Boeing is sending experienced pilots to new customers to ensure their pilots get properly trained. In the wake of the fatal crashes of two 737 MAXes, airline officials told a media event in Washington that they now send “flight operations representatives” to airlines as they get their new aircraft. Boeing customarily sends maintenance and engineering reps to help customers bring a new plane into their fold but doing the same with pilots is new.
In 2022, 125 pilots worked with 60 airlines. “When there is an operator that is getting a new fleet type, we send them out,” Reuters reported Lacey Pittman, Boeing’s vice president of its global aerospace safety initiative, as telling reporters “What we’re currently doing is deploying where there is that need and a request.”
While local aviation authorities are responsible to ensure the crews are properly trained, Reuters said Boeing Chief Safety Officer Mike Delaney said the Boeing pilots catch some problems early and help the airlines fix them. “We’ve had to make hard recommendations to some airlines, no doubt about that,” Delaney said. “All of them have accepted either our recommendation … and in some cases we have offered additional resources from our company to help them do it.”
What is going on in the pic? Is that a simulator?
“Boeing Chief Safety Officer Mike Delaney”. Don’t make me laugh. He came from Mickey D and was our VP of Engineering long enough to help change the engineering culture at Boeing. Now he’s in charge of changing it back to Engineering focused!
I won’t make you laugh, Greg
“When there is an operator that is getting a new fleet type, we send them out.”
Wasn’t that a key issue? The MAX wasn’t considered a new fleet type.