[mcv]

> If the MAX is so similar to old 737’s and no additional training is needed, then why the MCAS?

That's the problem. The MAX isn't similar enough to older 737s, so MCAS is necessary to change the handling characteristics to be more like older 737s. It's a fix to cover up a lie.

> If plane at a low altitude at full power is stalling, just lower the nose. That is pilot training 101. Why need a system like MCAS to help.

They know this, but different planes still do that in a different way. MCAS was supposed to cover up the fact that the MAX did this differently.

> The pilot should be able to disengage the autopilot and take control of the airplane.

But MCAS is not the autopilot, it's something that tried to make the plane behave like a regular 737 during manual control. So turning off the autopilot does nothing; it's already off.

The problem is clearly that Boeing wanted to pretend the MAX flies just like an older 737. It doesn't. If they'd just admitted that and given pilots extra training, all this mess wouldn't be necessary.

[pdonis]

> If they'd just admitted that and given pilots extra training, all this mess wouldn't be necessary.

But if they'd done that they probably wouldn't have been able to sell very many of them. Airlines don't want to have to retrain pilots.

[mcv]

And that greed is ultimately what caused this situation. Had they been more honest, these crashes wouldn't have happened, but they would also have sold less planes.