Flying the Jury-Rigged

I recently wrote a piece about the aircraft malaise currently going in the good ole US.  The entire fleet of the aircraft in question has been grounded worldwide, although we, the manufacturing country were the last to do it.  The saga has taken some unbelievable twists in the last few days that has led to an out-and-out public relations war.

Many pilots are saying the same thing; “the fact that this aircraft requires such jury-rigging should be a red flag”.  This is a belief that we the traveling customers should have as well. In the last couple of days, several new reports have surfaced that indicate that there were significant budget cuts and massive pressure for the aircraft to be launched.

Now, to be fair, the airline industry has had a very safe record, especially when compared to the number of fatalities in automobiles in any given year.  But why, suddenly, has a manufacturer decided to secretly push out a potentially fatal aircraft without warnings to those fly it and fly on it?  Were they overdue to produce a bad airplane?  Maybe they just got tired of having to follow all those pesky rules that hold them down.

No, I will tell you what it is; pure and simple greed.  The manufacturer in question has many executives and shareholders who are in desperate need of the latest yacht models that are available.  Or maybe it is the need for the bomb-proof bunker that will save their prissy asses when all the shit in this country goes south.   We know we have arrived when human life has a price tag on it.

A home state newspaper of the manufacturer released an investigative report that indicated there were numerous budget and design corner-cutting measures that went on during the construction of the aircraft. We have also been informed of the direct involvement of our FAA, who had the authority to make numerous timeline and budget decisions.  As more news surfaces, the President has nominated a new FAA chief as the agency faces tremendous scrutiny (no sign of guilt here).

Now, what faces us customers is the intense campaign to sell you on the next software patch that they will do to try and fix the plane.  As I researched further about the development of this aircraft, I uncovered something that everyone has failed to mention; the engines!  Many potential airline buyers did not like the fuel efficiency of the current engines used on older models of this aircraft.

The manufacturer in its haste to get the plane sold, selected a larger engine, with bigger fan blades, which, in theory, would deliver better fuel mileage (I must take their word for that one).  They approved the engine but unfortunately, on the day they were to be mounted, the builders discovered that the engines would drag the ground (oopsie).  They could not use higher landing gear, so they moved the engine higher on the wing, giving better ground clearance.  According to some engineers that were interviewed, this changes the dynamic airflow of the wing.

Ok, I am no expert, nor am I an engineer but this doesn’t sound kosher to me.  Many of the engineers believe that the wing needed to be redesigned, but that would cost money and save lives (we can’t have that).  The aircraft will need different systems added to help it remain airworthy (loosely translated; jury-rigging).  You must believe that they will do the cheapest fix that they can find.  And the propagandists will try to sell you that all is well!

Meanwhile, about those word-smiths that work for oligarchic companies and the government (I was once one for both).  They are working overtime to rebuild the trust that they have with you, my dear, fellow customers.  The sales pitches, the interviews and of course our MAGA leader’s stamp of approval will rain down on you like a springtime thunderstorm.  They will spare no expense, which will be paltry compared to a good solution to the aircraft’s problems, trying to convince you that—all is well!

Today, in fact, a talking head being interviewed on one of the news networks smirked while making the comment; “well the software is complicated” (referring to the software being used to correct flight problems).  You are bullshitting me, right?  This pompous ass jerk-off, who by the way was a former FAA executive himself, is talking to us like we are ignorant children who need to be chastised for complaining.  Furthermore, if the aircraft were designed properly to fly, it wouldn’t need the “complicated software” to fly it.

I will continue my boycott of this aircraft until it is redesigned, made airworthy and safe.  I highly recommend to you, fellow customers that you do the same, because, after all, it is our lives at stake and there is no amount of money that can replace a life.

Talk To Ya Later

The Grumpy Old Fart Customer @2019 All Rights Reserved