FAA administrator flies MAX in next step to recertification

By Scott Hamilton

Sept. 30, 2020, © Leeham News: Boeing is one step closer to recertifying the 737 MAX.

Steve Dickson

Steve Dickson, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, fulfilled a pledge this morning to pilot the MAX as one of the final steps in the recertification process.

The MAX was grounded in March 2019 following the second fatal accident of the airplane in five months.

Dickson said he would not recertify the airplane until he piloted it and was satisfied Boeing redesigned the now-infamous MCAS software that triggered events leading to the two crashes.

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MAX, 777X certification questions abound at Singapore Airshow

By Judson Rollins

February 13, 2020, © Leeham News: Despite depressed turnout at this year’s Singapore Airshow, there was still plenty of conversation around the return to service for Boeing’s beleaguered 737 MAX – and potential impacts on the certification of the 777X.

Summary
  • Ungrounding will take ~30 days from certification flight; operators also have work to do
  • Every MAX produced to date will require its own validation flight
  • FAA will gradually hand back some oversight to Boeing
  • 777X, other future certifications will be different; regulators still figuring out how

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