Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by superbrane on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @04:03AM (#22115846)

Interesting that Boeing does no make the simulators directly but through partners. Having a delay in making the simulators might be because the makers of the simulators are having problems with the software replication from the real plane. Wonder what happens when the software on the simulators is in desync with the software on the real plane; or when software on the real plane has a bug that manifests only after 10 hour of continuous operation while the software on the simulator is continuously resetted for each new pilot. On the other hand, Boeing and the airlines should have provided more simulators if their new model is so different that it needs a dedicated simulator. One idea - Boeing should only sell new planes together with simulators - 1 simulator included for each x planes delivered.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by bkor on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @04:59AM (#22116094)

> Boeing and the airlines should have provided more simulators if their new model is so different that it needs a dedicated simulator

I highly recommend reading this article:

https://onemileatatime.com/boeing-737-max-lion-air-simulator...

The first crash was with Lion Air. Boeing mocked them for wanting simulators. After the crash, Boeing claimed pilots of Lion Air were at fault. This while saying no simulator training was needed.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by o-__-o on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @05:32AM (#22116245)

>Boeing mocked them for wanting simulators.

These were the conversations of two employees. I wouldn't say that Boeing outright mocked them but, in the processes going on above the employees paygrade, simulators were difficult to get to Lion Air

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by stopads on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @10:03AM (#22118068)

You think because the employees weren't executives and they were talking to eachother it's all ok? What on earth are you talking about?

Boeing employees should be in prison, there shouldn't be bail while awaiting trial. This is a act of willful negligence and deceit and coverup that killed hundreds of people. It's one of the biggest crimes ever in the history of our country.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by ta999999171 on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @11:19AM (#22118833)

They're a defense contractor, they can't commit crimes.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by ulfw on Friday January 24, 2020 @08:08AM (#22137790)

Hahahahaha

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by totalZero on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @08:57AM (#22117547)

Ultimately the biggest mockery of the Lion Air request was Boeing's refusal of it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by chopin on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @06:52AM (#22116724)

Lion Air asked, Boeing declined. Of course some person at Lion Air asked and some person at Boeing declined. That doesn't make a difference. These persons where talking for Boeing.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Airlines scour the world for scarce 737 Max simulators by pbh101 on Wednesday January 22, 2020 @11:24AM (#22118871)

Out of college I interviewed at a place that makes flight simulators, not at the scale of Boeing likely but I’d imagine at the same level of ‘best practices’.

I was surprised to learn that at least at that place, the actual aircraft software was running in the simulator, and that external sensor inputs to the software were being mocked out.

It was surprising to me because I had never thought of a simulator as simulating the aircraft itself, but rather only the experience of flying it.

So from this, I don’t think it the case that a simulator is having trouble recreating flight characteristics or reimplementing a ‘bug’ or other behavior because my guess is they are not reimplementing much/anything on the software level.

Though your point about bugs only surfacing after many hours of continuous operation could theoretically still occur without further controls, and of course it is hard to make a mock full-fidelity, especially so in the context of a full suite of analog flight sensors/actuators.

[ Parent | on HN ]