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SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

dfwskier
Aviator A

"SWAPA is extremely confident that our entire fleet, including the MAX, is safe based on
the facts, intelligence, data, and information we presently have. We fully support Southwest Airlines'
decision to continue flying the MAX and the FAA's findings to date.


I will continue to put my family, friends, and loved ones on any Southwest flight and the main reason is
you, the Pilots of SWAPA. We have lobbied hard for our training to continue to evolve and improve,
and due to having the finest union Training and Standards Committee in the industry, that is
occurring."
 

7 REPLIES 7

Re: SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

sbk
Explorer B

   Obviously some of this is completely out of their hands as pilots, unfortunately training can't always save your life if your airplane is already faulty-  so why not just fix the problem before using the planes and save the anxiety of a potential negative situation?

Sorry, that makes zero sense... not fair at all to rely on their training when the airplanes should always be healthy to start with in the first place! 

Since they know these planes may not be safe, it's like playing russian roulette!  Sorry but I don't like taking risks 30,000 feet up and I really doubt they do either!  

Re: SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

binarystars
Explorer C

I completely agree.  While the pilots are excellent and well trained, a castastrophic failure in the air will likely lead to the deaths of all on-board.  The pilots' assertion is not an answer and is in no way comforting.  My wife and I are scheduled on two separate SW flights within the next four months and we will be canceling them and finding another airline that has grounded these planes. 

 

After 30 years of designing complex satellite systems, I can guarantee you that two catastrophic failures in less than six months is a real RED FLAG.  No company would buy or launch another satellite until the cause of the failure was scientifically determined and corrected.  Imagine if NASA continued to fly the space shuttles without a FULL investigation and resolution of the UNDERLYING cause of their two deadly failures.   Why are airplanes any different?  I know why: because they are revenue generating machines that cannot possibly be grounded.  And any lawsuits that arise from the operators' negligence will cost SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than the sum of all the potential lawsuit payments.

 

WE WILL NOT BE FLYING SW UNTIL IT GROUNDS THIS DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN, like so many other countries have.  And don't give the excuse that the FAA has not ordered their grounding--who knows what that agency's motivations are!!!

Re: SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

binarystars
Explorer C

the last sentence of the second paragraph should be:

 

"...SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than the sum of all the revenues lost by SW."

Re: SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

donwk
Explorer C

It appears the only major airline not using this plane, or some version of it, is Delta. I would prefer the FAA do the right thing here and not leave it up to individual airlines. Sure you are aware SW will let you cancel but unless you had refundable tickets, you must use the value of them within a year of the original ticketing date or lose the value.

Re: SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

dfwskier
Aviator A

@binarystars wrote:

I completely agree.  While the pilots are excellent and well trained, a castastrophic failure in the air will likely lead to the deaths of all on-board.  The pilots' assertion is not an answer and is in no way comforting.  My wife and I are scheduled on two separate SW flights within the next four months and we will be canceling them and finding another airline that has grounded these planes. 

 

After 30 years of designing complex satellite systems, I can guarantee you that two catastrophic failures in less than six months is a real RED FLAG.  No company would buy or launch another satellite until the cause of the failure was scientifically determined and corrected.  Imagine if NASA continued to fly the space shuttles without a FULL investigation and resolution of the UNDERLYING cause of their two deadly failures.   Why are airplanes any different?  I know why: because they are revenue generating machines that cannot possibly be grounded.  And any lawsuits that arise from the operators' negligence will cost SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than the sum of all the potential lawsuit payments.

 

WE WILL NOT BE FLYING SW UNTIL IT GROUNDS THIS DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN, like so many other countries have.  And don't give the excuse that the FAA has not ordered their grounding--who knows what that agency's motivations are!!!

 

and yet Southwest pilots have said they would not hesitate to put their loved ones on the planes, and they get in the things every single day. What does that mean?


 

Re: SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

binarystars
Explorer C

I have no idea what the motivations of the SW piolts are.  They could be touting the company line--imagine what SW would do if their PIOLTS actually voiced real concerns.  By the way, American Airlines in-flight crews (not pilots) have expressed their desire to have AA ground these planes through their union.

 

All I know, as a rational scientifically oriented person, is that you don't let catastrophic failures go unheeded.  I have no doubts that the cause will eventually be identified and corrected; my problem is that primarily American airlines are still risking the lives of their people in the interim unnecessarily.  A few less flights in the air for a time, erring on the side of caution, will not alter the course of human history or devastate the economy--just a smaller bonus for some airline execs this year!!

Re: SW Pilots Say the MAX is Safe

dfwskier
Aviator A

@binarystars wrote:

I have no idea what the motivations of the SW piolts are.  They could be touting the company line--imagine what SW would do if their PIOLTS actually voiced real concerns.  By the way, American Airlines in-flight crews (not pilots) have expressed their desire to have AA ground these planes through their union.

 

 I imagine the same thing would happen to Southwest pilots as happened to those AA flight crews that asked AA to ground planes -- absolutely nothing.