Aircraft Systems and Flight: The importance of the Pitot-Static System

Career Attributes

  In the last decade, the growth of commercial aviation has undergone an extraordinary renewal process. Aviation is the most used means of transport worldwide for the transport of passengers and cargo. Aviation is a discipline that has a little more than 100 years since its creation and its growth has been like no other discipline providing endless opportunities. "The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the worst times for the world of aviation but its recovery will be better than expected by 2024." (Llorente D., 2021)

It is a reality that events have occurred that have affected aviation operations. Aviation always seeks operational safety, the opportunity to reduce the cost of operation, eliminate unprofitable routes, and have grounded the oldest and least efficient aircraft in terms of fuel consumption and emissions. Also, look for the strictest measures so that the margins of error are minimal. Opportunities in the world of aviation are latent, despite certain events that have led to a loss of reliability by users. However, aviation continues to grow despite certain adverse events, for example, COVID-19 and the recent situation with the BOEING 737 MAX. 

Aviation is taking new directions. From job opportunities and technological advances independently to the events that have occurred one can say that aviation entered a decline in its history for a moment. Declining times? World War II, COVID-19, and what happened to the Boeing 737 Max. In this blog, we will analyze two important aspects, the growth of aviation and its attributes in recent years and the context of the Boeing 737 MAX. 

From my field of application, aviation schools need flight instructors since the airlines are with many calls from pilots. This means that there is a constant turnover and there is an exponentially growing market regardless of what happened with the pandemic and use another example, is the Boeing 737 MAX accidents. Technology advances and airplanes acquire new elements that pilots must be familiar with. The Boeing 737 MAX acquired a new technology where the pilots were not informed and trained of its new implementation which resulted in two fatal accidents where many innocent lives were taken. It is a reality that technology should be a useful item and one should become familiar with it. Aviation seeks security at its best and in these events, the reliability of the public has been somewhat noticeable. The Boeing 737 MAX has been on the ground for more than a year and a half to find a solution to a critical situation that has greatly affected the entire aviation.

This implies an operational change for many airlines and the world of aviation. All the Boeing 737 MAX through an AD (urgent) of having to be on the ground and unable to operate. Many manufacturing orders for being a new, current model, with advanced technology but with a serious problem to solve. Aviation severely affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic adds an aspect of these characteristics.

There are many moments in aviation that have marked a before and after. Events that will be remembered by history. What should be highlighted is that... "Aviation is a discipline that focuses on operational safety, in constant growth and giving infinite opportunities to the world and those who are part of this sector called aviation.

Aviation, despite all these events, continues to grow and develop like never before. The demand for pilots increased exponentially and the supply still does not meet the needs. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the consumption of tickets increased and the need to travel is mandatory. Aviation is a discipline that advances and does not take a breather." (Llorente D., 2021)

Technology is very useful on infinite occasions but there can always be errors. The largest percentage of aviation accidents are due to human error. In the case of the Boeing 737 MAX accidents, those failures have a name... "MCAS."

The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) is a flight stabilization program. The company decided to implement new technologies in its navigation and flight systems. The MCAS program was first used on the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus to balance fuel loads.

In the MAX, the MCAS system was intended to mimic the flight behavior of the previous generation of the series, the Boeing 737 NG. During flight testing of the MAX, Boeing discovered that the position and larger size of the engines tended to push the nose up during certain maneuvers. That caused the aircraft to stall and the engineers tried to use this system to counteract that possible tendency because another alternative is a structural redesign. Something expensive and impossible for the time of work.

 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Boeing's request to remove a description of MCAS from the aircraft manual. Here is the serious error. This context left pilots without the possibility of learning about the existence of MCAS. MCAS only appeared by name in the Abbreviations and Definitions section.

In conclusion, We are facing an inappropriate act of aircraft design, the lack of training for the pilots of this new system or incorporation. Training and familiarization management that is usual in the aeronautical environment but in life, everything can happen. The implementation of this new technology has brought many headaches. 

 References 

Euronews. (2021, May 11). Más problemas para el 737 Max de Boeing. https://es.euronews.com/2021/05/11/mas-problemas-para-el-737-max-de-boeing

Llorente, D. (2021). El sueño de ser piloto comercial: De América Latina a los Estados Unidos (Spanish Edition) (1st ed.). Editorial Autores de Argentina.

Publishers, A. (2021). APA 7th Manual Made Easy: Full Concise Guide Simplified for Students: Updated for the APA 7th Edition (Student Citation Styles). Independently published.

Reuters. (2021, June 19). Boeing presenta el nuevo avión de pasajeros 737 MAX10. Voz de América. https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/tecnologia-ciencia_boeing-presenta-nuevo-avion-de-pasajeros-737-max1/6074680.html