Originally Posted by Re-entry
Was box office witness to A340 bounce today. After said gravitational challenge event, it pitched down violently to the point it was going to become a wheelbarrow , whereupon it pitched up again and landed. I wonder how much pitch action was pilot induced, how much 'what's it doing now?'.
Reference your last sentence: On (a manual) touchdown the airbus is in 'Direct Law' (flight control law). Therefore the pilot has total control and there will not be any 'what's it doing now?' moment. During the approach it will be in 'Normal Law' which means the aircraft will fly keeping a 1G loading. This means that increased thrust with underslung engines does not result in a nose up and decreased thrust does not result in a nose down. Otherwise the pilot has full control.