I hope that some A320 series drivers have read this original post, noted the responses and gone back to their books and then their tech ops folks. That some active drivers do not understand the sequence and What-ifs of the RAT system - and exactly what it will - and will not do, troubles me. As I read the details, dropping the RAT in a crunch is a great move; but if one does not take the secondary steps to direct the RAT's energy to the proper systems, hydraulic and/or electrical, the the device is essentially worthless.. That a couple of very honest folks do NOT know how to apply the RAT's energy capture to their systems is, at the least, commendable - and troublesome. Especially on the Bus, where nearly everything can be assigned to high-level automation, can they fly a limited airplane with only basic functions? Not INSTANTLY knowing how to apply the RAT's energy to needed services troubles me. Who direct's a faulted airplane's functions? Is it the crew, the faulty system, or nothing? That such event are exceedingly rare is just not quite good enough. Who is driving?
