Originally Posted by
fox niner
Without going into the B vs. A discussion, could someone with airbus experience clarify something for me? ...Since I have exactly 0 minutes flight hours on an airbus.
We were lining up behind a departing A340 in a strong crosswind. There was NO aileron input at all into the wind during their takeoff roll. The plane was clearly begging for it, as the upwind wing was higher than the downwind wing. When it lifted off the runway, only THEN was aileron input introduced. My colleague said that this was normal in an airbus because of design/control law etc.
To me it seems consistent with this landing of this airbus in Birmingham, above. No cross control in the way I have been doing the past 3 decades on boeings.
Instructors teach you not to use aileron input, reason is it's a bigger danger of having spoilers extended than no having aileron input (they simply don't thrust pilots to not overcompensate) . With this said any good pilot will still use a bit of aileron. Try it in a sim with max crosswind, it is very hard to maintain centerline and steady wings without using aileron and I always use it! Rudder is there for a reason it is not a naked girl being touched by a virgin! Step on it!! All these things apply to any aircraft 737, 172 etc. People complicate Airbus too much it is just an aircraft and it flies like an aircraft (almost) despite FBW etc, don't think just fly! Biggest problem is companies not allowing pilots to fly, all these stupid rules, with FDs, APs, Autothrust, Visual approaches......makes pilots dumb! I am lucky to fly for acompany where you actually get to fly and guess what? A330 is just a big C172 I handle it the same way, except on ground, taxi it nice and slow :-)