Innovative Solutions & Support, Inc. Reports Purported Termination of Contract for MD88/90 Cockpit U

[Glenn Quagmire]

The answer to your question is "Why would DL continue to upgrade aircraft, they might soon be sending to the desert!
 
I know business sense is none of your's strong suit.

You need to look no further than your CEO to answer that question. Also ask about the A-330.

I noticed how you ignored my posts while proving how ignorant you are to the business issues concerning your employment.

No worries. Delta is looking out for you with that one on one relationship. ;-)

 

[metopower]

I flew them for 6 yrs. both 88 and 90. This was always a questionable stc . Why? It did nothing for commonality at DL. It would have saved money over years on Mtc but other then that why? Questionable because whenever you mod avionics on an airplane it voids some warranties by the manufacture. The price was a steal compared to what Boeing would have charged. It would be better to do some airframe mods to save fuel costs but then the stage lengths of those aircraft don't really pay off on that investment..this thread is just some attempt at opening another labor argument. Those aircraft will be in the fleet for years and I see no reason other then the vender could not perform what they promised for the cancelation. By the way those mods had nothing to do with navigation or capabilities but in presentation of information. TV screens vs round dials.

 

[WorldTraveler]

WT you are wrong once again all new PMUS and PMAA planes are being worked on by US or AA employees not vendors. Keep up the lies and misinformation your typical mo.

I knew it would go right over your head.

New aircraft by nature require less maintenance.

It doesn't matter WHO does the work. New aircraft may help Boeing and Airbus and the IAM there but it TAKES jobs from airline mechanics.

thanks for your perspective, Meto.

I don't think there is any doubt that the M80s and esp. M90s will be around for a while.

 

[Airlinelifer]

I think Meto hit the nail on the head. If it does nothing except a different way to present information, why waste the money.

If the pilots are not clamoring for a change, why change it.

 

[robbedagain]

Meto is there any real changes in the cockpit of the 88s vs the 90s

 

[metopower]

Yes ...fire control systems ,generators engines flight controls but easy to cross train but the panels and nav systems are the same

 

[robbedagain]

Thanks

 

[topDawg]

You're in the TOC; you tell us.

 I gotcha kev. 
 

There is no known public information as to what it means but the likely result is that DL is seeking another vendor.

winner. will be a cheaper mod and wont be as pretty but it'll do. 
 
and just FWIW this had/has nothing to do with the 717. Delta would still keep the pilots in different categories with or without the mod. 
 

Or it is possible that Richard Anderson's belief that there will be an enormous bubble coming in the global narrowbody market. which could mean that DL might be able to pick up newer generation aircraft at much lower acquisition costs.

 nah. 88s or 90s aren't going anywhere. vendor issue. 
 

I am wondering what is the story here. I agree with south wind and do any of you know what this deal entailed ? It is a non event.

over budget and late. Other vendors are being looked at for a better and large capacity FMS for both types. Flat screens probably wont happen though. 
 

The story is that delta is going to stop upgrading the planes. Isn't that done in-house?

somewhat. Would have been done in MSP and ATL but mostly with contractors. Poor DGSers....... 
 

It could be a matter of switching suppliers, but it really wouldn't surprise me if someone in Finance came to the conclusion that investing more into the MD80/MD90 fleet than they've already invested isn't the best use of capital.

MD90s will be here 15 more years or so. 
88s will be here for a while too. 
 
IS&S was late and over budget. Mods were suspose to start 6 months ago. 
 

meto is probably better qualified to speak to the subject even though he doesn't fly the M80/90, but I believe part of the problem is that the M80/90s nav systems don't have the capacity to handle the size of data that the modern ATC system requires.

There are multiple options to upgrade the system. The price for any of the systems is a fraction of the cost of buying a new aircraft. If there is a decision to no longer keep the M80s/90s, it will be made by a lot of other factors than the cost of an upgraded nav system.

As recently as a year ago, DL was planning to reconfigure business class on the 747s but that was scrapped after the decision was made to accelerate their retirement. That decision was made based on the changes that are taking place in how DL's TPAC system will look like in a few years.

It would have cost next to nothing to move some chairs around compared to a nav system but DL stopped the 747 project despite the fact that there will likely be 744s in DL's fleet for several more years even if the fleet is fully wound down.

and, no, Kev, no one is dismissing anything.

I am just saying there isn't enough info to know at this point. Given that the M90s have comparable fuel efficiency to the A320 and the M90s are fairly young, the chances are very slim that DL will now decide they won't upgrade the nav systems and live with an aircraft that becomes less and less capable of functioning in today's ATC system

Its a FMS issue. It was more of an issue on the 90s than 88s.The system is just to small for all the airports Delta flies all these planes into. Some of it did have to do with NextGen but the .gov keeps pushing it back anyways. Don't worry, other systems are being looked at to get better FMS and ADS-B. Just means the chance of flat screens are probably done. Delta is likely going to source stuff from people like Honneywell and go with smallest amount of Capex possible. 
 

Those decisions are very important to folks like dawg. They can and will have great implications to M&R staffing decisions.

I lived it at NWA. It sounds like DL will go a different direction. We will see. For someone like southwind to brush this off just shows how out of touch he is with his surroundings. I am guessing he makes a bee-line from the parking lot to his little shop bench every day and has not been out on the hangar floor in a while.

I remember the look those guys had on their face the day they closed the Atlanta maintenance base and found out they would have to work live aircraft on the line to keep their job or move.

Same thing happened to the TPA, MCO, and DFW guys at DL.

I hope this does not have the same effect on the TOC.

no biggy. The boys down in 260 might be standing around a little bit more than expected. Puts a little pressure on the MRO guys to dig up some more MRO work but they have been doing a ton of .gov work down there. Same for MSP. (both places were going to be doing them) At worst it may mean some ASMs/AMTs moving over to the PSV side or a shop but thats pretty unlikely. More RON/RAD work for them! 
 
Also I do think the plan was to use mostly contractors on it anyways. Just have some 260 people in support and use the bays down there. 

The answer to your question is "Why would DL continue to upgrade aircraft, they might soon be sending to the desert!
 
I know business sense is none of your's strong suit.

Delta isn't sending any 88s or 90s to the desert......yet.