Airbus Flight Controls Check

[Brutus53]

Originally Posted by PENKO

So what else is bugging you on the Airbus, threadstarter? Having started my professional career on a Boeing, I’ll never come fully to grips with Airbus’ interpretation of VNAV (DES), but it is what it is

When I went after several Airbus types to the 777, I was aghast at Boeing’s medieval LNAV/VNAV logic and messy CDU preflight setup.
Give me ‘le chapeau’ anytime. 👍

I guess it all depends where you came from. ✌️


B.

[Denti]

Originally Posted by Brutus53

So did we, for Boeings and Airbusses alike.

This is often part of the FCOM (SOPs) that customer airlines modify according to their priorities.

Airbus seams to leave it to the operator by stating
FLIGHT CONTROLS.................................................... .....................................CHECK PF-PM
Check the flight controls at a convenient stage, before or during taxi.

My lot decided it was more important to concentrate on flight control checks and not get distracted by taxying (or v.v), so we do it before taxi - a decision that was largely driven by our Flight Safety department

Another lot with tight schedules might decide that on time performance is more important and accordingly do it during taxi.

It also depends on the airports you operate from, some require full attention and I’d rather not muck around with flight control checks and miss a turn, a taxi instruction, or get into someone’s way.
One some of the quieter airports you might get away with it.

I would argue it depends if you follow the newer Airbus SOPs of single engine taxi for departure (either with APU or without), which then makes it necessary to check them during taxi as you can only really do a flight control check with both engines running. And yes, it depends obviously depends on operational experience on the aircraft type as well.

[Brutus53]

Originally Posted by Denti

I would argue it depends if you follow the newer Airbus SOPs of single engine taxi for departure (either with APU or without), which then makes it necessary to check them during taxi as you can only really do a flight control check with both engines running. And yes, it depends obviously depends on operational experience on the aircraft type as well.

Good point.

The thing is, I am now retired and my last type was the 777 and some of my manuals like the OM-A are no longer regularly updated, so I can’t say with certainty what our OM-A currently says.
I can say though that our current A350 FCOM has flight control checks as last item on the After Start checklist, even though it does state in the one engine taxi SP that the F/CTL check has to be performed after the second engine start, as you already mentioned.

I can only surmise that the same policy in the OM-A applies as with any F/CTL check that may need to be performed for whatever reason (i.e. after de-icing) during the taxi phase, where it stated that it had to be performed with the parking brake set.
Having said that, when I left we did not do single engine taxi out, as we operate primarily long haul and the engine manufacturers were up in arms about higher thrust settings on the operating engine(s) during taxi. Original GE comment: ‘at high thrust settings on TWYs the engine works like a vacuum cleaner sucking all sort of debris and dust through the core.‘


B.

[hannibal lecter]

If I am not mistaken the A350 has a different hydraulic architecture compared to the A320, so flight controls have more redundancies. I think it is a brilliant design, robust and allows flight control checks while in single engine ops.

[Brutus53]

Originally Posted by hannibal lecter

If I am not mistaken the A350 has a different hydraulic architecture compared to the A320, so flight controls have more redundancies. I think it is a brilliant design, robust and allows flight control checks while in single engine ops.

Yes, the hydraulic architecture is quite different from the A320 family and I also agree that the A350 is a brilliant airplane, but A350 supplementary procedures still require a flight control check for single engine taxi out once the second engine is started:

It goes like this:

AT DEPARTURE
ENGINE 1........................................................... .............................................START ▏ PF
For any operational reason, engine 2 can be started instead of engine 1.
AFTER START SOP......................................................... ........................ PERFORM ▏ PF-PM
For a detailed description of the After Start SOP, Refer to After Start.
AFTER START C/L........................................................... ...............................DELAY ▏
PF-PM Delay the After Start checklist until all engines are started.
TAXI SOP ............................................................ ..................................... PERFORM ▏
PF-PM Apply the Taxi SOP, but:
- Delay the flight controls check until all engines are started
- Arm the Autobrake after the flight controls check.

For a detailed description of the Taxi SOP, Refer to Taxi.

● At least 5 min before takeoff (2 min if the engines were shut down for less than 1.5 h during transit):
ENGINE 2........................................................... .............. CROSSBLEED START ▏ PF
For more information, Refer to Crossbleed Engine Start Supplementary Procedure.

AFTER START C/L........................................................... .......................COMPLETE ▏ PF-PM
FLIGHT CONTROLS.................................................... ..................................CHECK ▏ PF-PM
A/BRK PB ............................................................ ............................................... ARM ▏ PM

[hannibal lecter]

Originally Posted by Brutus53

Yes, the hydraulic architecture is quite different from the A320 family and I also agree that the A350 is a brilliant airplane, but A350 supplementary procedures still require a flight control check for single engine taxi out once the second engine is started:

It goes like this:

AT DEPARTURE
ENGINE 1........................................................... .............................................START ▏ PF
For any operational reason, engine 2 can be started instead of engine 1.
AFTER START SOP......................................................... ........................ PERFORM ▏ PF-PM
For a detailed description of the After Start SOP, Refer to After Start.
AFTER START C/L........................................................... ...............................DELAY ▏
PF-PM Delay the After Start checklist until all engines are started.
TAXI SOP ............................................................ ..................................... PERFORM ▏
PF-PM Apply the Taxi SOP, but:
- Delay the flight controls check until all engines are started
- Arm the Autobrake after the flight controls check.

For a detailed description of the Taxi SOP, Refer to Taxi.

● At least 5 min before takeoff (2 min if the engines were shut down for less than 1.5 h during transit):
ENGINE 2........................................................... .............. CROSSBLEED START ▏ PF
For more information, Refer to Crossbleed Engine Start Supplementary Procedure.

AFTER START C/L........................................................... .......................COMPLETE ▏ PF-PM
FLIGHT CONTROLS.................................................... ..................................CHECK ▏ PF-PM
A/BRK PB ............................................................ ............................................... ARM ▏ PM

Thank you very much. I didn't know the procedures on the A350 were the same as across the Airbus fleet. I appreciate you very much for posting this.