Winglets to be installed on SWA -300s

[Juan Tugo]

Southwest Airlines to Install Blended Winglets(TM) on 737-300 Aircraft
Wednesday July 19, 7:30 am ET World's Largest Operator of 737's Extends Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglet Technology to Their 737-300 Fleet
SEATTLE, July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines has taken another step separating themselves from their competition by committing to install Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglets on up to 90 of their 737-300 aircraft. The order of 59 firm systems and 31 options follows Southwest's commitment in June of 2003 to install Blended Winglets on all of their 737-700 aircraft. Installations are planned to begin in early 2007.
"This is a monumental order for our 737-300 winglet program and a real testament to the value of our Visible Technology," says Aviation Partners Boeing CEO John Reimers. "When the world's leading low cost airline and most experienced operator of 737-300s invests in our technology, other 737-300 operators take notice. Southwest Airlines evaluated every aspect of the Blended Winglet investment and are convinced the product will provide exceptional value as the 737-700 Blended Winglets do for them today. We look forward to working with all of the world's 737-300 operators to show how they too can benefit from the advantages of Blended Winglets."
The business case for Blended Winglet Technology is absolutely compelling because the design optimizes performance at stage lengths typical to the 737- 300, rather than at the maximum design range. Additionally, low speed performance improvements provide significant takeoff performance improvements resulting in greater takeoff weight capability, reduced takeoff noise, or reduced engine maintenance costs. Southwest is a good neighbor to the communities in which it operates and Blended Winglets enhance that image through quieter operations on takeoff and landing as well as reduced fuel emissions.
"With high fuel prices contributing to such a large percentage of an airline's expenses, investing in Blended Winglets makes sense even for older aircraft," says Aviation Partners Sales Director Craig McCallum. "And because Blended Winglets are such a Visible Technology, older aircraft look new. Southwest Airlines based its investment in our product on return on investment but the environmental and image benefits of Blended Winglet Technology are also huge. Blended Winglets continue to enhance Southwest Airlines' niche of not only flying the most advanced, lowest cost configuration aircraft but an environmentally-friendly aircraft as well."
"This is the order we've been waiting for," says Aviation Partners Vice President of Sales Patrick LaMoria. "By the time Southwest completes their 737-300 installations, they will have more than 400 aircraft equipped with Blended Winglets."
Over 85% of new Boeing 737-700/800 aircraft delivered this year will go into service with Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglet Systems and 55% of the in-service fleet is currently flying with Blended Winglet Technology. Blended Winglets are now the industry standard for 737NG and soon will be for the 737-300.
www.aviationpartnersboeing.com
Patent No. 5348253

 

[Aplus9]

And here I thought they all but buried this idea....kind of a surprise.:0

 

[The Prussian]

And here I thought they all but buried this idea....kind of a surprise.:0

I hear ya...but then again it was yet another smart move by our management. If profits had not been as robust as had been reported today, we would have been hard-pressed to spend money in any number of areas, even in this area. Yet our management elects to "make hay while the sun shines", and roll these profits into putting winglets on our -300's, helping to mitigate our company's most problematic and growing cost area. Now all of our aircraft will be as fuel efficient as possible. Once again, I find it hard to fault our management's decisions.

 

[Headfake14]

...I heard they were also changing the -300s to glass cockpit...same as the -700. A friend in tng told me this...unless I misunderstood.

 

[kelbill]

The winglet -300s was news to me, though I knew it had been discussed. The glass cockpit switch is another program I thought was dead in the water, but with profits going up it might be time to dive in and spend money, while simplifying training and training costs. Good on 'em, but I'll believe the glass when I see it.

 

[Headfake14]

I know they're re-skinning a bunch of the 300s...perhaps they're putting glass in those AC since they'll be around much longer.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

The winglets (and other mods) became players when the reskinning became a done deal. If you can do thes mod in conjunction with the reskinning and have minimal or no impact on the out-of-service time on the airframe, the ROI is significantly better.

 

[DH2WN]

-yeah-

I know it's for profits and good for business but those planes are old, noisy, worn out, dirty, etc.... I was hoping for another party to get rid of them like the -200

 

[kelbill]

I think the oldest one is 21 years old. The plan during the discussion phase would be to reskin/winglet the newer ones, and retire the "tired" ones. Nobody said we are reskinning/winging the entire fleet of -300/500s, just those we plan to keep around long enough to make some coin off of them.

 

[Headfake14]

...probably just long enough to fill the void till the "797" is developed.

 

[aa73]

The conversion from round dials to glass is more than just training simplification - the maintenance cost drastically drops in maintaining EFIS screens vs. round dials.

This was one of the main justifications with the MD80 EFIS retrofit at AA.

73

 

[DH2WN]

The conversion from round dials to glass is more than just training simplification - the maintenance cost drastically drops in maintaining EFIS screens vs. round dials.

This was one of the main justifications with the MD80 EFIS retrofit at AA.

73

The display in the 700, and if glass is installed in the 300, is the exact same thing the HUD has. It's infinitely easier to fly with that display and I guess it's probably why Boeing only offers it to everyone but us.

Also if we want to fly with the new GPS approaches coming in from the FAA. Something they are testing in Alaska right now, (Anyone know what I'm poorly talking about. CAPSTONE, I think it's called) we must have glass cockpits and GPS. The upgrade is $75k+ per airplane.

If they are going to make the changes they cannot just do winglets and leave it at that. The FAAs estimation is conventional navigation (ILS, VOR, etc..) will disappear in the next 10-15 years. When the testing in Alaska is complete. I know for a fact the FAA is no longer putting money into replacing any VORs. Once they are unrepairable they will be decommissioned.

If the company puts money into the 300s then I imagine they expect them to be around a long time. ho hum....

 

[venr122]

Does SWA use VNAV? I know years ago they did not...just curious.

 

[Bake]

nope.

 

[SWA/FO]

we use auto-brakes!!!

 

[venr122]

I would think they could get as much savings out of Vnav as winglets....

do they still have a tiny hole where the Vnav button is to use it 'off the record'

do you use the FMC for flight idle descents or just swag it. (assuming you do use the FMC and in that case who needs vnav...anyone can follow the pdi

 

[DH2WN]

I would think they could get as much savings out of Vnav as winglets....

do they still have a tiny hole where the Vnav button is to use it 'off the record'

do you use the FMC for flight idle descents or just swag it. (assuming you do use the FMC and in that case who needs vnav...anyone can follow the pdi

You SHOULD use the FMC and save gas but we have too many that think their brain is better.

Autothrottles would be a great savings but we have a hard nose in the upper ranks stonewalling it.

 

[The Prussian]

do you use the FMC for flight idle descents or just swag it. (assuming you do use the FMC and in that case who needs vnav...anyone can follow the pdi

This last statement is the most correct. Most of our pilots do use the FMC/PDI info in their descents, and play their assigned speed into the equation.