A320/330 FCOMs + Procedures

[The Judge A G]

Do the most Airbus jockeys out there still have Paper FCOMs or Laptops with updatable CD-ROMs? and how do you get your revisions for the FCOMs?
What about AI SOPs,how many of you use AIs PF/PNF sytem where the 1st taxi's or is it all the bosses stuff on the ground ??
Seems to be quite a few ways of doing it although all the FCOMs are the same until the companys start tailoring them (every man and his dog reinventing flying)even when AI built the thing!!
Just asking as we seem to have lost our way in all respects and no longer can find our sheep (or standards!!)
thanks guys
keep it in the touchdown zone, JAG

[AffirmBrest]

Paper at the moment - amendments every couple of months as the company keep buying more bloody aeroplanes. End up amending 'intentionally blank' pages in order to add a new MSN. Grrrr...

Promised CD-ROMs soon though, on production of a complete set of up-to-date FCOMS. ha ha ha! And they don't issue us with a lap-top either.

We have Company SOPs at the moment, seem to work quite well but due to overhaul soon as we incorporate A330s into the fleet with mixed fleet flying to come shortly. We still follow the 'Airbus' way of doing things though, with F/Os taxiing etc.

As I have experienced it, problems arise when one starts looking at Airbus SOPs and amending them along the lines of: "well that's how we did it on the Boeing". Our company has even started amending the Boeing SOPs to include Airbus terminology and calls...naturally this has completely confused the poor Tractor drivers...



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...proceeding below Decision Height with CAUTION...

[m&v]

My company is going through this process right now.At a recent'standards'meeting it was proposed the firm revert back to 'Airbus'original.First to take advantage of 'any'new changes from AI.via cd-rom(up to now AI.sent out the FCOM 3 ammendment yearly?),and to slide any Litigation (sop)concerns directly to AI.AS I understand it the QRH 3.00 is the 'basic' Airbus,the FCOM 3 is 'modified'Airbus,so now one must review,as in our case'how does the SOP your using match up with Airbus'..
In our initial studies we touch on all of AI's points in the checks etc,but we use a smoother flow. for example why do we have to interrupt the cockpit safety check to check/test 'Batteries'prior to checking the Flaps /spoilers are in their proper position.(indications of flight surfaces maybe??)As I see it at present(checking 3 company's Sop's,they're all slightly different.
COMMENTS anybody???

[Charly]

I´m not familiar with the procedures irbus thought is best for the A320. We follow company procedures which until now made sense.
BUT:
We used to read the pre-takeoff checklist this way: "All green - Flaps 1+F".
Now they have introduced "All green - Flaps 1+F - Packs on Engines/APU". The reason stated was standarization with our A 340 Fleet..
Most of us (Cpts & F/O) thougt this is quite senseless, because we seldomly have performance-problems on our fleet.
Any comments?

[m&v]

It sounds like the firm is taking the easy way re'standardization'..They did the same here with the '330'spoiler problem during taxi-now the 320 doesn't arm spoilers until takeoff,this was due to our firm having dual qualified pilots(human factors).Once the fleets don't CCQ,each A/C should be different.

[Phil Squares]

My company has the FCOM on laptops. It is updated automatically everytime you plug in to the network. All of our pubs are updated at the same time. Jepp is on the horizon.

[The Judge A G]

thanks for the insight guys.

Do the Laptop users still have access to paper FCOMs or just the laptops?

Also what type of Laptops are in use and do you have your own one or just two per a/c?

And how does it look with power on board?there is a 115V plug on the 320 but not on the 330 /340 as far as I know.

these paper revisions are really getting on my nerves!!

Keep it in the touchdown zone, JAG!

[Charly]

Our 747-200 fleet is already equipped with Sony Vaio notepads. Most probably these are to be introduced on our fleet too.