Originally Posted by
aguadalte
You just brought the answer to your own question. Try to type in a stress environment at the same speed in an AZERTY keyboard than the one you can do on a QWERTY keyboard and see the difference for yourself...
I have, many times, and I know what you're talking about. However, muscle memory is not just about making a movement relative to what is felt, it's about practicing to the point where you instinctively know where to put it in the first place.
You would have to use your yes and concentration on what you are really typing in order not to commit mistakes.
At first, the same way you have to look at the guitar fretboard and/or feel the fret position underneath your fingers to do so at first. But later, as you master it, the muscle memory makes the feedback redundant. You don't need to look or feel where to put your fingers, you just do.
The same for the pilot, that doesn't have the feed-back on the stick. He his deprived from his tactile feed-back and has to look at the PFD to see the results of his commands, therefore loosing a precious useful tool...
Look, I'm not saying (and have never said) tactile feedback is not useful in its place. Trainers should always have as much feedback as possible, because the pilot is learning where to put his hands. Once training for an Airbus FBW type rating, those muscle moves will be practiced in the simulator at first, and then on the aircraft. However, once type-rated and in the aircraft with us SLF down the back, pilots should not have to rely on such "training wheels" to control the aircraft.
Again - I *know* what the theoretical argument is for force-feedback and I acknowledge that. However I still have not seen evidence of a single accident in a FBW Airbus where force-feedback would have helped. In the case of AF447, the PNF *knew* the PF was overcontrolling and he told him not to. Eventually he tried to take over. How would feedback have helped?
Some things that do not seem to be common knowledge about the sidestick arrangement:
- Only one pilot is supposed to manipulate the flight controls at any one time by design (most people know that)
- Pressing the priority button transfers control from one stick to the other (most people know that)
- *Holding down* the priority button prevents the other side from making inputs, or taking priority back
- Holding down the priority button *for more than 40 seconds* deactivates the opposite sidestick completely
The PF in the RHS was not a complete rookie, he was a 32-year-old ATPL with an A330 type rating.