Hundreds of Boeing 737 MAXes languish in storage sites all over the world but Reuters is reporting an Air Canada airplane got a few dozen hours on it in August and early September because of the airline’s unique position among MAX operators. Air Canada didn’t operate any 737s when it bought the MAX (it’s mostly Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier) so all of its MAX check pilots can’t maintain currency in earlier models of the 737 and with the return to service possibly happening sooner than later, the airline was faced with an unsolvable cockpit staffing issue as long as the plane was grounded.
The airline worked out a deal with Transport Canada for an exemption that allowed it to keep some of its check pilots current so they can get the others back up to speed when the grounding is lifted. According to Reuters, the government allowed the check pilots to fly 11 hops from Mirabel Airport near Montreal over northern Ontario and Quebec with landings and takeoffs at two Cold War-era former air force bases at Val d’Or, Quebec and North Bay, Ontario. The aircraft has the potentially problematic MCAS software that is at the heart of the grounding but Air Canada officials told Reuters the pilots on those flights were fully trained to deal with any issues that might arise from that issue.
Air Canada was also the only North American carrier to initially order a MAX simulator so that’s helping to keep the crews current. After the currency requirements were met, the well-exercised MAX was flown back to the Arizona desert to await its return to service.
WHAT! How does Transport Canada’s allowing flight of the 737MAX IN Canada allow it to fly over US airspace to bring it out of AZ storage and put it back? If the airplane is grounded in the US then it’s grounded?? Further, with no date specific for allowing it to fly, why couldn’t the check pilots just use their SIM until the flight time is imminent?
Larry S, do you have a copy of the emergency order?
No … don’t, Raf.
Who exempted the Air Canada B737 Max from from the AD? Does it mean that the problem is solved? Safe to fly? Airworthiness being restored “sooner than later”? Will US airlines follow Air Canada under their example?
I thought that the point of the MAX was to AVOID having MAX-specific type ratings (and, thus, associated training and consequent costs). So, if you got your TR in a legacy model, you can fly a MAX. But if you got your rating in a MAX, you can’t fly a legacy model? None of this makes any sense to me.
“…the [Canadian] government allowed the check pilots to fly 11 hops from Mirabel Airport near Montreal over northern Ontario and Quebec with landings and takeoffs at two Cold War-era former air force bases at Val d’Or, Quebec and North Bay, Ontario.” I don’t see any mention of Arizona. Are the AC MAXs stored there?
If you go back to the article above, it specifically says that the airplane they flew was the ORIGINAL unmodified configuration. Transport Canada allowed them to fly it over rural parts of Canada but then they take it back to AZ … likely flying over PHX? This story just keeps getting weirder and weirder !!
Russ let me know that the MAX-specific situation applies only to AC’s Check Airmen. NOW it makes sense to me.
YARS, Air Canada Flight AC2329, C-FTJV, SN61207, arrived at KMZJ,Mariana airport, AZ from Montreal CA on September 16 @3:11pm.
Correction: Air Canada flight AC2359 (C-GEJL)
Go to: flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA2359
The Canadians are coming!
ACA2329 B38M Montreal-Trudeau (CYUL) Mon 01:13PM EDT Mon 03:06PM MST
ACA2359 B38M Montreal-Trudeau (CYUL) Mon 12:31PM EDT Mon 02:31PM M
Three if by air?
The grounding order always allowed the airplanes to be repositioned (i.e. flown) for the purposes of maintenance and/or storage. Southwest flew theirs out to the desert for storage. United kept theirs are maintenance bases for a few months and then flew them to storage. So the fine print matters. The airplanes are “grounded” but they can be “repositioned” if “necessary”.
What do words mean anyway?