Reply #32: That article was not reporting on 767's or 757's. [View All]

[Make7]

Edited to change post title - I used the title from the article originally

Unlike Airbus, Boeing lets aviator override fly-by-wire technology

Monday, March 20, 2000

By JAMES WALLACE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

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Should pilots or a computer have the ultimate control authority over a commercial jetliner as the plane approaches its design limits in an emergency?

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Dramatic advancements in technology have made it possible for planes built by either manufacturer to be flown by computers from shortly after takeoff through the landing.

But Airbus has taken a much different philosophical approach to using computers than its rival. The European airplane maker designed its new fly-by-wire jets such as the A320 with built-in hard limits, or "protections."

The Boeing Co., on the other hand, believes pilots should have the ultimate say. On Boeing jets, the pilot can override onboard computers and their built-in soft limits.

"It's not a lack of trust in technology," said John Cashman, director of flight-crew operations for Boeing. "We certainly don't have the feeling that we do not want to rely on technology. But the pilot in control of the aircraft should have the ultimate authority."

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The only Boeing plane with fly-by-wire technology is the 777.

Cashman, who was chief pilot for the 777 program, said Boeing could have designed the 777 with the same hard limits as those in the Airbus planes.

"They could have been absolutely identical, but we chose to go a different path," he said. "It was based on what our customers wanted, and what we believed was the safest way to operate jet transports."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/boe202.shtml

The article wasn't even reporting anything related to 767's or 757's.

- Make7