Hello IFLY INDIGO,
First of all, congratulations to you for sharing your experience with us and for seeking advice.
I would like to question many major airlines' policy about auto thrust use. (and Airbus' recommendations about A/T use)
I fly A320 in a company where manual flight skills are still intensively trained and encouraged by the training department and I am very glad about that. The large majority of the landings in our company are -conditions permitting- done with F/D, A/T and AP off!
So our company is really not concerned by
what Airbus captain Jacques Drappier has to say about manual flight skills. (Jacques Drappier, like myself, is a former SABENA-pilot BTW) Read also this thread:
Pilot handling skills under threat, says Airbus
In my company all pilots will fly the approach to Funchal, Madeira with A/T off, while most other companies forbid their pilots to disconnect A/T over there.
All pilots in my company will agree that we, as pilots, can do a better job then the A320 autothrust system. It's my experience that if you fly the A320 by hand but with A/T engaged in stormy and gusty conditions, the A/T is a very foolish "speedchasing device". For instance: when you're a little low, but a litlle high on speed -due to shifting winds for instance- the A/T will reduce thrust too much and not anticipate fast enough to stop you from getting in a nose high, low speed condition when you pull the sidestick to recover from your low trajectory. It appears to me that that is what happened to you during your flare.
Originally Posted by Bullethead
The only thing that's gunna save you in a swept wing jet aeroplane when the arse drops out of it close to the ground is a handful of thrust, enough to feel it kick you in the back. If you don't feel the aeroplane accelerate you haven't used enough.
Of course, "giving a handful of thrust" is not easy in the Airbus when your thrust levers are immobile in the CLB detent and you are "at the mercy" of the A/T system! In manual thrust it's a piece of cake!
Now I'm getting ready to be flamed about the fact that I dare to go against Airbus' recommendations about A/T use, but really guys, it's time that pilots relearn how to handfly an airliner, especially Airbii! Make life easier on yourself by using the AP and AT when there's a good reason to do so but make sure you keep your basic skills in good shape!!
Best regards,
sabenaboy