This must be one of the weirdest threads I have ever encountered on PPRuNe!
First of all, my company only allows us to auto land on pre-approved runways. Offset courses are not mentioned as far as I know, but it is irrelevant as it would not be pre-approved!
Now back to the original confusion. In my company, one of the largest Airbus operators in the world, SOP is to check the ILS course on the PFD. This is in full accordance with the Airbus FCOM. You check this data to ensure that the aircraft has the correct reference when it comes to aligning the aircraft with the runway during the flare.
Now please tell me if you do things differently in your company for I have never heared of any drift limitations. Why are we even talking about drift? The only crosswind limitation in the FCOM is 20 knots. Again, I might be missing something here so I am more than happy to be corrected, but please give me a reference to this drift limitation as I have never heared of it and I doubt any Airbus 320 rated pilot has. (mind you, This is a simple pilot's SOP question, no software designer's theories please
)
In answer to 737jock, the aircraft indeed aligns the IRS/FMGS computed track with the course you check at 350. Which other track can it use?
Align sub-mode
Align is a sub-mode of LAND that lines up the aircraft's axis with the ILS course. It is not displayed to the crew.