Cockpit Companion Pdf — B737
The B737 Cockpit Companion (often referred to as the "Bulfer book") is a legendary, highly regarded technical guide for Boeing 737 pilots and enthusiasts, authored by retired airline Captain Bill Bulfer. While historically a paper book, it is now primarily available as a comprehensive iPad/tablet app, and sometimes found as unauthorized PDFs.
Here is a review based on its reputation and current app-based format as of 2026. Overview & Purpose
The Cockpit Companion is not a procedural guide (like an SOP or QRH). Instead, it is a deep-dive systems book designed to teach pilots "how the airplane is built" and "how the systems work," focusing on "theory of operation" rather than just the "need to know" philosophy of modern training. What the B737 Cockpit Companion Covers
Detailed Panel Explanations: Deep analysis of every switch, light, and function on the overhead, glareshield, pedestals, and center panels.
Vector-Based Schematics: High-resolution drawings explaining mechanical and electrical systems, such as bleed air, hydraulics, and fuel.
Circuit Breaker Locator: A comprehensive index listing item, location, power source, and ATA chapter.
System Notes: Insights into system functionality, minimum equipment considerations, and "pilot-friendly" notes, often going beyond the official FCOM.
737 Variations: Covers the 737NG (600-900), Classic (EFIS/EIS), and includes 737 MAX differences.
Unmatched Depth: Often provides details that official company manuals omit, filling the gaps for a deeper understanding of the aircraft.
Visual Learning: Excellent color diagrams and photos make complex systems easy to understand.
Interactive (App Version): The app version allows you to tap a cockpit component on a photo and immediately see the associated system notes, making it faster than searching physical manuals.
Invaluable for Training/Sims: Considered "mandatory" reading for home cockpit builders and excellent prep for type ratings or recurrent training. Weaknesses & Limitations
Not Airline Specific: Because it is a generic guide, it may not match the specific limitations, MEL, or configurations of your operator.
App Cost: The app can be considered expensive, although users generally feel it is worth the price.
Paper Book Rarity: The physical book is no longer manufactured by the author, making it harder to find, with the app being the primary updated source.
Complexity: Contains more information than required for a basic oral exam, which might be overwhelming for new trainees. PDF vs. App B737 Cockpit Companion - Ratings & Reviews - App Store b737 cockpit companion pdf
The B737 Cockpit Companion by Bill Bulfer is considered the definitive "pilot-friendly" guide for mastering the complex systems of the Boeing 737 aircraft series. Whether you are a professional pilot preparing for recurrent training or a dedicated flight simmer, this manual provides depth beyond standard airline training materials.
While many users search for a B737 Cockpit Companion PDF, the official version has transitioned into a highly interactive mobile experience. Why Pilots and Simmers Use the Cockpit Companion
Beyond "Need-to-Know": Standard manuals often simplify systems. The Companion explains the "theory of operation," helping pilots understand why systems behave a certain way.
Comprehensive Systems Data: It covers the Boeing 737 Classics, Next Generation (NG), and MAX variants.
Visual Aid: It features high-resolution, vector-based schematics and panel graphics for precise identification of controls and indicators.
Practical Tools: It includes an extensive index of over 700 items, a circuit breaker locator (with power source and ATA chapter), and detailed system notes. The Evolution of the Digital "PDF"
Although unofficial scanned PDF versions sometimes appear on document-sharing sites like Scribd, these are often outdated and lack the dynamic features of official digital versions. The primary way to access the digital Cockpit Companion today is through the B737 Cockpit Companion App on the App Store, which provides: B737 Cockpit Companion - App Store - Apple
For the B737 pilot, the cockpit is a workspace of immense complexity and capability. The B737 Cockpit Companion—whether in print or PDF format—demystifies this environment. It transforms dry technical data into actionable knowledge, making it one of the most valuable resources a 737 aviator can have in their flight bag. Whether you are learning the difference between the -NG and the MAX, or simply trying to master the electrical schematics, the Companion remains an indispensable co-pilot in the pursuit of aviation excellence.
The B737 Cockpit Companion by Bill Bulfer is considered a premier technical reference for pilots and simulator enthusiasts, offering in-depth system knowledge, schematics, and configuration customization. While traditionally a book, the resource is now primarily available as an interactive digital app, featuring regular updates for various 737 models. For more details, visit the Airliner Apps website. B737 Cockpit Companion
Introduction
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body, twin-engine jet airliner that has become one of the most popular and widely used aircraft in the world. The 737 cockpit is designed to provide pilots with a safe and efficient means of controlling the aircraft, and it is equipped with a range of instruments, systems, and controls.
Cockpit Layout
The 737 cockpit is divided into several sections, including:
Instruments and Controls
The 737 cockpit contains a range of instruments and controls, including: The B737 Cockpit Companion (often referred to as
Systems
The 737 cockpit contains a range of systems, including:
Controls and Switches
The 737 cockpit contains a range of controls and switches, including:
** Warning and Alert Systems**
The 737 cockpit contains a range of warning and alert systems, including:
Boeing 737 Cockpit Companion PDF
The Boeing 737 Cockpit Companion PDF is a comprehensive guide to the 737 cockpit, covering the aircraft's systems, instruments, and controls. The guide includes detailed diagrams and illustrations of the cockpit layout, as well as explanations of the aircraft's systems and operations.
Conclusion
The Boeing 737 cockpit is a complex and sophisticated system that requires a deep understanding of its instruments, controls, and systems. This guide has provided a comprehensive overview of the 737 cockpit, covering its layout, instruments, controls, systems, and warning and alert systems. Whether you're a seasoned 737 pilot or just starting your training, this guide is intended to be a valuable resource in your journey to become familiar with the 737 cockpit.
References
Recommended Reading
The guide is a staple for:
The flight bag smelled of warmed vinyl and lemon polish. Jonah flipped through the pages of a battered PDF on his tablet—an unofficial cockpit companion for the Boeing 737 he'd studied for months. The file had been passed along by a retired captain at the flight club, stitched together from checklists, anecdotes, and hand-drawn diagrams. To Jonah it felt like a talisman.
He had landed into this week-night cross-country as a newly minted first officer, green enough that fluorescent lights in the ops room still made his stomach flutter. Tonight’s pairing was a calm captain named Reyes, whose uniform creases said patience and whose voice said safe. Jonah offered the tablet before taxi; Reyes waved him off with a small smile. For the B737 pilot, the cockpit is a
"Keep it. Best stories are the ones you read in motion," Reyes said.
Jonah thumbed the PDF open again as engines warmed. The first section was plain checklist—cold and necessary. Below it, a typed note read: "Know the airplane, know yourself." Jonah liked that line; it read like permission to belong.
On climb out, as they threaded through cotton-clouds and the city lights winked below, Jonah found a page titled "Unwritten Procedures." It wasn't procedural at all but a string of short vignettes: a copilot who saved a flight by noticing a mis-set altimeter; a captain who hummed the same lullaby into his headset to settle nervous passengers; an instructor who insisted every pilot learn to troubleshoot a stuck trim by feel.
Jonah imagined the people behind the notes—hands that had mapped a problem by touch across a metal yoke, voices that had learned cadence in stormy nights. The stories felt like a lineage, a quiet chain of small choices that kept an airplane airworthy.
Over the next hours the PDF became a companion. During cruise, Jonah scrolled to an appendix of cockpit etiquette: "Callouts are crew medicine. Poor calls, poor outcomes." He practiced crisp radio-readbacks under his breath, savoring how language could steady the work.
Halfway to their destination, the weather ahead closed in. ATC rerouted them around cells of thunderstorms, and Reyes's calm shifted from ease to intent. A minor anomaly cropped up—an interior light flickering in the galley—but it was the little things that reveal character. Jonah remembered a different page in the PDF: "When boredom bites, attention wanes. Treat every light as a potential symptom." He signaled, checked, and confirmed with Reyes. The light was traced to a loose panel and logged. The gesture was small; it threaded him into practice.
Descending through scattered showers, a cabin call came: a passenger with severe airsickness in 26A. Jonah felt the old rookie impulse to fumble and over-apologize. Instead he reached to the PDF's human section—short paragraphs on passenger care, not regulations. "Offer water. Speak calmly. Reassure what you can," it said. He relayed a few measured phrases to the flight attendant, who thanked him with tired relief. The passenger quieted. Jonah felt a quiet pride that had nothing to do with procedure and everything to do with being useful.
On final approach, a crosswind gust bent the airplane like a reed. The runway lights shimmered through rain. Jonah's hands found the yoke by muscle memory he'd practiced in sims and by lines he’d read late at night. Reyes's corrections were sparse but exact. When they touched down with a gentle, controlled firmness, Jonah felt the PDF's words settle inside him like ballast.
Later, at the gate, the captain closed the throttle and faced Jonah. "How was your companion?" he asked.
Jonah tapped the tablet, then the pages, then Reyes's eyes. "Terrible book for getting nervous," he said, and Reyes's laugh loosened the long journey.
"Good," Reyes said. "A proper cockpit companion should make you think, not soothe you. It should make you better."
Jonah uploaded a note into the flight log—dry, official lines about performance and maintenance. Then, before shutting down his tablet, he opened a blank page and typed a short paragraph into the PDF: a small scene about a first officer who learned to steady his calls during a storm, who offered water to a sick passenger, and who learned that a file could be more than ink and pixels—it could be an inheritance.
He signed it with his initials and a date, leaving room for the next pair of hands to find the note, to add a correction, an anecdote, or a sketch of a knob. The cockpit companion was never finished; it simply gathered people who cared enough to write.
As he walked away from the jet into cool tarmac air, Jonah realized the most valuable pages were the ones not found in any official manual: the ones that taught how to be human while operating something that demanded precision. The PDF had started as a tool. By the time he reached the terminal lights, it felt like a small, living lineage—one pilot passing on steadiness to the next, one note at a time.