SWA and CAL B737s...why the six pack on the NGs?

[Whine Lover]

ATA had HUD's in all the 737-800's.

Nice equipment at about 3/4 mil a pop.

Nobody knew how to use them....But, they were great for seeing if you could top a cloud bank, and worked even better as a mirror to check your tie and hair before leaving the cockpit.

Remember: " It is always better to look good, than to fly that way."

ATA - AssKlown Training Academy

I am proud to say: "I AM A GRADUATE".

I even list it on my Resume'....

Seriously, we always had the best equipment /engines available...But it was like Cavemen operating Spaceships.

 

[redflyer65]

CAL does RNAV/RNP approaches with their NGs and they have the 6-pack displays.

I didn't know that, as a matter of fact I didn't even know that anyone else had that presenation.

Our switch over was directly related to the timing of RNP/RNAV/GPS approaches for what it's worth.

 

[Tripower455]

i thought this also, but what has changed so now we can fly round and tapes? did the faa actually use some common sense or did boeing tell swa to get with the times and they were putting tapes in the -7's forward?

No clue. We were told it was due to the 3 different cockpits and keeping the -700 similar to the rest per the POI.

 

[rjacobs]

it was like Cavemen operating Spaceships.

best thing posted on here in a while.

 

[aa73]

We at AA regularly switch between "Flat Panel" 757/767s (the newly installed PFD/ND displays with tapes) and the classic 2-EFIS tube round dial 75/76s. Not too big of a deal, but that's just me...

 

[Tripower455]

We at AA regularly switch between "Flat Panel" 757/767s (the newly installed PFD/ND displays with tapes) and the classic 2-EFIS tube round dial 75/76s. Not too big of a deal, but that's just me...

We do it at SW too, only our "classics" don't have any EFIS tubes at all.

 

[BillJBrake]

Good info guys, thanks.

Until I looked it up before posting this, I'd thought SWA was the only 6pack-Glass operator, CAL surprised me. I wonder if they'll go to PFD/ND when they get rid of their -500s.


aa73 - I'm not quite sure what you're referring too. In all the pictures I've seen of the B757 and B767s cockpits of AA planes, they have an EFIS style display on top with ND below. I also haven't seen any round-dial displays on any of the American birds. For reference, this is what I'm referring to at SWA/CAL



EDIT:

aa73, is this the difference you're referring to?

old school

vs

new school?

 

[aa73]

Hi Bill, here are the new displays:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...1899EDFA3CBDD128DE8B4182B2FAB2DFB5435&first=0

Closeup:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyforfun/4931982675/

In addition to the above Flat Panels and the "Old School" displays, we also have a hybrid-type Old School 2 tube EFIS but with Pegasus FMC, which gives us a Speed Tape on the left side of the PFD in addition to already having the round dial airspeed indicator.

 

[BillJBrake]

Hi Bill, here are the new displays:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...1899EDFA3CBDD128DE8B4182B2FAB2DFB5435&first=0

Closeup:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyforfun/4931982675/

In addition to the above Flat Panels and the "Old School" displays, we also have a hybrid-type Old School 2 tube EFIS but with Pegasus FMC, which gives us a Speed Tape on the left side of the PFD in addition to already having the round dial airspeed indicator.

Thanks, those look pretty slick. Are they putting them on the entire 75/76 fleet?

 

[aa73]

All of the 767-300s are supposed to get them, and only about half of the 757s will get them. However the fleet plan continues to change, so who knows. I just read that AA plans to retire half of the 767-300s in a few years.

Currently there are 70 aircraft that have the retrofit. AA has 59 767-300s and 124 757s.

As far as quality, it is definitely the lowest priced retrofit out there. Screens do not talk to the FMC, so we still have to manually input the takeoff and landing speeds. The PFD display is really small. It's a step up from the classic 2-tube EFIS but they could have spent a lot more $$$ on a better product.