Originally Posted by BarbiesBoyFriend
I know you can practise 'manual flight' in an Airbus just like any other a/c, but please don't forget a bus ain't like a non-bus. In many ways.
That is why one need to be qualified to fly it!
But, you can also be sure that some are more qualified than others, same with any other type. In AF447 case, it is very likely that the PF was more qualified on this type and sector than the two other pilots taken together (including the Captain, also qualified for Caravelle XII, Boeing 737 and manual trim wheels).
Originally Posted by BarbiesBoyFriend
Takata, to answer your first question, of course not, but the pilot held the stick back, the bus trimmed the tail 'nose up' (almost to max) and then stopped trimming.
Right. She stopped auto-trimming. It happens when the system believes the attitude "abnormal" (+30 AoA or speed below 60 kt, or pitch > +60... or because they used the manual wheel, or because the load factor was < 0.5 g... we still don't know yet! In any case, it is writen in the PFD "USE MAN PITCH TRIM" where you can't miss it (see PFD drawing above).
But the very relevant fact is that they pulled up during the first minute of their stall in order to reach such a THS setting. Then, they had two and half minutes left before impact and we still have not a single clue in order to understand at which point they finally acknowlegded their full stall situation.
After this point, I wonder if that would have made any difference if the trim wheel was auto or manual, that this aircraft was A, B or C...
Until we know more about what confused the pilots, jumping in and claiming that everything was linked with the trim wheel (they were not used to) doesn't make any sense. You won't use it if you dont think first that pushing the stick will help you to recover.
Originally Posted by BarbiesBoyFriend
So now, the pilot had to manually reverse, using his manual trim wheel that he never uses, a trim input that he never made!
What do you specifically know about their training with manual trim or direct law?
Did you read anything about it?
How many pilots already stalled an aircraft without autotrim?
Quite a few, no?
Originally Posted by BarbiesBoyFriend
Youre second point, that they ought to be able to push over even with the tail trimmed for full nose up I dispute (but only from experience of non-buses, so dismiss it if you like. These tails are really powerful though).
Well, be sure that I dont know it myself but Airbus is stating that below 185 kt, elevator control is powerfull enough to override a jammed THS above +8 deg. After 185 kt, it is not so easy. Beside, while being at +13 deg, when those nose down imputs were applied, the AoA reduced... then, it was still effective to a certain point.
Originally Posted by BarbiesBoyFriend
I see you are from Toulouse.
I just think the bus rather isolates its pilots from what's actually happening. That's just an opinion.
Yes, I'm from Toulouse, which mean that I prefer Rugby over Football (soccer). And that's just an opinion.
S~
Olivier