A319 Scratch Pad Use

[wayra]

Hello,

Does anybody know if there's any recommendation or prohibition of using the scratch pad in the A319 as a short memory help eg. for temporarily take note of the taxiways in the clearance, just the swack number, etc.??

And BTW, do you guys know where does it say that you should LAND with you feet completely over the pedals?

Thanks... and blue skies for all.

[Dream Land]

The pedals issue has been discussed a lot here, you could do a search, I personally like the method of keeping my feet all the way up, rather than the heel on floor technique, different strokes.

Scratch pad use? Your kidding us right?

[Capt Pit Bull]

Using the scratch pad in that manner is actually quite common.... its also a bad idea imho (regardless of type).

Bear in mind you can write on a kneeboard / notepaper on your chart holder (or whatever depending on your flight deck ergonomics) *without* needing to look at your pen. You are not likely to be able to type into the scratch pad without looking at it.

A good example: Let's say you are turning off a runway, on an RET, to the right, with the Captain as the handling pilot. ATC give you a taxy clearance.

Which is safer? one hand on the PTT, One hand for the pen, eyes OUT of the cockpit (looking round to 4 o'clock, the direction you are turning but the Captain can't see....

Or, one hand for the PTT, one hand on the CDU, eyes on the CDU.

If its important enought to need recording, write it down!

pb

[Carnage Matey!]

Why not just use the CDU once you've made all your radio calls? Depending on your cockpit ergonomics there can be far less distraction from typing a few taxiways into a scratchpad than rooting around by your feet for a clipboard then going heads in to write on it with one hand on the clipboard, one hand on the pen.

[one post only!]

In my airline nearly all pilots use the scratch pad to write taxy clearances (in and out) down. As capt pit bull says though, not at an inopportune moment!! If you use the scratchpad for taxi clearances then the other guy can see what is written also and doesn't need to ask you what is written down.

I also use it in the cruise to enter in the ATC frequencies so I have the last few to hand. I could write them on the plog but prefer to type them into the scratch pad. I (along with many of my colleagues) also enter LU (line up), TO and L so that in the early hours of the morning when short term memory is suffering you know what you have just been told!

I have never seen or heard anything prohibiting you from doing any of this. I have also never seen anything official to recommend you do this either!!

[wayra]

Thanks for the answer.. The cockpit environment that Im talking about here is currently an A320, however I came from B767 and there in the FCTM you can actually find that is recommended to use the scratch pad for a short time for easily recall specific things. And I've gotten used to use it that way however during training in A320 I've been told that is prohibited.

In boeing fleet everybody use it, as well for the enroute freq as you said.

well.. thank again. Blue skies


BTW Dream Land, I wasn't kidding... why? Sounded as a funny question for you?... I did searched for the pedals matter but since Pprune receives more than 25 questions per day, I must have omitted.