A320 Landings

[theduffer]

Hi Guys and Gals,

Have an A320 base check coming up and was wondering if anyone has any advice on the do's and don'ts when landing the airplane.
Any pointers and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

[FLY BY WIRE]

Well, it's most important to remember the three basic rules for a successful landing in an A320, but unfortunately nobody knows what they are.
I'm guessing, but your experience so far, viewing your profile, would have been on light aircraft (i apologise if i'm wrong), so you may not have come accross the pitch-power effect with powerful engines with thrust vectors below the centre of gravity.
In your Cessna the landing technique is to chop the power then pull and keep pulling till you are close to the stall as you touch down.
If you do this in an A320 it results in a FIRM landing (i know i've tried!)
My advice would be to check the rate of decent very slightly at about 50 feet (so your not leaving it all to the last moment), and begin the flare proper at a height you judge to be correct usually 20-30 feet, then and only then pull the thrust levers back, and keep flying the aircraft onto the ground. If you chop the thrust before the flare the pitch up effect from the engines is rapidly lost, the nose wants to drop, the aircraft slows quickly, and basically falls out of the sky.
Having said all this, listen to the training captain.
I'm guessing again, but as you mention A320 (not A319) Manchester, and i guess your CTC, i suspect i'll be seeing you on the line.
Good luck on the base training, try and enjoy it, if it's your first BIG aircraft, it's something you'll never forget.
FBY

[Right Way Up]

IMHO the worst airbus landings occur with flaring too high and taking power off. (Especially with A321). If you are lacking in experience your first thoughts should be landing in the correct place (no deep landings) and at the right speed. Firm landings have never killed anyone, and in some circumstances are preferable i.e. wet runway etc. I have been off the bus for a few years, but my last 6 months were my most consistent for landings in my career. My technique was for a low shallow flare. I copied this off some very experienced trg capts and seems to be the most consistent way of impressing the pax, as well using up the least runway. The flare when correctly done, will feel barely perceptible especially compared to a light aircraft or even a 737. My advice would for the first 6 months keep things simple. Accept that you will probably have a few bad days, and once you have settled in, find a technique that works for you.

[Dream Land]

Just wanted to pass along a couple of tips, maintaining a constant ROD until the flare height is a good practice, have seen some pilots doing a duck under when close to runway, usually ends up a long floating touchdown. On flap 3 approaches the picture can fool some people into flaring too high and will also float. One other point is to pick out a point during the flare down the runway, this will help you from flaring too high.

Happy Landings, DL

[Johnman]

The most important on any new aircraft is to find the right way to set and work comfortably, so listen to your instructor carefully once he started talking about seat adjustment and armrest.

[Pegasus77]

I agree with most of what is said above. The trouble with the A320 is that you cannot feel anything through the sidestick. I learned after quite a few months I have to admit, to land the bus on visual references (which completely fail in every simulator I have to say) and on a seat-of-the-pants-experience. But still, even after more than 700 landings with my name on it, I am surprised sometimes about how hard or soft the landing turns out.
Everybody has his/hers own landing technique. Personally I prefer a heavy 321, and I keep having trouble with the light 319. But don't worry really, a hard landing is not neccesarily a bad one :-)
Good luck with your training and have fun! I love the A320!!

P77

[theduffer]

Thanks for those guys,

Just one more question, when your coming down to about 200 feet, what do you use for your visual references? Do you pick an aiming point beside the PAPI's or do you look further down the runway and keep the aircraft orientated that way.

Thanks alot

[Johnman]

You'll find different answers to your question as with experience you have the whole picture and you continue to fly precisely while looking in and out. Good pilots are unconsciously competent. Initially it would help to maintain with the PAPI and look at the R/w as a whole maintaining centerline, thinking that you will fly at a very low level over the R/w touch down point, so as to remember to flare at the right time. The audio call outs are of a good help too, you know your rate of sink by how fast or slow the calls are. Do not attempt to float in order to make smooth landings, as there is nothing more useless than a R/W behind you. Do not delay the power after the retard call and keep flying the aircraft, as the landing is not over until the aircraft comes to a full stop.

[square leg]

Look at the end of the runway, that is when you approach 50-30 ft.

At 200 ft you should have your aiming point fixed and with approximately 700 ft/min ROD (GSx5) you start to look outside more than inside.

[Charly]

In the beginning I´d stick with a pure instrument technique (especialy in the sim).

- Have the correct speed and power

- At 50 ft look on your Att Ind

- At 20 ft cut power, then add 3° to your pitch

- Wait (look out again)

- Touch down

It´s not elegant but safe, it really works for those first months of nervousness

Rgds