737 vs A320: After Flying Both, One Clear Winner

Video from the channel Joe Costanza about Airbus A320, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 37:35. Language: English. Video type: Onboard.

An airline pilot who flew the A320 family (A319, A320 and A321) for nearly twelve years before moving to the Boeing 737 compares both aircraft from the cockpit. He reviews the space and ergonomics of the flight deck, the overhead panels, the engine start sequence, vertical navigation, automatic thrust management, flight envelope protections, the alerting system, manual flying, landing and brakes. Much of the explanation is backed up with simulator demonstrations.

The A320 has a wider cockpit with larger windows. It follows the "dark cockpit" concept, where an overhead panel with no lights on means everything is set, and its systems page shows the real-time status of valves and circuits. Start-up is almost automatic: with APU bleed open, the pilot simply selects ignition and operates each engine's switch, while the FADEC protects against hung or hot starts. On the 737, the pilot manually opens the isolation valve, closes the packs and introduces fuel when N2 reaches 25%. On the MAX, each engine must also complete its cooling cycle separately, whereas the Airbus cools both at once.

With autothrust engaged, the Airbus thrust levers don't move, while the 737's do, and these allow the pilot to intervene manually. The A320 adds protections that on the 737 are left to the pilot. These include alpha floor, which commands TOGA thrust in a low-energy state, the selectable minimum speed (VLS), the alpha max limit and a 67° bank limit, with the aircraft stable up to 33°. It also retracts the spoilers automatically when TOGA is applied, a function the pilot links to the Cali accident involving an American Airlines 757. The ECAM presents each failure together with its action checklist, while on the 737 a warning light points to a panel and a checklist. The Airbus also displays brake temperature and has a ground speed mini mode for approaches in windy conditions.

The pilot flies the 737 in the -700, -800, -900, MAX 8 and MAX 9 versions, an aircraft whose design dates back to the 1950s. On the stretched versions, the 737 lands with flaps 30 or 40, in some cases at 150-160 knots to avoid tail strikes, compared with 130-140 knots on the Airbus. His conclusion is that the A320 is more comfortable and quieter for long flights, while the 737 is more demanding and more enjoyable to fly.