@ Tracy, CA
June 2022
A Southwest 737 MAX 8 flies overhead as seen from Tracy Airport. Note the exposed main wheels of the landing gear, a consequence of Boeing’s decision to keep the aircraft as low as possible during ground operations. This made it easier to operate the 737 out of smaller airports but the limited ground clearance did not allow for the use of landing gear doors (without a more complex door arrangement). Southwest operates 83 of these with 273 on backorder. In its history, Southwest Airlines has operated only Boeing 737 aircraft, except during the early 80’s when it leased a few Boeing 727-200s. With 737 in their current fleet, Southwest is the largest operator of the Boeing 737 worldwide. The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the venerable Boeing 737 that first flew in 1967, and resumed flight operations in November 2020 after a 20 month long grounding following two crashes.