Airbusenjoyer

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum but have been browsing for a while so do forgive me if I posted on the wrong area.

I have a few questions regarding flying knowledge and SOPs.
Today just got my 1000HRS on type A320 family!

I was consistent on flying and landings were ok, but today I flew with a guy with 42 years of experience and made me question some bits.

As his points:

1. On a Tailwind landing (A320), keep the power on because you will sink fast if you cut. Is this correct?
2. He always adds 3kts to the vApp, even on tailwinds and heavy, is this prudent?
3. After takeoff and flaps retracted we got a direct, so I lowered the speed to 230kts to improve the radius of turn and climb a bit faster, he said this was wrong, I should have kept 250kts because that is Vy
4. Vy is 250kts below FL100 and 300kts above FL100
5. He keeps Wx radar tilt on climb to -2.0 and on descent to +1.5
6. On Takeoff computation he always requests runway wet and config 2, his ideology is to make the aircraft airborne asap, is this prudent?

7. And today, my landing was 1.6g. I blame myself because I didn't flare much/flared a bit late.
What happened was:

We were approaching and wind was headwind of 5kts. 72.3 GW on A321 CEO
Vapp was 142 accdg to EFB and FMS
It was too late that I've noticed that he changed the Vapp to 146, this was done before data lock,and I didn't want to contest him, so I was keeping between 700-800fpm on the glide
My question is, the higher the Vapp, do you have to flare earlier?
I flared around 30 btw.


Thank you for your answers, I'm here merely to garbage in garbage out and keep whats proper.
Good day safe flights!

gerzson6

Good evening!

That’s a very interesting post first of all, I’m curious what other people will say. Here are my thoughts

1: I think no, because if you keep the thrust on you might end up landing long.
2: I wouldn’t agree with it, because the brakes would need to dissipate more energy due to the extra speed and the tailwind, and your break temp would be higher in the end because of the higher energy. Plus I doubt it makes any sense, the vapp is calculated like that for a reason.
3: I think you did the correct thing. Also what was the goal? To reach the selected altitude sooner, or not to “drift off” from the fmgc depicted green line?
4: for this you can refer to FCTM NP-SOP-climb
5: whats wrong with the auto function and if he sees sometning the use the tilt to have a better view?
6: then he should be using flaps3/toga for all the take-offs, that is the shortest.
7: don’t worry about it too much, it happens. However from hus side it’s not so nice to do something without telling you, but that’d be a different discussion.

regards

Airbusenjoyer

Hello thanks for your response. Here is his reasoning:
3. My goal was to both climb faster and not drift off, then back to 250kts once the turn is about to complete
5. He never uses Auto. just keeps a fixed 2.0 and -1.5
6. lol my thoughts also
7. He changes a lot of things without telling, and I did not want any CRM issue so I just let it slide.


Thanks for the kind words about the 1.6, on second thought I wasn't completely looking at the end to judge sink, I was too focused on the aiming point.

thetimesreader84

Question 1 - 6, what do the FCOM, FCTM, and company ops manuals say? I'm pretty sure ours say completely different things to what your Capt does, but I'll let the TRE/TRI crowd sort it out.

Question 7. Yes you do have to flare earlier in a heavy 321 than a light 319 BUT! not by much. For me it's the difference between flaring at the "T" of the "Thirty" call (in the heavy 321), vs flaring at the "y" of the call out. Its something that only comes with experience I'm afraid, but I'm sure you'll get it. If you were given good advice by your base trainers, revert to that. I still do, after about 3,000 hours on fifi!

iggy

Points 1 to 6, please smile and nod so you can survive the flight with that "diamond in a row" and carry on with your career. Then forget everything this guy tells you.

Point 7: how do you know it was a 1.6g landing? Was it because either the Captain or you called the 15 Load Report in the FMGC? If so, know that Safety Department gets a flag everytime a pilot does that...

AerocatS2A

Not the OP but our CEOs print out a landing score card automatically on landing.

vilas

FCOM, FCTM has the guidance on Vapp just follow that. There's a provision for pilot adding extra speed but it's not for tailwind. TW increase GS which increases the ROD so a little early flare is recommended. Generally problem with long landing starts with too much initial flare. It's a visual judgment you should be breaking the descent by half i.e. 350ft/mt appx. and continue towards touchdown point and reduce a little more at 10ft. Executing direct to there's no point reducing speed, if the new track is in opposite direction you may stop acceleration by selecting speed.
On takeoff Flap optimum setting or company recommendation can be used.

sonicbum

The only thing to question here is why this guy is still flying.
Always remember one thing in this racket: no matter who tells you any pieces of information, be it your head of training, it must be written somewhere, be it manufacturers and/or company material, otherwise it’s plain and simple personal technique which could (and often will be) wrong.

TheEdge

Could not agree more...

Airbusenjoyer

Thank you very much for all your replies! I highly appreciate.


My comfort zone is usually below minimum I focus outside and scan 10%. Target the aiming point , use PAPI, and and keep a steady descent angle.
However due to a lot of people I fly with, which order me to follow FD/GS below minima, I tend to fixate on it and the aiming point, usually forgetting to look at the far end of RWY to judge sink and flare input.
Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't landing a visual maneuver? FCTM says when near the ground focus should be on attitude and sink rate, which I normally follow, however due to some people I am paranoid about my FD/GS when near the ground.

Airbusenjoyer

LOL.

Captain rolled the Vrtamax after landing. He said A320 FBW landing there is no "feeling" i.e, seat of the pants
He says its all procedural.

Another question is, during flight he opens up alpha call up and types sc1 sc2 sc3 and monitors the cabin temp from there. Cant we just use COND on lower ECAM or CRUISE page? Because he was on this page even during descent

Denti

Time to get the like feature in this forum, would be nice to be able to use it for something like this.

320.jockey

Maybe a quick tip that helped me tremendously in the beginning. If you fly to runways with a LDA of 2400m+ don't use the big fat white markings as your aimpoint, as that is not where the glide slope intercepts the runway, on these runways the fat markings are at 400m, however the glide slope intercepts at around 300m, so at the smaller markings just in front of the big ones (2nd markings from the runway threshold). If you make those 2nd markings your aiming point you will stay on the glide all the way and there is no need to worry about not being on the GS when in the visual last part, as you most likely will be. Made it a lot easier for me.

Also, for me the usual tip of wandering your gaze along the runway (maybe but not necessarily towards the end) during your flare really helps in judging your closure rate and react accordingly with smooth inputs.

Check Airman

Your captain sounds like a micromanaging prick who eschews SOP and CRM in favour of personal techniques. I’d say nod, smile and politely ignore his “techcedures” until he becomes a pain in the ass, then have a chat with your professional standards folks. They ought to straighten him out.

vilas

Landing is a visual manoeuvre but low visibility, rain etc can create illusions. So if at minimum you are correctly place with GS and ROD then you shouldn't be requiring major flight path change. A glance at GS will ensure that but mainly looking outside going towards the aiming point.

cav-not-ok

I never thought I'd see the day that Vapp +3 or 4kts becomes a point of contention, or the accuracy level required to adjust the descent path by ~ 25fpm.

Not trying to defend the ol' chap, but 42 years of experience should bring him to around his 60s. Old farts do, what old farts do. As long as it doesn't impact flight safety, just roll with the punches.
If his "techcedures" offend you, then ask him about it. If his explanations don't satisfy you, then file a report with your local flight safety department.

Check Airman

Some of the best guys I’ve flown with are in their 60’s. Seems like this guy has picked up a LOT of bad habits in his 4 decades in the cockpit. I’ve never seen anyone monitor cabin temps beyond what’s presented on the ECAM.

(I did however fly with one strange fellow who didn’t find the CRUISE page sufficient, so he’d keep it on the COND page the whole time)

Airbusenjoyer

Well, one of his "techcedures" is that there is no limit for THR RED / ACC ALT on PERF T/O
One day we were at a high elev airport (1800AGL) and he changed the Altitudes to 6600/6600
I asked him why? He said there is no limit and told that I sound like I am questioning his experience.
After around 3000ft he changed his mind and pulled OP CLB lol.

I think it's not an issue but I was asking if it was Prudent. Landing in Chiang Mai we were heavy (73T GW) and Vapp was 144, we had a 7kts tailwind and he changed the Vapp to 147
During approach he was flying, maintaining 800-900 FPM, had a sink in the middle of the glide and went briefly to 1100fpm, but corrected for it.
I was thinking why not just keep the computed Vapp since we also have a tailwind.

And one of his "techcedures" is he changes so many things in the FMS without telling his FO because experience. When I tried to ask a few things to learn more he got offended lol.

Well he doesn't fly with PROG, PLAN, or PERF, he flies with Alpha Call up and types VRTAmax on 1st line, sc1 , sc2, sc3, on the following. I don't know why we need to check the landing g's of the previous crew during cruise. Would be nice to see my track miles during descent tho lol.

Airbusenjoyer

Nice tip! I'll try this next time. Thanks

TheEdge

Worse and worse...just speak to your flight safety guys.