Airbus: Flying an ILS not in the database

[JABBARA]

Hi Armann
I guess thread is again veering off from its path. I will simply try to answer your questions,

1 There is no FAC in A 330, but there is FE as part of FMGEC, which is akin to functions to FAC.

2. To understand what the LAND is, you should know how the airplane makes AUTOLAND in X wind up to its limit 20Kts.
Answer: Same as I do: "De-crab Technique, if you dare to make Automatic Landing in real x wind around 20K or in SIM, you will see that. Around flare height AP aligns the airplane crab heading with runway direction. You can easily see this through windshield and fell rudder pedal movement (feed back) under your foot. This is called "ALIGN" mode (check DSC). This is an AP mode but is transparent to pilot. What I mean, it engages like other FMA modes but does not display on FMA. To be able to that, AP needs to know runway direction, this is the runway direction in MCDU which is selected for landing. Theoretically this is the same with ILS front course in RAD NAV. Practically, what I had tried in SIM, MCDU runway direction vs. RAD NAV front course may be 2 or 3 degree different to get the LAND mode on FMA. Beyond that angular difference, LAND mode does not engage (see PRO_NOR_SRP), eventually A/P disengages. That is fail passive.

3. Regardless which mode you were before (I mean even you do not Activate App or do not sequence FPLN properly etc), as long as you extend flap out of zero, with TOGA selection , GA mode will engage. GA TRK and pitch up will engage. Obviously there will not be any NAV mode to engage (in the sample you give). If you above the PERF page THR RED ACC/ ACC altitude THR LVR CLB will flash immediately and OPN CLB will engage anyway (provided FCU altitude above airplane altitude)

Not: You may be aware, ILS course concept is completely different than VOR bearing concept. What I mean, if you are flying full raw data, setting correct course to anywhere for any type of airplane has no function other than situational awareness of pilot while he is trying to center the deviation bar. For example if front course of ILS is 360 but 345 is set on MCDU (or somewhere else on other type airplane), as long as airplane is on LOC line through approach, deviation bar still indicates centered. Again I remind this is correct only for raw data flight. However, If any Autoflight mode is engaged ( FD and/or AP) then this course may be important for computer internal calculations like intercepting angle, correction factor etc.