Originally Posted by
FlareArmed2
In my experience with Airbus, below a certain RA the autothrottle will not respond to a speed loss below Vref. This can lead to quite a surprise with a gusty tailwind in flare. As the thrust levers are still in the detent there is nothing you can do to spool the engines up except go-around.
In my experience with Airbus, I have never seen an autothrottle installed and I'm pretty sure 350 doesn't have one either (unlike A300 and A310). Also I have never flared with thrust levers in CLB detent, as company policy (not often found in the Airbus world, though) was "manual flight - manual thrust" so it was "the balls on the needles" and autothrust off usually around 1000 AAL. Below 100 RA, alpha floor is inhibited, not SPEED and this FUD BS about ATHR not working properly is with us ever since Asseline tried to clear himself of the blame for driving his 320 into the woods near Habsheim by blaming the aeroplane and the engines. Pilot who insists on flaring his Airbus with trust levers outside the idle detent will be quickly reminded by HAL what he is.