-New engine advances have led to a 14% reduction
in fuel and carbon emissions, and there's less noise.
When the plane is here, it's like this down here.
But what does all this mean when you're running an airline?
It means, for once, your decision is clear.
The new 737 MAX.
-Vast similarities to the older model.
It felt, in some ways, a bit smoother,
natural to the touch, so compliments to Boeing
for whatever control laws they put in.
They got it done.
So it was an enjoyable airplane to fly.
The displays are different, so you have to get used to that.
We received about 56 minutes of an iPad lesson and were told,
"You're good to go to fly the aircraft."
We've since had a different opinion on this.
I'm Dennis Tajer, captain on the 737 at American Airlines
and spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association.
I have about 10 years of flight experience on the 737,
and I fly both the NG, the previous model to the MAX,
and the MAX.
Because the way the MAX has been designed,
it has larger engines,
they're more forward on the wing,
and the wing is a little bit different.
The bottom line is, the aerodynamics are such that,
when you go to recover from a stall,
you're gonna push the nose down and apply power.
And those engines have a pendulous effect
that can cause the nose to come up.
When you're in a stall, an aircraft wing stops flying,
it means you need to get more airflow over the wing.
So you have to push the nose over,
and that's all part of that, and that's what the MCAS does.
MCAS
-- maneuvering characteristic augmentation system.
So, the MCAS is rightfully there to assist the pilot
during a stall if in fact one was actually achieved.
So it is there as an enhancement,
and to get you over that hump.
Once the stall is over and there's a recovery,
the MCAS is done with its work.
The MCAS will trigger for 10 seconds,
down very rapid trim to help you
with the stall that it's not having,
and within about two seconds or five seconds,
it'll come right back in and do it again.
So this is the pilot probably not knowing that
that's happening and then pulling back up
in that interim period where it's not activated.
But then the MCAS comes right back in
and points that nose down again.
So, until and unless you determine that that system,
which you don't know about, is running the trim,
then you would disconnect those two switches.
Now the trim system is no longer functional,
and the MCAS has no toys to play with.
That's how you save that aircraft.
But if you don't know that information,
you see what the likely outcome is.
So, we learned from Boeing --
they explained to us in some pretty good detail
not only why they have an MCAS system,
but why they have other control laws.
When they designed the aircraft and they went and flew it,
they told us the aircraft did not react the same way
the NG did, the basic model,
and they were very, very interested
in having it make -- have a pilot feel like,
"Yeah, this is the same airplane."
So what they did is they developed control laws --
basically software --
so that the aircraft performed like the previous model
so there wouldn't be any difference in feel
for the pilot, difference in training,
because they wanted this to be an aircraft
that you just saw an iPad course and you went and flew it.
So, respect that, and understand that logic.
And that's when we started to ask questions about the MCAS.
-There you saw 737
MAX 8 airplane complete its first flight.
-I'll tell you what, it's just a beautiful, beautiful airplane.
-Pilots process on facts.
Facts, logic, and full disclosure.
And that's what we're waiting for now.
So we'll see where this goes.
And I can assure you that that MAX is not gonna fly again
until the pilots feel it's safe to fly,
because we make that final call at the gate
with you on the aircraft.
That's our commitment to our passengers,
and that's our calling as professional pilots.