A320 Questions
 

Some questions I would like to have answered if possible with a link to the regulation/documentation.

1. According to new Airbus procedures, it's remove status and not clear status anymore. Where can I find documentation on that?

2. According to new Airbus procedures, you have to set the trim according to the CG not to UP/DN on the lower ECAM display anymore. Anybody has some documentation on that?

thx a bunch

Airbus questions
 

If you are working for an Airbus operator ask them to provide you with the info, if not you will need to get a copy of the supplment for the FCOM.

Hi firecock, you may want to take a look at your FCTM the information maybe in there. as for saying CG% instead of trim setting, i was told that a bus pilot set in the wrong trim value (ie. 0.5DN instead of 0.5UP) and when he attempted to rotate the aircraft did not respond properly, he determined that there was a control malfunction and aborted after V1 :ugh:... so now we say CG%. I believe that should be in the FCTM as well but make sure it is a current revision.

hope that helped,
Karl

1) I can't believe Airbus would get too worked up about "Remove status" rather than "Clear status". It has no impact on aircraft operation whichever you choose to say.

2) Setting trim according to CG was implemented over 4 years ago, so not really a new procedure (unless they've changed it back to up/down then back to CG again in the interim). IIRC from the time it was a Northwest 320 that had the trim incorrectly set and started to auto-rotate on the take off roll that led to the change.

Common sense and good airmanship should always prevail with these things.

In our company when the loadsheet is received the captain checks the pertinent details, flight, dates, pax, DOW/DOI, registration etc etc. Then he enters the relevant bits and pieces into the MCDU like CG% and trim. He calls out the bits and pieces from the loadsheet, I check them against the loadsheet as well as writing them onto the performance sheet (we do ours manually). When it comes to trim we both double check the printed loadsheet to the trim wheel (ie: look down and usually point our pens:)) and confirm verbally that the CG% marries up to what the loadsheet is saying in terms of the up or DN. That then gets entered into the MCDU along with the V speeds and flex setting that I give him and we cross check from the performance sheet. As an aside the PF would have set up the MCDU with the planned ZFW and ZFW CG% plus the expected total fuel on board, if refuelling and the actual is not yet known. As the skipper enters the ZFW details having the "planning" data already entered allows for a gross error check. Then the take off weight and landing weights can be checked along with taxi fuel and burn to the MCDU and the loadsheet as a further check.

By the way when I was undergoing my type rating I was always taught to set the trim wheel by rotating it to line up the CG% rather than the UP or DN bits and NEVER EVER to rotate it by referring to lower ECAM screen. Set the % and then check that it is UP or DN as required as a further check. It is so so easy to inadvertently set it UP rather than DN or vice versa if you don't set according to the %.

After engine start the checklist has a line for "pitch trim". I personally make a note of the pitch trim from the loadsheet on my scratch bit of paper clipped onto the sliding window. Again we verbalise what the pitch trim is and check this against the MCDU perf page, the trim wheel and finally on the lower ECAM screen. As a final gross error check we always make sure that the trim is in the green band which is the final gross error check if you like.

Wow! You guys like to over-complicate a very simple procedure!

Only made worse by the illogic that displays 0.5 UP as -0.5 UP... Never understood that one.

Yeah, especially as all computer loadsheets that don't say UP or DOWN use "-" as down not up, nice one Airbus. Setting by % is much easier and less prone to error.

Clear Status
 

Where's the remove button, I can only find the clear buttton.

:ugh:

You use either the CLR button, or press the STS button.. just that instead of saying "clear status", you say "remove status"...

"Remove STS" to be in line now with the 380 System/Callout.

Clear status, remove status? Really who cares? When the engine fails for real, it won't matter which one you say.

Typical Airbus Bull......:uhoh:

Thank you guys for all the imput. Unfortunately nobody could give a clear answer to the simple question above.
Please post only if you can refer to the FCOM or some other written Airbus procedures.