View Full Version : Is Autoland light essential on airbus?
YaYoSky
2nd Jun 2010, 16:34
In airbus aircraft, the autoland light located on glareshield flashes red when some failures occuers. But could the function of autoland light be subsituded by FMA or EICAS or aural warning?
thx
potkettleblack
2nd Jun 2010, 19:25
According to the MMEL you don't need any for dispatch providing approach minimums do not require use of autoland. So in reality I take that to be you could go down to Cat 2 with a manual landing. Will also depend on whether your companys MEL is more restrictive or not.
TyroPicard
2nd Jun 2010, 20:07
FMA - never used for Warnings, only gives positive mode information.
EICAS - not fitted. ECAM warning takes time to read, think about and then react.
Aural warning - presumably you mean a different sound to all the others...would only work if pilots are familiar with the sound and its' meaning.
Big red light right in front of the pilot which only does "Autoland warning" - works well. Yes it is essential.
Right Way Up
2nd Jun 2010, 22:31
Big red light right in front of the pilot which only does "Autoland warning" - works well. Yes it is essential.
TP is completely right. Consider when it will annunciate and the relevance of its position becomes obvious.
YaYoSky
3rd Jun 2010, 13:47
Thx for TP's reply. But i still have a question.
Boeing or ERJ a/c don't have this light(when failure occurs during autoland, there will be beaper or "No Autoland" alert). So is the autoland light essential because airbus use sidestick?(while boeing and ERJ use wheel/column)
Mad (Flt) Scientist
3rd Jun 2010, 16:06
Thx for TP's reply. But i still have a question.
Boeing or ERJ a/c don't have this light(when failure occurs during autoland, there will be beaper or "No Autoland" alert). So is the autoland light essential because airbus use sidestick?(while boeing and ERJ use wheel/column)
Nothing to do with control wheel or sidestick.
The cockpit displays/warnings philosophy for a given aircraft has to be developed to be internally consistent. however, provided the basic regulations are followed, there is no single required philosophy. So one manufacturer can use lights, one aurals, and neither is right or wrong. provided each works in the context of the rest of the cockpit systems, it's all good.