Some useful info on this older thread:
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/44476...technique.html
Originally Posted by
Eurotraveller
It's important to get your head around what happens at 50ft on the Airbus. The aircraft enters its flare law, auto-trim ceases and the system memorises your pitch attitude.
What this means in practice is that if your pitch is less and your ROD is more than it should be at this stage it can be hard work to prevent an unpleasant arrival.
Originally Posted by
Chris Scott
...Which is one of the reasons that hand-flown approaches are best flown using manual thrust on Airbus FBW aeroplanes like the A320. Sadly, this seems to be widely discouraged, or even forbidden.
As has been said above, the best way to achieve a smooth AND accurate touchdown on the A320 was always to flare as appropriate for an accurate, moderately-firm touchdown, and then (provided the nose is high enough) briefly release the back pressure on the stick to reduce the pitch-attitude slightly just before main-wheel touchdown.
On touchdown, resume back-pressure to avoid thumping the nose-wheels on. After touchdown, however, ground-spoiler deployment tends to cause some degree of pitch-up: this has to be counteracted. If you are using medium autobrake, it will try to thump the nose-wheels on.
Keep flying the aeroplane. This applies in pitch and roll. Don't be tempted to take your hand off the stick as soon as the nose is down, as I sometimes saw in my line-checking days. It's not over yet. Ground spoilers kill most of the wing lift, but some pitch and (limited) roll control remain available initially. You may still need them.
Chris
For what it's worth, my reading of point 3 is that the stick will directly command elevator deflection (as opposed to pitch/C* in Normal/Alternate Law), but with the offset caused by the gradual pitch-down aspect. Flare mode was intended to mimic the slight increase in backpressure required with conventional controls, as it felt more natural to the pilots during testing.