First A320 without GPS
I can't give you the definite answer about the date/MSN when GPSes made their way into the A32F, but perchance a bit of anecdotal evidence might help with narrowing down the uncertainty range. Amongst (few) 19s and 20s I've flown, the newest ADIRS equipped was delivered in Mar '97 while the oldest GNADIRS one first flew in Jan '98.
Beside tablelessness, having no refuel panel in the cockpit was another of my pet hates.
Just curious: were they real, vibrating ice probes or just those spigots on central windscreen pillar?
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Clandestino
Never flew one without a table (except maintenance blocked for other reasons), but sadly the flight deck refueling panel seems to be rather rare, is it by chance linked to the fueling port on the left wing? Simply loved those rare few planes that had that panel (they all had the second fueling port as well) as it made life so much easier.
As to the ice probes, yes, those were the real vibrating ones. It even gave a little message when selecting anti ice "no ice detected". No idea if those are still an option, haven't seen them in any newer plane.
Foot warmers come in at least two different versions, in the old planes it was basically a heated metal plate in the foot well, in newer planes it was an additional heating of the air released by the foot area vent. The latter is much less effective, but still better than a -5°C you experience in the foot area on longer flights (yes, our works council in a previous company had a measurement campaign that ultimately forced the company to get foot warmers on new deliveries as a requirement by the companies health insurer [Berufsgenossenschaft]).
Never flew one without a table (except maintenance blocked for other reasons), but sadly the flight deck refueling panel seems to be rather rare, is it by chance linked to the fueling port on the left wing? Simply loved those rare few planes that had that panel (they all had the second fueling port as well) as it made life so much easier.
As to the ice probes, yes, those were the real vibrating ones. It even gave a little message when selecting anti ice "no ice detected". No idea if those are still an option, haven't seen them in any newer plane.
Foot warmers come in at least two different versions, in the old planes it was basically a heated metal plate in the foot well, in newer planes it was an additional heating of the air released by the foot area vent. The latter is much less effective, but still better than a -5°C you experience in the foot area on longer flights (yes, our works council in a previous company had a measurement campaign that ultimately forced the company to get foot warmers on new deliveries as a requirement by the companies health insurer [Berufsgenossenschaft]).
Thanks, I have never seen an ice detector on 320 and on 738s I fly it's pretty rare. It was standard equipment on ATRs and DHC-8s, though.
It seems that cockpit refuel panel is a customer option. All the 32Fs I was closely acquainted with had only RH refueling port and most of them had cockpit panel.
It seems that cockpit refuel panel is a customer option. All the 32Fs I was closely acquainted with had only RH refueling port and most of them had cockpit panel.
