risk
Let the Flyer beware and be sure to tighten nearby lose bolts before takeoff 😉
Please get your facts straight. Alaska Airlines did not ground their entire 737 MAX fleet. They only grounded the MAX 9s, the only model that has the door plug.
they were supposed to be certified A ok to fly again……before the door plug blow out…..rudder bolts ?…….what is undiscovered to be the next disaster ?