So what has this got to do with flight simulator or avionics software suites?īefore proceeding, the avionics suite is the software that controls the aircraft’s avionics systems within the simulator. In the airline business, lost flight time means a loss in revenue. There is no time delay waiting for a type pilot or engineer to be found. Southwest only need to employ maintenance personnel knowledgeable on one aircraft type, pilots do not need to be cross trained, and more importantly flight and support crews can be airlifted anywhere to begin work immediately should a problem arise. By streamlining their fleet to only one aircraft type, savings can be made in maintenance, logistics and support. Southwest Airlines is the largest low cost airline in the United States, and has maintained its success on a simple business model - its decision to fly only one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737. Please consider sending a few dollars ( Thank You.) All funds donated will be used to offset the cost of server and website hosting. Maintaining this website costs a considerable sum of mony each year. The definition of the acronym OEM is Original Equipment Manufacturer ( aka real aicraft part). I use the words 'modules & panels' and 'CDU & FMC' interchangeably. Do not complain if you do not like what you read. All reviews and content are 'frank and fearless' - I tell it as I see it. Note: I have NO affiliation with ANY manufacturer or reseller. I hope there are not too many spelling and grammatical mistakes. Writing for a cross section of readers from differing cultures and languages with varying degrees of technical ability, can at times be challenging. The purpose of FLAPS-2-APPROACH is two-fold: To document the construction of a Boeing 737 flight simulator, and to act as a platform to share aviation-related articles pertaining to the Boeing 737 thereby, providing a source of inspiration and reference to like-minded individuals.