A320 Line Training - what complex/tricky aircraft related questions to ask?!

[Melissa_Bettochi]

Good afternoon people,

Currently undergoing line training on the A320. All very new stuff. Have a 10 hour round trip tomorrow and the last time I flew with this training Captain, I came away feeling like knowing nothing. Lot's of questions by him. No real explanations. :(

So, I'm trying to think of questions to ask the training captain that he maybe able to explain. I figure if I have to spend 10 hours then I may as well ask as many questions as possible, answers which we can both go over together during the flight.

So, if anyone has any complex, tricky, cunning, grueling A320 systems and related questions then please do list them! :E

Any references to the questions will help me to have a quick read up beforehand.

Much much appreciated. :)

[I-2021]

Hi Melissa,

The training captain, as the name suggests, is paid to be there and train you. The questions that you are asked should be a way for the both of you to focus on what needs to be covered in more depth and to confirm what you already know. If you are at the beginning of your flying career it is very important that your training captain finds a way to guide you in understanding your priorities. For instance knowing the smallest details of airplane systems and not being able to conduct an approach is useless and your training captain should focus on that, that is giving priorities. Your aim is to learn how to safely operate the airplane during line operations with a good system knowledge for your level of experience. If your trainer does not focus on getting you ready for the line but rather focuses on how many km of wires there are in the airplane, then I may think that he is not doing what he is supposed to do. Having said that, keep up working hard and enjoy your training !

[Dani]

Do you have a line training syllabus? In a paper like this, there are tons of questions he should cover, e.g. landing minimas or approach procedures. Pick out a few questions and go a bit in depth. Make some notes, so the line instructor can see that you are prepared.

[Natstrackalpha]

tricky, cunning, grueling A320 systems andI don`t wish to sound rude - and I am sure you would like to ask your Training Captain
any questions to fulfil your knowledge.

To request to ask him/her "tricky questions" is a complete and utter waste of time and is pointless, flippant and childish.

The reason, I say, the reason he is asking you difficult questions is to help your knowledge aquisition on the aircraft or to see how much you know - the mere fact that you are finding the questions "difficult" probably proves that you have not studied enough.

The objective of achieving (I use this word `achieving` loosely, at this juncture) the type rating is to have a strong knowledge of the AOM, the aircraft and its operations and limitations. By asking you these questions s/he is probably ascertaining how much you do not know and therefore s/he will know how much to depend on you in the event of an emergency, or even, what to write in his/her report to Human Resources or Flight Crew Management.

This is not an Ego Game of who can catch the other person out, and who wins. He is not your boyfiend.

Also, by making the occasional "delibrate mistakes" he is testing your awareness of flying a 68+ ton aircraft with 150 lives on board - Captain! Because, like it or not Miss, when s/he is dead - you are it - so you had better start learning and quit playing games. By asking you questions, s/he knows if you have been studying or just p-----g around, in your spare time.

The fact you are doing Line Training assumes you really know your stuff and that you are reaching for good operational control of the aircraft and the flight in Normal and Non-Normal conditions - then to grow with the op and the aircraft - then to complete the necessary sectors and reach for Command ability acquired by a strong knowledge of the AOM and your experience on the flight-deck. Is is not a fashion show it is a full time trainee appointment with a view to COMMAND. you have to learn your stuff - he is not there to teach EVERY SINGLE THING, he would not have time, you also have to do it yourself, at hiome, in study, to increase your working ability, if you don`t, they won`t take you seriously, or, you may just get a rollicking, beware.

[Dan Winterland]

Here's one: If the answer is 9 Knots, what's the question?




Solution later!

[Slasher]

Q. How many blades on the engine N1?
A. Dunno - but I can tell you if there are any missing during
a walkaround.

Q. On the ground engines off. What will be the expected EPR
(or N1) target for TOGA?
A. Set Ign/Start - move throttles to TOGA - note EPR (or N1)
- move throttles back to idle - Ign/Start back to Norm.

Q. How can you set Config 1 on the ground (slats only - as in
what you get in the air) and not Config 1+F?
A. Heh heh not tellin' - but if you can answer that you (or your
destructor) certainly know your systems! :ok:

Q. How can you clear RADNAV without going through all that
CLEAR button-pushing nonsense?
A. RMP NAV Backup key press - Note RADNAV blank - return
Backup key to off.

Real slimy questions available on request! :E

[Slasher]

If the answer is 9 Knots, what's the question?

These?

What is the Vapp speed additive to VLS with a 27kt HW with
no autothrust, no autoland, no ice accretion, no gusts, and a
CG > 25%?

What's the V1 decrement for TO Config 2 on a contaminated
3000m+ runway with all reversers operative?

[Henrik83]

Here's one: If the answer is 9 Knots, what's the question?

Number of knots on the escape rope?

[Dan Winterland]

Correct!

(Although someone questioned this one day and counted them. Nine on one side, eight on the other! But I gather it should be nine).

[Slasher]

Number of knots on the escape rope?

Yep a slimy question alright.

DW if you said "9 knots" iso "9 Knots" it might've given a clue.

[A37575]

Here's one: If the answer is 9 Knots, what's the question?


1. You are knot to address the captain as "Mate".
2. You are knot to ask which leg the captain will give you.
3. You will knot say good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good day, cheerio, Bye Bye, see yer later, thanks, please - in your communications with ATC. Just think of the poor bloody ATC who gets a thousand greetings every day.
4 You will KNOT.....oh forget it, you get the message:ok:

[Cough]

Slasher..

Taxy in Conf 1+F. Wind engines down. PTU off, Yellow pump on, Select F0...

[Cough]

If the answer is 8 knots, what is the question (no rope here)...

[John Citizen]

Here's one: If the answer is 9 Knots, what's the question?


Question "How many knots should I tie in the rope to strangle you (the checkie who asks this question) ?" :p

[jimmyg]

I used to jokingly ask this question at the beginning of a training event. "If you get it right you pass your LPC"

The idea was to break the ice let them know that this is where we make mistakes, ask pertinent questions and hopefully learn something useful for when it really matters.

Relax and try to make it an open positive fun learning environmental.

[Airbus_a321]

@ melissa
so I assume, as just being a new-starter, you just want to throw him full of stupid questions, to check the knowledge of your training captain, then ?
What a poor attitude. :ugh:

nothing to add on I-2021 reply

[Checkboard]

How long is the escape rope?

[AKAAB]

The simplest and most effective counter-question to a "stump the dummy" challenge is to ask, "how can I apply that knowledge to my daily operations?"

If he has a good explanation, learn from him. If he can't answer other than to declare you have to know every rivet and innocuous bit of airplane trivia about the A320, then just say thanks and move on.

[charlie83]

Slasher..

Taxy in Conf 1+F. Wind engines down. PTU off, Yellow pump on, Select F0..


Or just select Blue pump overide? :D

[gusting_45]

I don't condone the 'tricky question' proposition but I would also criticise the trainer who after 10 hours has such a deflated trainee that they feel like they know nothing.

Sounds more like an examiner than a trainer.

[fantom]

I did never ask silly questions, only observed the pilot's operating skills.

However...

If you have old airframes with LAF:

Q: How do you know if the LAF is active?

A: Turn up the speakers and you'll hear Ha Ha Ha...

[Slasher]

Charlie and Cough - both right.

Cough's Blue override was what I was thinking.

Another scumbaggly question -

Engines running - how can you instantly deactivate all of the
primary flight controls without turning any HYD, ELAC or SEC
sws off?

[Easy226]

Turn 'off' the leak measurement valves on the overhead panel?

[Slasher]

Yep correct - obviously the question wasn't scumbaggly enough!

[kick the tires]

What a strange question from a trainee. I assume you are a new guy with no other flying experience? As many have said, this is not the attitude to approach your training.

Try eating a few slices of humble pie before you go on your next trip. You are NOT there to trip the trainer up, because that is EXACTLY what you are trying to do.

Rest assured, he will make you life a lot more miserable that you will his. Flying is being about being a team, NOT point scoring.

If you dont learn anything, or perhaps its your ability to learn, do as someone has said - say thanks captain, and move on.

Show some humility, you are at the start of a career and you are flying with an experienced Captain. You are not expected to know much, but you are expected to learn. If you ask one of your stupid questions, how do you reply when the LTC asks why you want to know that when you are not even comfortable, for example, with landing distance increments with various failures? Lighting system failures for LVO's, Crash Cat's etc etc. Flying is not just about the airbus itself.

You will achieve nothing, except making a very bad name for yourself. Captains will be on their guard with you and you will VERY quickly show your obvious, and understandable, shallow depth of knowledge.

Then you will feel silly for trying to be a coçky ar$e.

[Slasher]

Dunno if that was the intent of the OP KtT - I could be wrong
..but I got the impression the poster was after questions that
could be asked which are particularly complex so as to derive
some useful knowledge (even though that poster didn't write
succinctly in that regard) for the final Line check. IOW above
the standard of knowledge required.

I've only been d!cking around on this thread but since the OP
hasn't even bothered replying there's really no point in giving
any serious advice.

[macdo]

Be professional, listen a lot and talk little, if you don't know, don't bulls##t, just say I don't know and above all else don't try to be the latest arrogant ZFT student that the Training Capt. has had to fly with this year. This advice works well on the line too!

[Natstrackalpha]

ok, am weak!! I succemb to the call:


here`s one I like:

How do you restore lost Comms after a DC Essential Failure? Learn it before you ask him/her it -

[3 Point]

Melissa,

I can't hold myself back any longer. You'd better re-read the posts from Natstrackalpha, a321 and from macdo; in fact, print them out and keep a copy in your flight bag. Your attitude stinks! It's not a pissing contest and trying to trip the LTC up is a sure way to have a crappy day!

So, how did your 10 hour rotation go with this particular Training Captain? Go on, I dare you to respond and let us know how it went and why!

[gusting_45]

So, I'm trying to think of questions to ask the training captain that he maybe able to explain. I figure if I have to spend 10 hours then I may as well ask as many questions as possible, answers which we can both go over together during the flight.

I think all of you who have given this trainee such a hard time should re-read her original post. You have all interpreted her tricky cunning etc as an attempt to trip up her trainer. I think in reality she is trying to guide her discussions with her trainer down a constructive route as she refers to her wish to prepare for those conversations by studying beforehand.

It never ceases to amaze me how many posters on these threads react so aggressively.

There is always a chance that her attitude is good and your interpretation is wrong.

[IFixPlanes]

Out of a actual incident (Air Canada A319 near Winnipeg on May 30th 2012, two hydraulic systems failed after leak (http://avherald.com/h?article=4506b0eb))
Can i switch off the PTU by pulling CBs? :E

[Check Airman]

I'm inclined to agree with GUSTING_45. The impression I got is that she wanted to get an idea of the difficult questions from pprune ahead of time, so that she could be better prepared for the next flight.

[Nick 1]

DC-9 Line training , i start to set destination beacons in both ADF recivers right after take- off , in cruise the Training Cpt asked me ( smoking is cigarette very slowly) " where are you going to fly tomorrow ? " i take a look at the roster and reply , so he state " why don't you set the tomorrow Beacons ? "
Sometimes two words equals hours of explanations.....

Now modern question , green band of take off CG ,on the left you can see the number 30- 25-20 then you see 10,5/17 why ??
Same on lower indication, i don' t remember the lower number right now.

[Right Way Up]

I agree with gusting_45.

Sounds like the OP has been hit with some inane questions that has proven they don't know much but aren't particularly useful. (those trainers who do this......you know who you are. ) As a TRE I have unbelievably experienced this point scoring exercise. However the OP by directing the subject can hopefully at least learn something relevant.

Good luck!

[Natstrackalpha]

. . . why don`t we open an online A320 type rating . . . course . . . . . . then, when the studes have scored a high enough . . score, they can then go and do the type rating for real, at a place recommended by us or selected from the greats . . . . . having done the ground school with us . . . we would get recognition from the greats . . .


How does the student benefit . . ? Well, the combined richness of knowledge will put them at a very high standard, it will break the ice in class when they start on their course, they would not need any groundschool, if we did it right.

We could call it something imaginative like: A320 Online Groundschool, we could (AOG!) get FAA and CAA approval too. The cross-ref AOG with other refs to AOG will give us a major hit on the web search thangs. . . it could be translated into several languages . . .such as . . English, in fact, we`ll keep it in English, that way they can all learn English an inherent opportunity for them all!

If you are serious and interested and an A320 professional then lets PM and get together and form a corporation. That way, all the golden knowledge they freely get on here, well, it would be the same, but more regulated, by the kettle, and instead of tap tap tapping for free we could give them the bestest service ever. After culmination of the sectors of the course, per se` we could put it all on automatic and have a robot send it out, take payment, welcome them on board and get a sec or someone with nothing to do all day, just to monitor it all and a duty online instructor - just for those niggley little questions.

Often, when transferring pressure from one sys through the PTU to the other sys (say from Y to G) and in the case of an overheat . .then the heat, will heat the other side through conduction, so you end up with Y overheat and G overheat too.

P.S.

No takers for my DC Essential failure restoring full comms procedure . . ?

[Natstrackalpha]

gusting 45

Good point.

Mellisa, sorry, you`re doing fine. If we misunderstood you, we are sorry. We want you to be great - because you want to be great too right . .?

Learn all you can, in an attempt to learn ALL about the Airbus A320 in a sane amount of time. By doing this your mind will start to fill with questions - ask your training Captain what you want when you can, choose a good moment . . he will appreciate your questions, hopefully he is not a masoginist. If he does not appreciate your questions nor celebrate the fact that you are burning to learn and thirsting for knowledge then catso - cercare un altro airline, magari.

The more you study, the more you will need to ask questions.

If you are in an environment where women pilots are looked down upon then emigrate to the UK or to the States. If this is the case then give him my DC Essential Failure question: "How do you restore FULL Comms radio and intercomms) with a DC Essential Failure?" I`ll PM you the answer.

If you ARE in a place where women pilots are frowned upon then study to increase your knowledge to your `own` highest level, get a nice balance in life, some study, some free time with friends etc, and reach for Command - your Command.
Before that day arrives though acquire as much knowledge of the aircraft as you can. Enjoy your flying and ignore sexist remarks, sexism being sarcasm due to the fact that you are a lady. Never for get how you are going to perform in the event that you are the only one there. (It is NOT difficult, nor any different, just, get on with it).

We wish you all the best of luck and . . as we say in England . . "Don`t let the b------s grind you down"

[lurkio]

Natstrackalpha

Is it VHF 2 or 3 through RMP 2 using ACP3 and associated sockets?

[Natstrackalpha]

Yes. don`t forget RMP three as well, for the same. xxCORRECTIONxxCX
audio sw F/O 3
capt cant tx or rx so turn up the volume on f/o speaker, f/o tx and rx norm via vhf2/3
capt tx using mike from f/o which is.............. stretched.................................behind the centre ped, Capt rx using f/o speaker.
intercom: f/o uncovers left ear, capt shouts, f/o speaks when he`s spoken to! ( English joke !).

f/o rx vhf 2/3 and cabin.

Correction: sorry, I meant ACP 3 which you stated anyway.