A320 Type Rating Groundschool material
 

Hi Guys,

Starting an A320 TR in a few weeks, I would like to get ahead with the ground school tech exam - can anyone recommend any resources/material/courses I could look at before I start.

Thanks all. :ok:

Just wait until the course. It is well designed and well established and it works. There simply is no need to "get ahead".

Smartcockpit has some stuff available.. Good for head start if you want

When I transition, one thing I also look at it past aircraft accidents and incidents. Airbus builds a wonderful narrow body. Worldwide however pilots have figured out extraordinary ways to break it or even worse, crash it, kill themselves and those in their care.

You can add also www.a320quiz.com

Safety First magazine from airbus (available on personal devices for free, and probably on the web) is a pretty nice resource on operating airbus aircraft.

The standard airbus CBT is very shallow, not much better explaining the aircraft than reading wikipedia. However, the FCTM is actually pretty good, so go read it as soon as you can get hold of it. Learn the documentation structure, it is quite different if compared to other types, especially boeings. Especially the EFB (flysmart) version of it is on one side quite practical in daily operation and horrible for learning stuff and just reading up on several systems at once. Again, know the overall structure and it will be easier.

Another resource i used during my typerating was usebeforeflight, but it is not cheap. Still helps to do non normal ECAM drills in your downtime to get familiar with the aircraft. Preparing sim sessions with it is another great use of that software.

Holdpoolin...

I have the full CBT course pm me for further details

One very important lesson I learned from over two decades in the airlines is to learn what they want you to learn, don’t waste your time and effort on extraneous material


They will test you on the course they teach you, that’s mutually advantageous and only makes sense


Its very important to remember that each operator does things very differently, studying ‘generic’ or other material / courses from different sources won’t necessarily be helpful, worse it could take you down the wrong path with completely different procedures, that will only be detrimental

I will add to this that the manufacturers have put a great deal of work into what they think you should know - going too deeply beyond that isn’t necessarily helpful, and can lead to trying to troubleshoot with what you think is a more “in depth” understanding but is in reality just another, more complex, simplification of what is really going on. In the sim that’s a black mark and in real life it can be dangerous.

There are a fair few threads on here of very in depth navel gazing about the complexities of various technical elements of aircraft. The FCTM and FCOM as well as company manuals tell you what you need to know to operate the aircraft safely, and in reality there is so much information there that you’re better off understanding that than going into a deep dive into exactly how the flight control laws ACTUALLY work.

If you want more in depth stuff then Airbus’s “safety first” publications are a really good place to start. I’m absolutely not saying don’t learn more and more about the aircraft as you gain experience, but I am saying that mastering the fundamentals in the FCOM/FCTM is absolutely essential to build a framework - walk before you run.

Not strictly CBT related, but if you have not flown Airbus FBW before, do make sure that you understand Ground Speed Mini[mum], used to adjust thrust during approach.

It works the opposite way round to the constant IAS method, (e.g Boeing). Airbus FBW Auto-thrust will increase thrust during a headwind gust, and decrease thrust during a tailwind gust.

Secondly, make sure you understand how the FBW works to help you, and how to use the side-stick

Have a good one. Airbus FBW is a fantastic and very cleverly designed aircraft. I cannot get a job at the moment, so have not flown one for a while and I am jealous :ok: