A320 Flight Control Checks - SOPs

[MFALK]

According to your compnay SOPs, do you perform flight control checks (A320):

1) After start, on stand prior to taxy?
2) During taxy?
3) At the runway holding point?
4) Any other option?

Thanks for any feedback.

[Grandad Flyer]

We pushback and start engines at the same time. Once the pushback has finished, park brake on, the FO does the after start scan and then the After Start checklist is done.

After that flight control checks can be done at any point prior to or even at the hold (though usually done once on the taxiway unless LVPs are in force, and the viz is very poor, when we would do the control check at the hold). Once control checks have been done (and a few other things) the first part of the before take-off checklist can be completed so it makes sense to get the control checks out of the way early on.

A further question on this topic. Our company SOPs require us to wait 3 seconds between control movements, eg. ailerons left,
pause 3 seconds, ailerons right, pause 3 seconds, neutral.
This is also what is says in the manuals as a fault won't show up before that time. However, there seems to be some discrepancy on the rudders. Only the sidestick is mentioned in the manuals, not the rudder. Some people say it should still be a 3 second pause, some say not.
Anyone know the definitive answer? What does your company do?

[Boxer]

The reason for the 3 second pause on ailerons is to give sufficent time for full travel on all spoiler surfaces, if not done so then any fault in deployment is not detected..... remember Lufthansa......

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Dont forget you wont be leaving empty handed!

[MFALK]

Thanks for the reply. Is the 3 second pause stated in the FCOM, and if so, could you kindly indicate the reference?

Thanks.

[meslag]

grandaddy..

ask one of the captains at lgw why you do the 3 sec control check. He ended up doing a left (right) only circuit at gatwick some years ago.
I believe that the rudders do not require a similar pause because they have a mechanical linkage to the pedals.
Airbus appeared to have some difficultyin agreeing whether when the flt ctl page moved it actually meant that the control surface had moved or the actuator that moved the control surface had moved.

[Grandad Flyer]

I agree about holding the sidestick with the 3 second pause, but I wanted to find out if it applied to the rudder check.
The reference is to be found at 3.03.10 p2. The Airbus SOPs say:
"Flight Controls - check.
At a convenient stage prior to or during taxi: PF applies full lateral and longitudinal sidestick deflection. This check will be called by the PF as is is carried out......

Note: Full sidestick must be held for sufficient time for full travel to be reached."

This I believe it agreed to be 3 seconds.

However, it then goes on to explain the rudder control check but doesn't mention the above note.

[basics52]

Gatwick :

Could you provide some more information on that incident at Gatwick pls ? It sounds very interesting.

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I agree completely on holding the SS to the sides until a good aileron + spoiler check is done but regarding the 3 seconds , has anyone seen that figure on any AIRBUS FCOM ?

FULLY RESPECT THE DESCITION OF HOLDING IT 3 SEC guys , don´t get me wrong !!! Just want to know todays official Airbus status on that .

MFALK

We usually like to keep the standard secuence for our checks and therefore check our flight controls until taxi , shortly after the brakes check .
By the way , how are you doing the brakes check this days guys ?

[SECs Machine]

No mention of a 3 second delay in our SOPs, we're just required to check full motion of both ailerons and the spoilers on the flight controls page. We're not supposd to check the rudders during a turn as you don't get full rudder deflection when you have a tiller input. Can't remember the reasoning behind that one.

[one.dot.lo]

Flight control checks should also only be completed after the flaps have been lowered for takeoff.

This is because the flight control page will not otherwise show the ailerons in their "drooped" position.

Hope this helps.

[boxmover]

Basics52

The info on the egkk left circuit is on the aaib site. (In short it was a mx F***up)