A320....Departure Briefing (Tech Question)

[kuwait340]

Hello...

the A320 i fly these days...is one of the latest models (320-214) , it has the LCD's screens...

my question is... is it still required to include in the departure breifing reading the four corners of the ND , i.e : first waypoint is such and such on track... distance... VOR1 selected to...and VOR2 selected to.....

becuase some pilots here do read and the others just mention the ND is selected to ARC or ROSE and the range is 10 or 20 nm.

although in our company breifing it is not mentioned to read the four corners of the ND, but the pilots who are insisting to read claiming that it is an airmanship.

All The Best.

[Slasher]

Its more of a question of SOP - it can be straightforward and
simple or painfull and complicated depending on who your
working for.

In this case if GPS is primary I cant see where the
"airmanship" bit comes into it. And with a quick look across
the cockpit I can see whos got what set to where without
having to always verbalise the bloodey obvious.

[downsouth]

In my airline we dont do that... only mention "on PF ND: arc/rose nav/rose vor and on PNF ND: bla bla bla..."

I think departure briefings are a bit long on airbus (generally)... Specialy when you are already on the 4th sector of the day. Nevertheless, answering to your question, I guess it might be stated somewhere in you companie's sops...

[Maz11]

In our SOP's we just ready the EFIS selection, ie FD, Constraints, Arc, 10, 2 VORs

[Dani]

With all procedures on every aircraft in any airline: Look in the books, if there is something written (e.g. expanded checklist), you should do it. If only some crews are doing it, it's up to you, if most are doing it including the instructors, you also better do it.

hth,
Dani

[manuel ortiz]

Confirming information on displays while giving a briefing sounds good.
Airbus FCTM gives some guidance on what to include.

Problem comes when people as PF begin calling out all the things they check starting at the glareshield while performing their cockpit preparation flow.
I hear people even calling out all the pedestal checks/selections.

Your SOP should indicate to verbalize such items if it is actually required.

In most cases all this excess talk comes from this:

During training students are frequently requested to call out all things they check/select in order to make sure they are including everything required in the SOP.
This extra verbalizing should be stopped at a certain stage or students will leave training thinking it is an SOP.

[Airbus_a321]

This extra verbalizing should be stopped at a certain stage or students will leave training thinking it is an SOP.

Manuel, congratulations
in my opinion I guess it's one of the best replies in this forum concerning briefing and talkings and all the "bla-bla-bla" which some airlines call "our company SOP's" on the Airbus.
This aircraft is designed, approved and certified to be flown on the SILENT COCKPIT.
It was so easy to fly this aircraft e.g. 10 years ago with much more silent cockpit used. But nowadays it seems that we all are returning just beeing monkeys and have to cry at almost every stage of the flight with just doing our "bla-bla-blas". And this bla-bla on 4 to 6 sectors. Its just annoying
The old times BOEING MD, etc. have gone. Today we should stick on the real AIRBUS philosophie, a new one, a modern one, a sophisticated one. Like: Silent Cockpit - No Paper or at least less Paper Cockpit. If we continue bla-bla-bla like it's unfortunately done this days, the day will come where we have again a Flight engineer or a navigator on board. Then we all can share the bla-bla-blas and will so have a more safe (OR NOT) 4-men-cockpit environment?
More "bla-bla" doesn't necessarily mean being more professional or more safe - in my opinion the result is just the OPPOSITE.
- Less safe, - less situational awarness.

[Nick 1]

Sop

Hi,
next time when someone start some kind of briefing on the bus , start the chrono and look at him.........
Regards.

[Slasher]

What SHOULD be part of the verbal pre-flight is "RADAR
BRIGHTNESS KNOB SET". Tooloose hammerd me to NEVER
move the brightness knob to full dim and with good reason.
The instructer once had me in the sim taking-off into the glob
with a clear ND only to get belted in a CB because some dork
wound down the radar knob at the end of the previus sesh.
Lesson learnt!

Though not employed full-time yet on this thing I bet this
happens a lot in the real world.

[teghjeet]

i agree.
There is no need to verbalise the obvious.

[olepilot]

a321
I agree totaly, most companys treat the airbus as an "old' acft.
There is absolutely no need to state the bl***y obvious.
And regarding briefings, they should be like a miniskirt, -Long enough to cover the essentials, but short enough to keep the interest up.

[321yekef]

blahblahblah

hi.....good idea..when time is up...mention the total time say 10min...

anyway, since you mentioned chrono, what are we really timing when we start chrono during takeoff (as per sops..) and also the chrono in the glare shield??

[DBate]

what are we really timing when we start chrono during takeoff (as per sops..) and also the chrono in the glare shield??

I guess one is for the total flight time (chrono), the other to see for how long you had your engines running on T/O thrust (timer on glareshield).

At least that's what we used them for during my time on the bus.