Changing SOP's
This is exactly part of my point. "Somebody screwed up! Quick, lets come up with a new SOP and re-invent flying an airplane along with the wheel at the same time."! I am not for a minute suggesting I will operate to unadulterated SOP's instead of company one's-yes it is their train set and I think to suggest I would do otherwise, is rather a stupid thing to say. I just want to see out of interest how far removed we have come.
First, we get what I call the "dog pissing on a tree syndrome", where every new manager has to come in and make his mark by changing something which is unlikely to be an improvement in T and C's!
Then we have what I call a "Chinese whispers" situation where there are lots of people around a table. Someone whispers a story to the person next to him round the table. That next person whispers the story to the next person and so on until we get back to the story teller. We find that the story whispered to the story teller is nothing like his original story.
This is how I see company SOP's evolving.
Then I am reminded of a story my Father told me about the Comet that went something like this, though hopefully there may be some reading this who actually know the story as they were there and can correct, embellish or repudiate as appropriate.
BEA had an SOP, although I am not sure formal SOP’s existed then(!?) so we will call it just a procedure, of selecting a certain RPM on the engines for the climb. Remember in those days they used actual numbers for N1 as opposed to a percentage. One day, a Rolls Royce engineer asks to sit on the jumpseat and is duly accommodated. During the climb, he notices the RPM that had been set and asks why they are using that particular setting. He is of course informed it is the value set by the company. He points out that this was within an RPM range specifically to be avoided as it was the maximum vibration band of the engines and BEA knew this. The procedure, I believe, was duly changed.
This is part of my point. Without a reference or Zero point, how do you know how many managers have pissed on the tree and how many others have they whispered to?
Vilas and drfaust, I suspect you may work for the same airline as me!
Drfaust, I am afraid I disagree with your comments that “Common sense does mandate it” with regard to selecting VS approaching a cleared altitude or level! Common sense to my mind says to be aware of what is going on around you with regards to TCAS. The designers of Airbus and Boeing did a very good job of designing their Autopilots. Most of these systems are looking ahead to predict a level off hence early ALT* on the Airbus with a high rate of climb or descent. By that time it is too late to use VS anyway.
Every time one touches the FCU it is a chance to introduce an error. After six thousand hours on Airbus, I could not tell you if I was blindfolded, which knob I was touching by its tactile feel. Also, I still have to stop and think about which way to turn the VS knob because it is not an intuitive thumbwheel like a Boeing or any other manufacturer come to that, bar Fokker. Yes maybe I am dumb and we already know I am no pleasure to fly with but the FCU is not intuitive. People may say that they get used to it. Getting used to something is not intuitive. Apple is intuitive. Anyway I digress.
Next, VS is the only mode you can fly away from a set altitude; Airbus considers Mode changes so significant that you have to announce the FMA. Thus with all these things against you why would you keep selecting VS if there is no traffic around?
Secondly, VS is a non protected mode. Unfortunately, unlike a Boeing where even with Auto thrust engaged you can pull back the levers in a climb or push them forwards in a descent (at least in FLCH) it is a slightly different matter on the Airbus. True you could pull back the levers from the climb détente in the climb but not much you can do in the descent other than AP and FD's off.
Then there are other ways of managing VS; what about just using different speeds in a pitch for speed mode (OPEN CLB or DES) without doing a mode change.
Finally, if your VS is already averaging around 1000’ a minute or less why would you mandate selecting vertical speed?
This should probably be another topic entirely where I would happily welcome opinion, especially, again, if anyone from Airbus or Boeing is reading this. What does Airbus or Boeing think of the procedure of selecting VS regardless of actual VS with say a 1000’ to go? I know, for legal reasons and other reasons, they cannot/will not comment (sound like Roy Mallard in People Like us!)
What would also be interesting, is to find out if Altitude busts have increased with this VS policy? Your TCAS events have gone down maybe but are your altitude busts now increasing?
Winnerhofer: I cannot believe that you have a QRH entry for something we(?) all know will almost certainly disappear a few moments later once outers have finished emptying and which will almost certainly happen below 10000'when you are getting busy! Hey ho. Their Train set as was pointed out earlier. How on earth did Airbus convince authorities that a flight engineer is not required? A340- 21 fuel pump switches!
I need to go and get a life, get off PPrune and work on my Fun to fly with factor! I did not expect so much discussion or to spend so much time discussing, from a simple request but thank you all.