A320 FAMILY

[AIRBUS58]

TO AIRBUS PILOTS.
WHEN YOU DEACTIVATE A SIDE STICK AND THE OTHER SIDE STICK IS ACTIVATE .IF THE DACTIVATED STICK WAS MOVED WITH OUT TOUCHING THE RED BUTTON AM I RIGHT IN THINKING IT WILL NOT PUT IN A COMMAND ?

[atomic]

That's exactly what happens. Just to make it clear again. You can not deactivate your own stick. If you push the red button and hold it , you have just deactivated the other stick. If the other stick is now moved without pushing on its red button, no inputs are commanded. The main reason for this is in case of a stick malfunction. If the other guy is flying and the airplane starts heading for the ground and he can't do anything about it, s/he'll ask you to push the red button. You then lock out the malfunctioning side, remove the faulty inputs to the flight computers. There are side stick priority lights in front of each pilot. A red arrow illuminates in front of the pilot whose stick is deactivated. The arrow points towards the other, active, stick. A green 'Capt' and 'F/O' light illuminate in front of the pilot who has control , but only if the opposite stick is not in the neutral position.

[MFALK]

That's correct... the input from the de-activated side-stick is ignored until it is re-activated by pressing the red a/p disconnect button.

A red arrow will illuminate on the glareshield in front of the pilot with the disconnected side-stick and if the this pilot moves the de-activated side stick, a green light (showing CAPT or F/O respectively) will illuminate in front of the pilot with the operative side-stick.

On more recent models of the A320 family, if both pilots give inputs to their side-sticks (even when they are both active), the same green lights mentioned above will flash in front of both pilots to alert them about the dual input.

[MFALK]

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[This message has been edited by MFALK (edited 23 September 2000).]