A320 FCOM and QRH changes - a summary
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A320 FCOM and QRH changes - a summary
I'm looking at the new style of FCOM and QRH and struggling to find a basic introduction section which explains some of the key differences between this and the previous layout. Not having much luck. Can anyone summarise the changes in simple English? and if you are in the know, why the 
?
?
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Why the hell Airboos further complicated their already complicated books and completely changed all the bloody references is anyone's guess - I don't possess the mind of a crazed Frenchman so I can't say why. If they just wanted to incorporate FCOM 4 into the others it could've been done logically, and actually would've made life a bit easier - but no sirree, they had to go change the whole fking lot!
Anyway bottom line -
1. Most drills etc remain the same
2. Instead of FCOM 3 04.70 etc, its now PRO-NOR-SRP-01-10 P 5/64 or some silly nonsense like that.
3. MEL is a nightmare. Don't ask.
4. QRH essentially the same but the refs indexes all changed. Forget your old 2.32 and 4.03 and everything else you've come to know by memory - the pages are all renumbered something else now.
5. MORE bloody Airboos acronyms and abbreviations FFS!
Man I need to get back on the Boeing!
king lot!Anyway bottom line -
1. Most drills etc remain the same
2. Instead of FCOM 3 04.70 etc, its now PRO-NOR-SRP-01-10 P 5/64 or some silly nonsense like that.
3. MEL is a nightmare. Don't ask.
4. QRH essentially the same but the refs indexes all changed. Forget your old 2.32 and 4.03 and everything else you've come to know by memory - the pages are all renumbered something else now.
5. MORE bloody Airboos acronyms and abbreviations FFS!
Man I need to get back on the Boeing!
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Instead of FCOM 3 04.70 etc, its now PRO-NOR-SRP-01-10 P 5/64 or some silly nonsense like that.
I think old timers will give it the finger and just stick to what they already know.
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The new format FCOM's are based on the design of the A380 documentation ie. they're specifically designed for use electronically via an EFB.
Airbus have been struggling for some time to manage the vast amounts of data relating to the A320 family the format of which has not changed for decades and was managed by technology of a similar era. The only option available to them as aircraft get more and more complex (A380/A350) was to move to a new more managable electronic format (XML)
Unfortunately this means that they don't translate as well into paper format.
There is a cross reference table published by Airbus as part of the project. It's not in the FCOM though and it's down to the operator whether they want to distribute it. I'd say you're much better trying to learn the format rather than referring to a complicated cross reference table all the time!
Basically the FCOMs 1-4 have been divided up into the following volumes, each then subdivided by ATA chapter:
GEN/DSC (roughly equivalent to FCOM1)
ABN/NOR/SPO/SUP/LIM/OEB/FCB ( FCOM3 )
LOD/OPD/TOF/FPL/AEO/GOA/LDG/OEI (FCOM2)
The content of FCOM4 has been split between the above ie FMS function description in GEN/DSC. Abnormal procedures such as Dual Latch into ABN etc. Which in my opinion is very sensible!
As you point out the complication is getting your head around the page references. Because the FCOM is designed to be viewed on an EFB - when you view information on an EFB there is no such thing as a page. It's just a block of information - which Airbus have called a Documentary Unit.
Each Documentary Unit has an effectivity just like a page in the FCOM does now, and each section of the paper FCOM is built by stringing together the relevant Documentary Unit.
So if you look for example at the contents page for Abnormal and Emergency Procedures ATA 21 (PRO-ABN-21) you'll see that rather than being listed by page number they're listed with a corresponding letter. For example AIR PACK VALVE 1(2) FAULT.........................................B
Because the sections are made out of blocks (Documentary Units) which are as long as required to contain all the information needed for a procedure (imagine it being displayed on a screen with a scrollbar rather than on multiple pages), the size of the chapter, and therefore the page numbering are not tied to any particular piece of content.
Eg if you write down that AIR PACK VALVE 1(2) is PRO-ABN-21-Page 1, you might find that at the next revision it's moved to Page 4 because the procedure in front has suddenly changed to be 3 pages long. Instead of page numbering you'll find the letter B in the footer which will always correspond to the location of that particular procedure. So the correct reference is PRO-ABN-21-B which you can find quite easily just by looking at the footer.
Sometimes chapters have sub ATA's such as the example PRO-NOR-SRP-01-10 but again the system is logical once you understand it
There are some advantages! For example you can show page effectivities with aircraft registration rather than MSN, if you have more than one aircraft in your FCOM each procedure runs to it's conclusion before you find the start of the same procedure for a different aircraft (no more multiple page 1's etc).
That's my best attempt at an explanation!
Ulitmately if you don't like it, convince your rich owners to invest in an EFB
Airbus have been struggling for some time to manage the vast amounts of data relating to the A320 family the format of which has not changed for decades and was managed by technology of a similar era. The only option available to them as aircraft get more and more complex (A380/A350) was to move to a new more managable electronic format (XML)
Unfortunately this means that they don't translate as well into paper format.
There is a cross reference table published by Airbus as part of the project. It's not in the FCOM though and it's down to the operator whether they want to distribute it. I'd say you're much better trying to learn the format rather than referring to a complicated cross reference table all the time!
Basically the FCOMs 1-4 have been divided up into the following volumes, each then subdivided by ATA chapter:
GEN/DSC (roughly equivalent to FCOM1)
ABN/NOR/SPO/SUP/LIM/OEB/FCB ( FCOM3 )
LOD/OPD/TOF/FPL/AEO/GOA/LDG/OEI (FCOM2)
The content of FCOM4 has been split between the above ie FMS function description in GEN/DSC. Abnormal procedures such as Dual Latch into ABN etc. Which in my opinion is very sensible!
As you point out the complication is getting your head around the page references. Because the FCOM is designed to be viewed on an EFB - when you view information on an EFB there is no such thing as a page. It's just a block of information - which Airbus have called a Documentary Unit.
Each Documentary Unit has an effectivity just like a page in the FCOM does now, and each section of the paper FCOM is built by stringing together the relevant Documentary Unit.
So if you look for example at the contents page for Abnormal and Emergency Procedures ATA 21 (PRO-ABN-21) you'll see that rather than being listed by page number they're listed with a corresponding letter. For example AIR PACK VALVE 1(2) FAULT.........................................B
Because the sections are made out of blocks (Documentary Units) which are as long as required to contain all the information needed for a procedure (imagine it being displayed on a screen with a scrollbar rather than on multiple pages), the size of the chapter, and therefore the page numbering are not tied to any particular piece of content.
Eg if you write down that AIR PACK VALVE 1(2) is PRO-ABN-21-Page 1, you might find that at the next revision it's moved to Page 4 because the procedure in front has suddenly changed to be 3 pages long. Instead of page numbering you'll find the letter B in the footer which will always correspond to the location of that particular procedure. So the correct reference is PRO-ABN-21-B which you can find quite easily just by looking at the footer.
Sometimes chapters have sub ATA's such as the example PRO-NOR-SRP-01-10 but again the system is logical once you understand it
There are some advantages! For example you can show page effectivities with aircraft registration rather than MSN, if you have more than one aircraft in your FCOM each procedure runs to it's conclusion before you find the start of the same procedure for a different aircraft (no more multiple page 1's etc).
That's my best attempt at an explanation!
Ulitmately if you don't like it, convince your rich owners to invest in an EFB
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One thing about the new format QRH, rather than having to figure out if Airbus consider the drill as an Abnormal or Emergency, the QRH is now sorted by ATA chapter. Seems far more logical to me.
Pity Airbus choose to keep the MEL and the Operational Procedures as seperate sections. And soon the Maintenance Procedures will be removed and airlines will have to get them from the AMM.
Pity Airbus choose to keep the MEL and the Operational Procedures as seperate sections. And soon the Maintenance Procedures will be removed and airlines will have to get them from the AMM.
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Airbus have been struggling for some time to manage the vast amounts of data relating to the A320 family the format of which has not changed for decades and was managed by technology of a similar era. The only option available to them as aircraft get more and more complex (A380/A350) was to move to a new more managable electronic format (XML)
Hopefully it will get the the stage where, in both abnormal/emergency situations, the crew can just work off the ECAM without cross-referencing the paper volumes, save (maybe) LDG PROC and a few paper checklists. Or am I too optimistic for that to happen ? What are Airbus's plans for the A320 in this regard ?
I suspect paper checklists will be around for a long while yet.
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I suspect paper checklists will be around for a long while yet.
As for the Singapore incident, I would put it down to software glitches which will be debugged sooner or later. The main purport is still towards a fully integrated electronic format.
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I don't believe a fully integrated Class 3 EFB will ever be available for the A320 family and the associated integration with the ECAM .
However having the new format on a Class 2 still has lots of advantages ie being able to jump straight to the relevant procedure in the navigation tree, cross linking between FCOM/MEL etc.
There are also some interesting features introduced that you can't see from the paper output. For example Airbus have introduced Knowledge levels for each procedure. By default you only see the basic need to know information, you can then select to see level 2 information which is "Nice to Know" reference information and level 3 which is additional information for all the geeks out there.
Also you get multimedia such as animated system schematics, clickable panel maps etc.
However having the new format on a Class 2 still has lots of advantages ie being able to jump straight to the relevant procedure in the navigation tree, cross linking between FCOM/MEL etc.
There are also some interesting features introduced that you can't see from the paper output. For example Airbus have introduced Knowledge levels for each procedure. By default you only see the basic need to know information, you can then select to see level 2 information which is "Nice to Know" reference information and level 3 which is additional information for all the geeks out there.
Also you get multimedia such as animated system schematics, clickable panel maps etc.
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As there are no offers to my enquiries, let me start to draw up a Christmas wish-list for a Class 2 EFB.
My first wish is the V speeds on takeoff should be automatically calculated and presented by the FMGS (a la B737NG FMS) instead of having to look through paper based schedules and then manually inserted via the MCDU.
My first wish is the V speeds on takeoff should be automatically calculated and presented by the FMGS (a la B737NG FMS) instead of having to look through paper based schedules and then manually inserted via the MCDU.
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A320 FCOM
My big disappointment with the FCOMs was :-
No proper index. The index at the back of FCOM 4 was inadequate and had no cross reference info.
No CB info. We had to obtain CB grid info from another airline who was smart enough to publish one for themselves.
Also,
AB didn't see the need to publish a meaningful "Emergency Descent Procedure".
(I believe it should start at the right side of the FCU, move left, go to the P1 PFD, then to the centre console and back up to the FCU, this time from left to right). This is an orderly sequence that should be instituted.
They spent millions on the FPA computer but didn't publish any info on how to use it properly.
Simulator training in my experience was a nightmare. Too rushed, not enough time to practice and some important items were never included in the so called "training".
What is really crazy is that none of the governing bodies forced AB to supply the airlines/pilots with the above info. Just look at all the discussions pertaining to the AF 447 crash. Seams to me that not many pilots really understand the airplane.
Hope it gets better with time.
IMHO this type of aircraft is far too complicated to reduce sim training in order to save money.
No proper index. The index at the back of FCOM 4 was inadequate and had no cross reference info.
No CB info. We had to obtain CB grid info from another airline who was smart enough to publish one for themselves.
Also,
AB didn't see the need to publish a meaningful "Emergency Descent Procedure".
(I believe it should start at the right side of the FCU, move left, go to the P1 PFD, then to the centre console and back up to the FCU, this time from left to right). This is an orderly sequence that should be instituted.
They spent millions on the FPA computer but didn't publish any info on how to use it properly.
Simulator training in my experience was a nightmare. Too rushed, not enough time to practice and some important items were never included in the so called "training".
What is really crazy is that none of the governing bodies forced AB to supply the airlines/pilots with the above info. Just look at all the discussions pertaining to the AF 447 crash. Seams to me that not many pilots really understand the airplane.
Hope it gets better with time.
IMHO this type of aircraft is far too complicated to reduce sim training in order to save money.
