Theory and Practice
Quote from exeng Mar02/00:18:
As a former Boeing man the first on limits Xwind landing on a 320 at LHR scared me. The training I had on the sim was just that - training on the sim. I had full sidestick and the wing just kept on coming up. In the end I released some rudder (in panic. I might add, whilst trying to just fly the plane) and landed with a considerable amount of drift on.
Because of this experience I made some considerable noise in the office [....] and was given the advice that I 'probably just wasn't applying the correct techniques'. In other words - just go away.
Fortunately I mentioned this experience of mine to a 320 'old hand' who advised that the rubbish taught in the sim is just that - the drift has to be taken off earlier in the 320 so as to give the 'bus' some small time to rethink.
[Unquote]
Trouble is (unless things have changed since my day), the hard-pressed pilot-managers are just too busy flying their desks and issuing memos to get out and remind themselves what the whole thing is really about. And even the trainers don't get enough "polling" themselves (as opposed to watching their students doing it).
It is not necessary or desirable to use the full sideslip technique in a strong crosswind, which is the implication of what you are saying. The sideslip angle required would put you too close to the possibility of pod-scrape/flap-scrape/winglet-scrape (depending on the pitch attitude).
The most reliable technique in my experience is to induce slight sideslip during de-crab, i.e., to pre-empt the tendency of the upwind wing to rise because of the de-crab yaw**, AND to pre-empt a possible gust. 5 degrees of bank is about right. Limit the amount of flare. DO NOT TRY TO "GREASE" HER ON. Then, allow the downwind wheels to touch down immediately after the upwind ones. At this point, FBW ground Law will commence, and a suitable increase in into-wind aileron can be applied. This can be maintained until about 80 kts, to be on the safe side.
In my day, Medium autobrake was recommended in a strong crosswind, but it complicates the situation if you need to use differential brake to correct a swing. Runway length and state permitting, manual brake and idle reverse are the best option for directional control. If memory serves, rudder-fine (nosewheel) steering is not available above 72 kts GS. You may need differential brake to hold straight as the rudder itself gradually loses authority.
** [The FBW should counteract this. In practice, I often observed it fail to do so. Trainers have to teach the "book".]
Quote from lambourne [Mar02/00:59]:
I did not find the AB roll rate algorithm intuitive to adapt to. On this flight, I announced "full left sidestick" to my F/O and we touched down in a manner resembling tossing a pillow case full of doorknobs onto the runway. After we exited he said that hitting the stops was common occurrence on the bus in strong crosswinds. I said I had just spent 6 weeks in training and at no point did anyone in the schoolhouse find it somewhat needful to convey that you might hit the stops.
The bus is a bit like tail wheel airplane. Great on a calm or wind down the runway day, but a handful in strong x-winds
[Unquote]
Full roll-demand is not normally necessary if you use the technique I describe above. But gust-induced rise of the upwind wing must be dealt with promptly, i.e., try to keep the wing slightly down until the upwind wheels are firmly on.
Having flown the tailwheel-Dakota (only 450 hrs, admittedly), as well as numerous large jets before the A320, I cannot agree with the last sentence... The A320 behaves like most tricycle-gear jet airliners. Once the nosewheel is on the runway with ground spoilers (lift dumpers) extended, the necessity for differential brake is unusual. On the Dakota, as you allowed the tail to settle at about 50kts, your problems were often just beginning...