Boeing 737-900 Flight Simulator Flights

The Boeing 737-900 is a twin-engined, short-to-medium-range narrowbody airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the stretched member of the 737 Next Generation (737NG) family. It entered airline service in 2001 with launch customer Alaska Airlines and has since become a familiar high-capacity narrowbody on domestic and short-haul international routes, of interest to sim pilots as the largest of the original NG-series 737s.

Overview

The 737-900 is a twin-engined, short-to-medium-range narrowbody airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the stretched-fuselage member of the 737 Next Generation (737NG) family, sitting alongside the 737-600, -700 and -800, and can be configured to carry up to 215 passengers depending on operator layout.

History & Development

Alaska Airlines was the launch customer for the 737-900, taking delivery of the type in 2001 after a rollout ceremony at Boeing's Renton, Washington plant, where Iditarod Trail sled-dog race champion Doug Swingley and his team escorted the first aircraft out of the factory for its world premiere. KLM also introduced the -900 to its fleet in 2001, making it the third Boeing 737 model the airline had operated.

Design & Specifications

The 737-900 shares the great majority of its structure and systems with the other 737NG variants, allowing operators to draw on common maintenance procedures across their fleets. Cabin standards vary by operator: Alaska Airlines fits its -900s with 178 leather Recaro seats split between a Premium Class and Main Cabin, along with Boeing's Sky Interior, seatback power outlets, inflight internet and inflight entertainment, with the First Class cabin occupying rows 1 to 4 (seats lettered F and D, then C and A across the aisle). The extended-range derivative of the type is identified under the type designators 739, 73J and 73R.

Variants

The principal derivative of the -900 is the extended-range 737-900ER, carried in airline fleets under the designators 739, 73J and 73R.

Operational Use

Alaska Airlines, the launch customer, has flown the 737-900 across its domestic network since 2001 with a First Class and Main Cabin layout. KLM operates the type on European routes, naming individual aircraft after birds such as Plover, Crested Coot, Nightingale, Buzzard and Sea Tern. Delta Air Lines operates the extended-range 737-900ER within its mainline fleet.