The A320 Podcast (Matt & Andy)

In this episode Matt & Andy answer three questions people have written in with and also have an announcement that includes 2 great offers for their listeners.

In this episode Matt and Andy talk with Tino from Easy Memory Item about the importance of Memory Items and how you can improve your learning of them.

To download the app, search easymemoryitem in the Apple App Store or on Google Playstore. 

For more information visit www.easymemoryitem.com 

In cooperation with "Easy Memory Item" we are giving you a 10% discount on the A320 Lounge. Use the following code: EASYMEMORY  at checkout. Visit www.A320Lounge.com to sign up.

Matt & Andy speak to Andy Owen from the Airbus wing factory in Broughton about how the A320 wings are constructed.

Ever wondered how our wings are made???

They were lucky enough to have a full factory tour, see The A320 Podcast Facebook page for some photos and more information.

The podcast has now had over 100,000 downloads! Thank you for all your support and loyalty! 

The Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) generates aural and visual warnings, when one of the following conditions occurs between radio heights 30 ft and 2 450 ft

Mode 1: Excessive rate of descent

Mode 2: Excessive terrain closure rate

Mode 4: Unsafe terrain clearance when not in landing configuration

Mode 5: Too far below glideslope.

A Terrain Awareness Display (TAD), which predicts the terrain conflict, and displays the terrain on the ND.

A Terrain Clearance Floor (TCF), which improves the low terrain warning during landing.

On newer aircraft the GPWS occurs between radio heights 10 ft and 2 450 ft.

For more info see FCOM DSC-SURV-040

Every Summer when we both have our LOE simulator tests we will give you a run through of what we had and how we dealt with it.

The events Matt had were,
- ACP 2 failure
- FWC 1&2 fault
- FCU 1&2 fault

The events Andy had were,

- Auto thrust

- ADR 1&2

- Direct law go around

www.a320podcast.com/podcasts/summer16

In this episode Matt and Andy discuss the procedures for performing circling and visual approaches.

This week Matt discusses how Airbus are changing the way the manuals are organised. 

This week it's a listener request. Matt & Andy discuss the Ventilation system.

This week Matt and Andy look at a scenario where 2 fuel pumps in the same wing are lost

In this episode Matt and Andy answer a few questions from listeners regarding the windshear and high speed protection

This week Matt & Andy take a look at the ECAM system and how to run failures.

They discuss the system itself and how it works, how airbus expect us to run a failure using it and then finally, how to use ECAM if it fails.

More info can be found in the FCTM OP-040 ECAM

We also recommend using 'Read ECAM' which can be found at www.ipadecam.co.uk for practicing using ECAM and going through difference scenarios.

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https://twitter.com/a320podcast 

info@A320podcast.com 

There are 4 main recognised sections to the non-technical skills in aviation.

- Situational Awareness,

- Decision Making,

- Leadership and workload management and

- Crew Cooperation.

This episode is about Crew Cooperation.

Crew Cooperation requires the following categories of skills:

- Encouragement of participation

- Consideration of Others

- Supporting of Others

- Conflict Resolution

The scenario of the week is a reflection on yourself. How do you think other crew members perceive you and your actions? Try and think of two situations you've been in where CRM skills were required, one were you feel you did well and one were you would do things differently if it happened again.

Check out our Facebook page where you'll find the example figures talked about in this episode.

For more information, here are some references 

FCOM DSC-22_30-90 SPEED mode in approach phase

FCOM PRO-SUP-10 OTHER SPEEDS

FCTM NO-110

This week Matt and Andy take a look at the Flight Augmentation Computers and their functions.

New Airbus manuals are now released and on their way to airlines around the world. Your airline should be updating them soon if they haven't already. There's an episode about this change TAP030 so have a listen to refresh your memory.

The A320 has two FACs (flight augmentation computers) and they have three main functions, - Yaw functions (your damping, rudder trim and rudder trim limiting)

- Flight envelope functions

- Windshear detection

The FACs govern the flight envelope, rudder position display and rudder trim indications regardless of what the flight crew does with the FAC pushbutton. It also controls the speed scale.

FAC Computes:

VSW

VLS

VFE & VFE NEXT

VLE

VMO/MMO

GREEN DOT

S SPEED

F SPEED

TREND ARROW

Alpha lock

This function inhibits slat retraction at high angles of attack and low speeds. When the flat leave is set to 0, the alpha/speed lock function activates and inhibits slat retraction if:

The angle of attack is greater than 8.5° or

The speed is less than 148 kts.

If the flap lever is already set to 0 (so the slats are moving or are already at 0) when the alpha lock conditions occur, inhibit will not activate therefore the stats will continue to retract or remain at zero.

Once the alpha/speed lock function is active, the slats will only retract when:

The angle of attack is less than 7.6° and,

This speed is above 154 kts

The function is not active on the ground when the speed is less than 60kts.

Links - www.planetalkinguk.com

Their mission statement says "To produce you, our loyal listener, a weekly rundown of the important aviation-related news stories that matter to us here in the UK."

In this episode Matt & Andy discuss UPRT. This is a new part of the regulatory recurrent syllabus so they thought it a relevant subject.

This week Matt & Andy talk to Valentina Fitzpatrick from Aviofit about why an aircraft is an unhealthy environment and what we can do to try to counteract it.

She also has a challenge for both of them!

Who is Valentina?

"Valentina Fitzpatrick has combined her experience as cabin crew for a leading European airline, with her qualifications from UCD in health and fitness to found Aviofit. Aviofit is a collaboration of expertise in aviation, nutrition and health & fitness, gathering together to assist airlines and regulatory bodies to counteract the immediate and damaging effects of flying on the body".

To find out more visit www.aviofit.com and remember to mention the podcast if you contact her.

We are back!! This week we look at TCAS, its history, how it operates and what the procedures are. We also talk about our new online course! #A320 #Avgeek #pilot #pilotlife #TCAS #Airbus

Listen to Matt and Andy repeatedly say LGCIU for 15 minutes!

The main components are two main landing gear with two wheels on each that retract inboard and one nose wheel gear with two wheels that retracts forwards.

The landing gear and the doors are electrically controlled and hydraulically operated.

Landing Gear Control Interface units form a significant part of the A320. Because they are in charge sending landing gear position data to other aircraft systems, loss of both can have far reaching consequences.

LGCIUs receive all this data from three sets of proximity sensors. The ones for the landing gear, the ones for the cargo doors and the ones for the flaps.
So, for the landing gear, they receive information about when....
- The landing gears are locked down or up, or
- The shock absorbers are compressed or extended, or
- The landing gear doors are open, or closed, or
- The bogie are aligned or not.

From the cargo doors, they receive the position of the following components :
The Manuel selector valves
The Locking shaft
The Locking handle
and Safety shaft

The LGCIUs detect electrical failures only those last three proximity switches,
The Locking shaft,
The Locking handle,
and the Safety shaft.
If an LGCIU detects one of these failures, it indicates the NON LOCKED condition for that component.

Finally, the LANDING FLAPS INFORMATION.
The LGCIUs receives the signals from four flap disconnect proximity switches,and then sends them on to the Slat/Flap Control Computers (SFCCs). The LGCIUs do not monitor failures in the SFCC system though.

Gravity Gear extension actions

GRAVITY GEAR EXTN .......................................... PULL AND TURN
L/G lever...................................................................... DOWN
GEAR DOWN indications (if available)...................... CHECK

The biggest lesson to take away from this is, read all the checklist before you make an approach so you can go through all the notes, then leave the QRH open on this page ready for the approach so when PF calls for gear down, only the three items can be read and done.

max speed with landing gear extended...........280 kts
max speed to extend the gear..........................250 kts
max speed to retract the gear..........................220 kts

Above 260 kts a safety valve automatically cuts off hydraulic supply.

Scenario of the week

Think about what you would do if you had a 'gear not downlocked' and the gravity extension didnt work. Have a look at the QRH and come up with a plan of how you will organise and manage the situation. There's a lot to consider here and many of the decisions you make could have critical consequences. Comment on our facebook page at facebook.com/A320podcast or tweet us using @A320Podcast.

In this episode, Matt & Andy give you questions 51-100. listen along and see how many you think you can answer.

This week Matt talks about how runway braking actions are reported and the new technology helping to improve it.

Airbus and its subsidiary NAVBLUE have developed a new technology to use the aircraft itself as a sensor to measure the available runway braking action, and subsequently share that data to the benefit of oncoming traffic and the airport authorities.

In this episode Matt & Andy have a look at the APU system.

This week Matt and Andy give a quick Christmas message and also share a little resource as a gift for you!

Cabin Pressure is a radio sitcom written and created by John Finnemore and directed and produced by David Tyler. It follows the exploits of the eccentric crew of the single aeroplane owned by "MJN Air" as they are chartered to take all manner of items, people or animals across the world. The show stars Finnemore, Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam and Benedict Cumberbatch.The series was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008.

Wikipedia

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/cumberbins-treasure/id1018144672?mt=2

This week we look at the Air Asia accident where the crew ended up loosing control of the aircraft at high altitude. We've saved you the effort of looking at the 200+ page report but if you wish to read it fully yourself then you can download it by going to the following link,

http://www.aaiu.ie/node/873

The episode has the details of the event but below are some points to take away from this event.

We can’t prevent external factors like a dodgy solder joint or engineers not fixing an issue but we can minimise those effects on our flight and, as we've already mentioned, there are some fundamental rules which if the crew had followed this accident wouldn't have happened. 

• follow SOPs and use standard phraseology
• Never do a reset thats not in the QRH unless specifically told to by engineers.
• Discuss issues between you and use a structure like DODAR or GRADE
• Improve our knowledge of the stall so we can recognise it and correct respond to it.

It's the NEO Trio (see what we did there!)

Engine starting.
This is the most common thing we do with them so seems like a good place to start.
The sequence is still the same but helpfully, Airbus have decided to change the names of the controls, so, the ENG MASTER switch’ is now called ‘ENG MASTER lever’
And the ‘ENG MODE selector’ is now called ‘ENG START selector’

So as you do with the CEO, you turn the ENG START selector to IGN/START and this brings up the engine system page and closes off the pack valve.

When the engine master Lever is set to 'on' the start sequence begins.

On the CEO, the sequence runs like this,
The LP fuel valve opens
Start valve is opened
APU speed is increased (if that's being used for start)
If starting in the ground, When N2> 16% ignitions starts. In the air it's immediate
On the ground, when N2> 22% the HP Fuel valve opens. In flight it's when N2> 15%
Once the N2 gets above 50% the start valve closes, the igniter goes off unless in the air, the APU speed reduces to normal speed and the pack valve remains closed for 30 seconds (which you will already know of course because we discussed that a few months ago in our air conditioning episode!)
So what does the LEAP engine do?
Well for a start (no pun intended), the FADEC will initiate ignition and fuel flow at an optimal point during the start process instead of at defined N2 values like the CEO.
The numbers stated in the FCOM are pretty much the same, >15% N2 for ignition start (immediately if airborne) and >20% N2 for the HP fuel valve to open both on the ground and in the air.

As you can see, the procedure is the same, turn the engine start selector to ignition and then move the desired engine master lever to on.

Now, after starting, we normally do the approximate check of the engine parameters saying 2,4,6 and 3 Representing N1 / EGT / N2 / FF are 20% / 400°C / 60% / 300kg/hr
On the NEO, the Basic check of idle parameters is slightly different. The middle two figures have increase by one so it's 2,5,7 and 3 representing N1 / EGT / N2 / FF are 20% / 500°C / 70% / 300kg/hr

The biggest difference with the start is a new function performed by FADEC called pre-start motoring or dry cranking. Depending on the thermal state of the engine, FADEC will dry crank for up to 60 seconds prior to initiation of the start sequence. This can happen on both automatic and manual starts. During this motoring, FADEC will limit the N2 to a maximum of about 30%.
Just for some additional, geeky, background information the reason for this is because After shutting down, the engine components cool at different rates because of natural convection, and this leads to varying thermal gradients across the shaft section of the engine which can cause vibration. So this cranking protects the engine, Airbus' term is Bow Rotor Protection by spinning the engine up getting airflow through it and makes the heat dissipate evenly throughout the hot section components prior to engine start.

Airbus have also changed some of the terminology around the engines idle states.
IDLE
What was 'modulated idle' on the CEO is now called ‘Minimum Idle’ on the NEO.
Approach Idle, which is a higher thrust setting than Minimum Idle to allow the engines to accelerate from Idle to TOGA thrust in the required regulatory time is now set when landing flap is selected (CONF 3 or FULL) or if the gear is selected down. For the CEO, Approach Idle is set when the flap lever is not in the zero position, basically with selection of Flap 1.

Max oil quantity is increased from 22QTS to 24.25QTS.
Minimum QTY increased from 9.5qt + 0.5qt/hour to 10.6qt + 0.45qt/hour.
Minimum oil temperature for start increased from -40°C to -29°C
Minimum oil temperature for take-off increased from -10°C to +19°C, so quite a difference there.

Starter limits are now as follows,
Starter:
Maximum number of start attempts reduced from four to three.
Pause between start attempts increased from 20s to 60s
Maximum running engagement of starter increased from 20% N2 to 59% N2

The EGT limits have changed and the amber and red bands reflect this. The operation is the same so we're not going to read off all these figures and they'll just get lost in our minds.

N1 Max has been reduced from 104% to 101% and N2 MAX has increased from 105% to 116.5%

The vibration displays have changed giving three options now, green, pulsing green and amber. The amber indication isn't available on the CEO. This also come with a new ECAM alert which triggers when the high vibration threshold is reached on N1 or N2. Crew are then directed to action the High Engine Vibration Checklist. The ECAM will say,
HI ENG VIB PROC...................................................................................................APPLY
Of course on the CEO you just get the advisory pulsing.

Next, wind limitations, yep, they've changed those too!
Wind limitation for starting: Max crosswind 45kts.
The crosswinds are different for take off and landing like they used to be with A max of 35kts for T.OFF and 38kts for Landing.
For automatic landing and roll-out:
Max Headwind 20kts
Max Tailwind 5kts
- Max Crosswind 15kts

Turbulence Penetration Speeds have been increased from 250kts to 260kts (below FL200) and from 275kts to 280kts (above FL200).

An Engine run-up is only required on the NEO if icing conditions exceed 60mins (it is 30mins on the CEO). After the 60 minutes, the engines should be increased to 70% for at least 5 seconds.
When operating in ground fog icing conditions, an engineering inspection should be performed on the engine if take-off not performed with 120mins

Something that's worth mentioning for those of you operating outside of Europe, the NEO has a restriction in the landing flap at high altitude airports. If the airport pressure altitude >2000ft, you have to use Flap 3 for approach if a minimum go around gradient of 4% can't be achieved. Theres a table in the FCOM-LIM section where you can check the restricting weight - most are well above MLW. This flap restriction will only occur below MLW at very high temperatures or very high pressure altitudes).

Probably the most noticeable difference for the crew is the automatic anti icing system. Within the engine, the NEO will automatically introduce hot air to the engine core when required to prevent ice crystal formation in the CORE of the engine, 'CORE ICE PROT’ is displayed on the ENG SD when it's active. It Also has a Booster Anti-Ice for prevention of ice in the booster section of the engine (‘BOOST ICE PROT’ is indicated on ENG SD Page when it's active. Remember though, these new features are only for internal anti-icing and don't remove the requirements for us to use engine anti ice

Another feature that's been added is protection against uncontrolled high thrust during critical phases of flight. This is called Thrust Control Malfunction Accommodation (TCMA) and is active on the ground and during takeoff and the approach phase. The TCMA protection logic will reduce fuel flow in flight or shutoff fuel on the ground, whenever an over-thrust condition is detected.
There's also something called a Transient Bleed Valve (TBV) which reduces the risk of engine stall during acceleration or deceleration of the engine.

There are some new memos which appear on the E/WD which are only available when the thrust levers are in TOGA or FLX/MCT detent. They are all displaying in a line above the N1 gauges.
With PACK pb-sw selected ON, 'PACKS' (MEMO)
When WAI is selected ON, 'WAI' (MEMO)
When EAI is selected ON, 'NAI' (MEMO)

FADEC has some new features too.
Transmission of vibration information to cockpit indicators
Protection against engine stall and engine flame-out
Thrust Control Malfunction Accommodation
Protection against bowed rotor during engine start on ground
Terminology difference: The CEO FADEC is also referred to as the ECU (Engine Control
Unit). The NEO FADEC is referred to as the EEC (Electronic Engine Control).

This week Matt takes a look at the news stories to come out of the Farnborough Airshow. He discusses the sales figures not just of airbus but also their major competitors.

In this Episode Matt takes a look at the BUSS or Backup Speed Scale plus what Airbus has lined up in the future for helping pilots deal with unreliable speed.

We are now running command preparation courses, more information about them can be found at A320lounge.com/command

Thanks for listening.

Support the podcast - Patreon.com/a320podcast

This week Matt and Andy take a look at another listener request, this time it's pilot incapacitation 

This week Andy looks at HEPA filters, what they are, how they work and what they do!

This week Matt and Andy looking at the ACP and the associated systems that make up the communication systems.

This week Matt & Andy have a chat about the southwest incident and then discuss how they'd deal with the same incident in an A320.

You can listen to the full ATC recording here https://youtu.be/FkVTdvcghHc

How would you add to it? Any ideas would be welcomed on our facebook page.

www.facebook.com/a320podcast

This week Matt & Andy are joined by Jamie from www.AirlinePrep.co.uk and Phil from www.jetpathway.com to discuss the current state of the industry, what to do if made redundant and tips for your CV plus more

In this episode, Matt is joined by Captain Al as they discuss his personal experience with engine failures. They also give some tips on how to manage engine failures.

https://www.facebook.com/Plane-Safety-Podcast-626543677401564/ 

https://www.planetalkinguk.com 

Support the podcast at patreon www.patreon.com/a320podcast 

or buy us a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/a320 

In this episode Matt & Andy discuss book recommendations from themselves and listeners.

What is OEB48? Well basically it's an Operations Engineering Bulletin that was issued by Airbus to all operators to cover the possibility of all AoA probes becoming "blocked" which could then cause the aircraft to go into unwanted protections.

• FAC computes GW and sends it to the ELAC.
• FAC uses aerodynamic data to calculate and display characteristic speeds on the PFD
• ELAC computes activation of protections

The reason αprot decreases with mach number is due to two things, compressibility effect and critical mach number. Above about Mach 0.6, Calibrated Air Speed and Equivalent Air Speed diverge due to compressibility effects, meaning CAS over-reads compared to EAS. Airbus and most other aircraft PFDs show CAS on the airspeed tape, so at higher Mach numbers the Vls, aProt and aMax displayed must increase to compensate for the growing difference between EAS and CAS. The other effect is caused by increasing the Mach number into the transonic range. This eventually causes small shockwaves to form on the wing, which grow in size as the flight Mach number and/or AOA increase. These shockwaves disturb the airflow behind them, reducing the lift of the wing compared to subsonic flight conditions for the same AOA. The relationship between CL and AOA are adjusted to compensate. The effect is the stall equivalent airspeed increases because the shockwaves cause CLmax to decrease.
Finally, the shockwaves can also cause the wing to stall at a lower AOA, but this is all dealt with through reduced CLMax and thus higher stall speed.

CAS Link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calibrated_airspeed

EAS link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equivalent_airspeed

Critical Mach Number link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mach_number

Accident interim report for Lufthansa Accident http://www.bfu-web.de/EN/Publications/Interim_Reports/IR2014/I1_Report_14_6X014_A321_Pamplona.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

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Situational Awareness

"The perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status in the near future" Mica Endsley 1988

3 levels (or stages) -

- Perception
- Comprehension
- Projection

4 Categories of SA -

Geographical

Spatial/Temporal

Systems

Environmental

Types of stress

Physical - noise, vibration, heat, cold and fatigue,
Psychological - mental load, time pressure, perceived time pressure, consequences of events fear, anxiety, uncertainty.

High workload is a form of stress and can be either long term high workload like a 4 sector day in busy airspace, with an inexperienced crew, or short term or even momentary high workload or overload like bad weather on approach.

These “clues” can warn of an error chain in progress – a series of events that may lead to an accident. Most accidents involving human error include at least four of these clues. They have been taken from an article written by Douglas Schwartz for FlightSafety International.

-Ambiguity - Information from two or more sources that doesn’t agree.

-Fixation- Focusing on any one thing to the exclusion of everything else.

-Confusion- uncertainty or bafflement about a situation (often accompanied by -anxiety or psychological discomfort).

-Failure to fly the aircraft - Everyone is focused on non-flying activities. (remember the infamous tristar crew that crashed into the everglades because all three of them were fixated on a blown bulb?)

-Failure to look outside… everyone heads down.

-Failure to meet expected checkpoint on flight plan or profile ETA, fuel burn, etc.

-Failure to adhere to SOPs.

-Failure to comply with limitations, minimums, regulatory requirements, etc.

-Failure to resolve discrepancies – contradictory data or personal conflicts.

-Failure to communicate fully and effectively – vague or incomplete statements.

How can improve our situational awareness.

These 10 tips were also part of Douglas Schwartz's article.

1 - Predetermine crew roles for high-workload phases of flight
2 - Develop a plan and assign responsibilities for handling problems and distractions
3 - Encourage input from all crew members, including cabin, ATC, maintenance, dispatch, etc
4 - Rotate your attention from the aircraft to flight path to crew – don’t fixate on one thing
5 - Monitor and evaluate your current status compared to your plan
6 - Project ahead and consider contingencies (for example if you hear aircraft ahead being told to hold)
7 - Focus on the details and scan the big picture
8 - Create visual and/or aural reminders of interrupted tasks (this could be as simple as keeping your finger on a checklist line)
9 - Watch for clues of degraded SA
10 - Speak up when you see SA breaking down

Links

http://www.pacdeff.com/pdfs/AviationSA-Endsley%201999.pdf

As its nearly Christmas we thought we do a more light-hearted episode. This week we discuss the film Sully.

Scenario of the week - Departing your home base, you lose both engines at 2800ft. What will you do?

This week Matt and Andy look at the features of ADS-B and ATSAW

Pictures to help with the descriptions of the symbols and the MCDU pages can be found on the social media channels;

www.facebook.com/a320podcast

www.twitter.com/a320podcast

www.instagram.com/a320lounge 

Matt and Andy are also looking for volunteers to help with these social media pages as they are pretty neglected both being full time captains. If you think you, or someone you know, can spare just an hour or two a week to help out then they'd love to hear from you either through these social media channels or via email info@a320podcast.com

Airbus has landed its biggest-ever order with budget airline investor Indigo Partners signing a deal to buy 430 jets.

The agreement, for Airbus’s best-selling A320 family of small airliners, is worth a $49.5bn at list prices.

Although the order - for 273 A320neos and 157 A321neos - has a list value of almost $50bn, Indigo is unlikely to pay anywhere near as much. The A320neo is priced at $108m and the larger A321neo at $127m but manufacturers offer large discounts on jets. Such a massive order is likely to mean a bigger than normal price reduction.

As analysts digested the order - almost twice the size of the company's previous largest deal,  a $26bn sale of 250 A320s to an Indian budget airline - Mr Leahy revealed another sales success. Dublin-based lease company CDB Aviation confirmed MoUs for 90 A320neos.

The order takes Airbus’s backlog of work on the A320 family of jets to almost 6,000 - the equivalent of almost a decade's work. The company has delivered nearly 8,000 of the aircraft since they were introduced 30 years ago.

In this episode Matt and Andy take a look at the Pratt and Whitney PW1000G Powerplant

In this episode, Matt takes a look at the LATAM incident on the 27th March and then talks about the causes of the other 5 incidents that have happened on the A320 family which resulted in landing with the nosewheel at 90 degrees.

The article mentioned in the podcast can be found here https://samchui.com/2022/03/30/latam-airbus-a320-lands-with-nose-gear-rotated-by-90-degrees/#.YkXzaS1Q2-o 

The Video can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MoKBCJQliSk 

Support the podcast at patreon www.patreon.com/a320podcast 

or buy us a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/a320 

This Week Matt and Andy look in to the unreliable speed checklist as requested by one of our listeners. 

It is probably worth going back and listening to episode 6 where we discussed the systems involved in a bit more detail.

This week Matt and Andy discuss the windshear detection systems on the A320

In this episode Matt has a look at a case study to highlight the importance of not delaying the implementation of the engine fire procedure.

For extra information on the topics covered today you can also listen to The A320 Podcast epsiodes 13 and 43.

vionics Smoke - One smoke detector is fitted in the air extraction duct of the avionics ventilation system. When this detector senses smoke for longer than 5 seconds it signals the ECAM to display a warning,

A single chine sounds

The master caution lights on the glare shield light up

The ECAM displays a caution

The smoke light on the EMER ELEC PWR panel lights up,

And The blower and extract fault lights illuminate on the ventilation panel.

If the smoke is detected for longer than 5 minutes, the caution can be cleared but it remains latched and can be recalled.

When on the ground a dual Flight Warning Computer reset will unlatch the condition.

Each lavatory has a single smoke detector in each compartment and it is fitted in the extraction duct grille. When the detector finds smoke, it sends a signal to the CIDS which then transmits it to the FWC to produce an ECAM warning in the flight deck. The CIDS system generates an indication in the cabin to alert the crew.

In each waste bin there is an automatic fire extinguishing system, these operate automatically when triggered by heat. There are no controls or indications for these extinguishers. The only way to check if they have discharged is by looking at the bottle pressure gauge.

Cargo Compartments - Cavities in the cargo compartment ceiling panels each hold 2 smoke detectors. Each detector is linked to one of the 2 detection loops. The forward cargo compartment has one cavity and the aft cargo hold has 2 cavities. The CIDS receives signals from the detectors and transmits them to the ECAM which displays a warning in the cockpit. the CIDS system has dual channels.

Smoke in 1 cavity activates the cargo smoke warning if; Both smoke detectors detect it, or one smoke detector detects it and the other is inoperative.

If the aircraft is fitted with Cargo ventilation and the smoke warning is activated in either compartment the associated isolation lives automatically close and the extraction fan stops.

A fire extinguisher system protects the FWD and AFT cargo compartments. One fire bottle supplies 3 nozzles, one in the FWD compartment and 2 in the AFT compartment. The bottle has 2 discharge heads, one for each compartment. In essence this means 2 pipes leave the fire bottle, one to the FWD and AFT compartment. The pipe in the AFT then splits to discharge in 2 different areas while the pipe in the FWD compartment can only discharge in 1 area.
When the DISCHARGE pushbutton is pressed for either compartment that action ignites the corresponding squib on the fire bottle, which then discharges the agent into that compartment. If you fire the bottle in the AFT compartment and subsequently receive a warning for the FWD compartment the bottle will be empty. Only 1 compartment can be extinguished. When the bottle has discharged, the amber DISCHARGE light comes on.

A summary of the QRH smoke paper checklist

- As soon as smoke is perceived, call for the paper checklist and do the initial actions.
- initiate a diversion and start descending to FL100 or MEA
- Re-enter the paper checklist and work through though procedure while descending.
- at anytime necessary, apply the REMOVAL OF SMOKE/FUMES checklist.
- If the Fire become out of control, land asap.

This system is closely linked to the Air Conditioning system which we discussed back in episode 2. If you havent listened to it already it may be worth going back and listening to that first.

The main components. The system consists of:
- Two Cabin Pressure Controllers (CPCs)
- One Residual Pressure Control Unit (RPCU) (if fitted)
- One outflow valve, with an actuator that incorporates three motors (two for automatic operation, one for manual operation)
- One control panel
- Two safety valves.

To work out the schedule, the current CPC uses the landing elevation and the QNH we've entered into the perf page of the FMGC, and the pressure altitude from ADIRS.
If FMGC data isn't available, the controller uses the captain BARO reference from the ADIRS and the LDG ELEV selection from the overhead panel.

The system follows a schedule for each flight which consists of four general functions:

- Ground function: It Fully opens the outflow valve on ground
- Pre Pressurisation :During takeoff, it increases cabin pressure to avoid a surge in cabin pressure during rotation (we'll talk about whether this really ever happens later)
- Pressurisation in flight :It Adjusts cabin altitude, and rate of change to provide passengers with a comfortable flight
- Depressurisation :After touchdown, it gradually releases residual cabin overpressure before the ground function fully opens the outflow valve.

Scenario of the Week

You get a call from the Cabin, they are complaining of a loud noise coming from door 2L (at the back).

In this weeks episode Matt & Andy look at fuel spillages and recommend some documentaries to pass the time during lockdown! 

100 Questions you should be able to answer (Especially if you're looking to become a Captain)

Fuel Leak

This week Matt and Andy go through the QRH procedure of a fuel leak and discuss some failure management tips.

There is information in the FCTM-AO-028 and of course the QRH-ABN-28

 This week we also have an exclusive offer only available to A320 Podcast listeners:

Aviation Insider has given all our listeners a 10% discount on their A320 Question Bank. To take advantage of this great offer, click on the link below and enter the code a32010

https://www.aviationinsider.co.uk/product/a320-type-rating-question-bank/

Flight Control Laws

The flight control law is basically the relationship between the pilot's input on the side stick and the resulting aircraft or flight control surface response.
There are 3 flight control laws Normal Law, Alternate Law and Direct Law

As a general rule, normal law deals with single failures of a system and alternate law deals with double failures.

Within Normal Law we have three sub categories,

Ground Mode
Flight Mode
Flare Mode

Ground Mode was designed to make the aircraft behave more naturally when rotating at liftoff. The relationship between the side stick and the aircrafts response is much more like a conventional aircraft.
For pitch control - there is a direct relationship between Side stick deflection and elevator deflection. Once the aircraft reaches 75kts the maximum elevator deflection is reduced from 30 degrees to 20 degrees. If we haven't manually set a trim position using the trim wheel then the THS or trimmable horizontal stabiliser will automatically set to 0.
For lateral control - The side stick demands aileron and spoiler deflection as opposed to a roll rate but its not a direct relationship, the amount of deflection is dependant on the aircraft speed. As a extra bit of information for you, only spoilers 2 to 5 and the ailerons are used for roll. The rudders being a mechanical linkage aren't affected so you just have to remember that they become more sensitive the faster you go. There are no protections at all when in ground law.

Flight Mode
The aircraft will then start to blend smoothly from ground mode into flight law once the pitch attitude reaches 8 degrees. In roll this takes half a second and for pitch it takes five seconds.
There's a good graphic in the FCOM with this information on. Its in
Descriptions - Flight Controls - Flight control System - Normal Law - General

once the aircraft has been airborne for more than 5 seconds we are then in flight mode. This is obviously the one we are exposed to 99% of the time we are operating. As we mentioned a minute ago, normal law keeps us within the aircraft envelope and prevents us from doing manoeuvres that could potentially endanger the flight. It also gives the aircraft certain characteristics when manually flying.
In pitch the sidestick demands a load factor as opposed to an elevator deflection. So an input on the sidestick will give a pitch rate at low speed or a g-load at high speed. This is designed to give an aircraft response that the pilot would naturally expect. One of the first things you notice about the Airbus is the lack of trimming which is for me one of the best features. Therefore if there is no input on the stick the aircraft will maintain its flightpath even if the speed changes. In fact even if you change the thrust or the configuration, the aircraft will compensate for the pitching moments. This makes manual flying very easy and frees up lots of capacity.
With Roll, Again, unlike a conventional aircraft, lateral inputs on the side stick don't demand aileron deflection directly. They demand a roll rate and full side stick deflection will demand 15 degrees per second.
Just like with pitch, the aircraft will auto trim so the bank angle will be maintained when you let go of the stick up to 33 degrees, and will also automatically provide a pitch compensation and perform a coordinated turn using yaw. The maximum bank angle the aircraft will allow you to do is 67 degrees.
Beyond 33 degrees, the aircraft won't auto trim and if the side stick is then released it will return back to 33 degrees. In addition to this, above the 33 degrees, spiral stability is introduced and pitch compensation isn't available. The reason they've written this into the software is because there is no reason to fly at such high bank angles for a prolonged period.

Protections

Angle of Attack -
Autopilot out at Alpha prot, then from Alpha prot to alpha max side stick demands Alpha directly. Alpha floor trigger TOGA thrust and speed continues to decrease until we get back to Alpha max which the speed won't go below.

Load Factor -
+2.5G to -1G clean
+2G to 0G in any config other than clean

Pitch Attitude-
-15 degrees all configs
+30 degrees config 1, 2 and 3
+25 degrees config Full

High Speed Protection-
Autopilot out at VMO/MMO, master caution and overspeed ECAM at VMO/MMO +4 kts, then at VMO/MMO +6 kts, pitch trim is frozen, max bank angle is reduced and a nose up demand is triggered.

Bank Angle -
Max 67 degrees
Reduced to 45 degrees in Alpha protection and 40 degrees in high speed protection
Side stick pressure required to maintain bank angles greater than 33 degrees unless in high speed protection when its zero.

Alternate Law is generally for situations where there has been a double failure of a system which results in either lack of redundancy or integrity of the protections found in normal law. Auto pilot and auto thrust are still available.
You can get alternate law with protections and alternate law without protections.
With protections - has the following characteristics and protections,

Load Factor still has the same protections as normal law (+2.5G to -1G clean and +2 to 0G configured).

Pitch has no protections, the green equals symbols are replaced by amber ones.

Roll is now a direct stick-to-surface relationship. To help reduce the roll rate, in alternate and direct law only ailerons and spoilers 4 & 5 are available. As a note, if spoiler 4 has failed number three will replace it and if the ailerons have failed, all roll spoilers (2 to 5) become available. There are no bank angle protections and the green equals signs are replaced by amber crosses.
Yaw control, as its a mechanical linkage isn't changed although only yaw damping is available.

Angle of Attack protection is no longer available and is now replaced by low speed stability. It's available for all configurations and is active from 5 to 10 knots above the stall speed. Somewhere in this range (as it depends on weight and config) a gentle nose down signal is introduced but this can be overridden. The speed scale now shows VLS followed by a black and red barber pole below V Stall Warning. At V Stall Warning, you get....... the stall warning! which is the words STALL STALL STALL repeated until the speed is back above V stall warning. With this you will also get the associated master warning. The warning can't be cancelled by pressing the master warning button on the glareshield Its important to remember that the aircraft can be stalled.

High Speed Protection is replaced by high speed stability instead. The speed tape looks the same and has the same warnings and sounds as normal law. The only difference is that there's no protection to stop the overspeed. Instead we have a nose up demand from the aircraft but this can be overridden. It's worth noting that VMO is reduced from 350 to 320 knots. I was once asked by a trainer what speed would I select for an emergency descent. There's no right answer here but he said he always selects 320kts because if then for some reason you go into alternate law, you won't have an overspeed to deal with on top of everything else which I thought was a good little tip.

Alternate law with protections lost is the same as alternate law but you don't get the high speed and low speed stability. So basically you only have the load factor limitation which I'll say again as repetition is the key to remembering things, +2.5 to -1G clean and +2 to 0G in any other config.

Alternate law then automatically downgrades to Direct Law when the landing gear is selected down.
Once in Direct Law, all protections and stabilities are lost. We are now essentially flying a conventional aircraft. Pitch now joins Roll and Yaw in having a direct stick-to-surface relationship. Overspeed and stall warnings are still exactly the same as Alternate Law.

The most noticeable difference when going into direct law is the lack of autotrim. 'USE MAN PITCH TRIM' is displayed in amber on the PFD. This is why many of the procedures advise taking flap 3 before gear down if flap 3 is the landing config because then the autopilot will get the aircraft correctly trimmed before it has to be done manually. Any trim adjustments will have to be made using the trim wheels either side of the thrust levers.

Remembering how to draw the speed tapes in each configuration

• Firstly, the high speed barbers pole is the same in all cases, so just remember its black and red - easy
• At the slow end of the speed scale, every case has VLS, its always there, whatever - again, easy
• Normal Law has alpha prot (the tiger tail) and then you can't go slower than the bottom of that so its a solid red bar (think of as signifying stopping)
• Alternate and direct law look exactly the same as each other, they both just go from VLS to a barbers pole just like the high speed one.
• All the equals signs are only green in Normal law, they are amber in alternate and direct.

And that's it. If you can remember those simple rules, next time you're asked to draw the speed scale you will be ahead of most of your colleagues.

Mechanical Backup. Although its mentioned in the same section in FCOM and the flight crew training manual, its not actually a programmed control law. It is used to manage a temporary total loss of electrics, a loss of all 5 fly-by-wire computers, a loss of both elevators or a total loss of both ailerons and spoilers. It's worth mentioning here that this is extremely unlikely and that even in emergency electrical config or a double engine failure, alternate law is still available. This is designed to be a temporary situation just until the affected systems can be restored. Pitch is controlled by the trim wheel and lateral control is done using the rudder pedals, both of which have mechanical linkages (hence the name!). When using the rudder like this there is a significant delay in getting  roll. You will also have to anticipate rolling out as this will be delayed too. You're not going to be able to fly this accurately but its just to keep you safe and stabilised. Unlike Direct law which says USE MAN PITCH TRIM in amber, the PFD will display MAN PITCH TRIM ONLY in red.

There are three types of aquaplaning - viscous, rubber reversion, and dynamic.

Viscous

This occurs when a thin film of contaminant creates a break in the contact of the tyre with the runway surface. This type normally only occurs on unusually smooth surfaces such as the runway touchdown zone where there is an excessive build-up of rubber. Viscous aquaplaning can occur even in damp conditions at high and low speeds. Because there's no actual contact, no marks are left on the runway.

Reverted rubber

This type of aquaplaning occurs when a stationary tyre (so either 'locked up' during braking or at touchdown) is dragged across a surface causing friction at the contact point. The heat produced by the friction boils the water on the surface creating steam. The pressure of the steam lifts the centre of the tyre off the surface leaving the edges still in contact creating a seal which traps the steam, this then melts the rubber and reverts it to its unvulcanised state. Friction levels during this type of aquaplaning are the equivalent of icy runways. The tyre will have 'bubbled' rubber deposits on it and the runway will show marks in the form of being pressure washed as the tyre effectively 'steam cleaned' it.

Dynamic aquaplaning

Now this is the most common type of aquaplaning and the one that's most likely to affect us. Aircraft in general are prone to this one because it's a relatively high-speed phenomenon that occurs when there is a film of water on the runway that is at least 2.5 mm deep. As the speed of the aircraft and the depth of the water increase, the water layer builds up an increasing resistance to displacement, resulting in the formation that wall of water beneath the tire we mentioned earlier. Once the tyre speed gets to the point where it can no longer displace the water quick enough it starts to aquaplane. At some speed, termed the aquaplaning speed (Vp), the upward force generated by water pressure equals the weight of the aircraft and the tire is lifted off the runway surface. In this condition, the tires no longer contribute to directional control, and braking action becomes very poor once in this state. 
When we use the landing distance calculations, aquaplaning is taken into account when contaminated performance is selected. Airbus says "Performance data for landing on runways contaminated with standing water, slush and snow include accountability for the reduced wheel braking on the contaminated runway including negligible wheel braking above the hydroplaning speed." 
As there is no surface contact during dynamic aquaplaning, there are no marks left on the runway surface or the tyre.

The minimum speed for dynamic aquaplaning (Vp) in knots is about 9 times the square root of the tire pressure in pounds per square inch (PSI). The pressures on our airbus' vary depending on the MSN number but there is a placard on the back of each main undercarriage strut with the required pressure. As an example though, if an A319 has a pressure of 200 PSI, then the aquaplaning speed would be 127kts, surprisingly similar to the sort of speeds we touchdown at! A locked up wheel will aquaplane at much lower speeds - as low as 7.7√P which would be only 108kts! And once aquaplaning has started it can continue at speeds well below this.

If you touch down with some crab angle on a dry runway, the aircraft automatically realigns with the direction of travel down the runway.

But on a contaminated runway, the aircraft tends to travel along the runway centerline with the existing crab angle. This is then compounded by the side force created by the crosswind component on the fuselage and the tail fin which tends to make the aircraft skid sideways (downwind) off the centerline.

If full reverse is applied as is recommended, you could end up in a situation where you're skidding down the runway at an angle and no amount of rudder will straighten you up. This is because the reverse thrust results into two force components, a stopping force aligned along the aircraft direction of travel (runway centerline), and a side force, perpendicular to the runway centerline, which further increases the tendency to skid sideways. As the airspeed decreases, the rudder efficiency decreases and is also made worse by the airflow disruption created by the engine reverse airflow.

To get out if this situation it's quite counterintuitive. The harder the wheel braking force, the lower the tire-cornering force, so if the aircraft tends to continue skidding sideways. Releasing the brakes (by taking over from the autobrake) increases the tire-cornering force and helps to maintain or regain directional control.

Selecting reverse idle cancels the effects of reverse thrust (the side force and rudder airflow disruption) and helps in regaining directional control.

Once directional control has been recovered and the runway centerline has been regained:

• Pedal braking can be applied as required, and

• Reverse thrust can be reselected.

In conclusion then, if it is thought that there is a possibility of aquaplaning, then a positive touchdown should be made using MED autobrake and full reversers. It should also be remembered that if aquaplaning starts to occur, braking coefficient will be the equivalent of an icy runway. If unsure, as mentioned before, the landing performance calculations can be selected to a contaminated state to take aquaplaning into account.

If a crabbing skid is experienced after touchdown and directional control is lost,
cancel reverse and release brakes
Regain directional control and the centerline
Reverse thrust and pedal braking can then be reapplied

In this episode Matt & Andy look at PBN in this two-parter.

In this episode Matt and Andy take a look at the effects of GNSS interference on the systems of the A320, discuss considerations for pilots and take a quick look at the xLS concept

This week we're discussing the exciting topic of the A320 doors. Not the most inspiring subject but we'll make it nice an easy to digest for you today and hopefully make it interesting.

As usual with our systems episodes, we will go through the main points, then look at each type of door in more detail and then look at the controls and indicators for them all.

In this episode we take a look at air conditioning.

Here's our summary of the flow from engine to outlet vent.

On each side of the system, the bleed air leaves the engine and passes through the pack control valve and into the mixer unit. As the name suggests, it's then mixed with recirculated air from the cabin. The air leaves the mixer unit and before entering either the cabin or the cockpit, trim air valves add hot air to make it the correct temperature. This is hot bleed air which is tapped off just before it enters the packs.

The Reference for this is FCOM-DSC-21-10

The scenario of the week

Dispatch with AIR PACK 1 inop

In the Cruise you get AIR Pack 2 OVHT

Leave your comments below and make sure you visit www.A320podcast.com

In this episode, Matt looks at EGT overlimits with a case study, background tech, some methods we can use to prevent it as a flight crew and how to deal with it if we experince it.

Support the podcast with patreon www.patreon.com/a320podcast 
or buy us a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/a320

We are back for the New Year! this week Matt and Andy start a new series looking at the engine options available for the A320 family. We start the series at the CFM56

This Week Matt & Andy look at Low Visibility Operations

All the figures and procedures in this week's episode are from EASA and Airbus' own SOP's so be sure to check your own company manual and procedure.

This week is part two of our fuel episodes. If you didn't listen to last weeks episode then go back and download it before listening to this one. 

This week's scenario is one that is commonly given in the sim for assessments and checks. Fuel leak. So in the climb, before you've done a fuel check, you get the fuel page come up with the right wing tank fuel quantities pulsing. What checks do you make initially? Think about information gathering from all your resources. Then how are you going to manage the situation? This is a common scenario because it requires a range of skills to be demonstrated because theres checklists to do, possible single engine handling, faliure management, diversions and all under the time pressure caused by lack of fuel. Head over to our facebook page facebook.com/a320podcast and leave your thoughts on there.

A review of the FMGS system before next weeks DUAL FMGC FAILURE podcast 

This week Matt & Andy discuss the screens found on the A320, how they are managed and what happens when they fail.

The electrics system can be split into two parts - AC and DC.

AC is generated by the two engine generators, an APU generator and ground power. DC is generated by the batteries.

Each part can also generate power for the other. The AC system can generate DC power using a TR and the DC system can generate AC power using a static inverter.

There's a great schematic diagram in the FCOM which helps simplify the system.

This week Matt chats to Jamie from Airline Prep about preparing for a new job interview, command upgrades and more

Continuing the series on powerplants, Matt and Andy take a look at the V2500 from IAE

This week Matt & Andy interview Andy Owen from Airbus about the logistics of getting the wings they've made out to the production facilities using the Beluga.

They also announce another exciting competition!

• 29 March 2015
• A320 Toronto - Halifax
• Winter time, forecast in Halifax wind 15kts G25 with moderate drifting snow and a temp of -5 and vis 1/2sm (800m).
• In cruise, received METAR 1/4sm vis (400m) with heavy snow
  NOTAMED that Glide path U/S so they set up for a LOC only.
• Calculated cold temp correction for FAF alt, MDA and GA alt.
• Calculated FAF to be 2200ft ASL (+200ft correction)
  MDA they added 23ft for temp and 50ft for the company
• see FCTM - SI -010 (approach)
• Using their company qrh converter the adjusted the FPA from 3.1 to 3.5°
• In level flight before reaching the FAF they pulled FPA and selected 0
  0.3nm before FAF they selected fpa -3.5
• As the a/c descended it diverged from the desired profile due to wind variations. This divergences continued throughout the approach.
• A 400’ auto call out was made as they descended through MDA 1.2nm from threshold
• PM called “minimum, lights only” as per their SOP. The aircraft was 1nm from the threshold now.
• PF saw the approach lights and called landing
• At MDA the aircraft was 0.3nm further back than published
• At 0.7nm from threshold crew confirmed visual with the approach lights. The reports says they were over a lighted facility.
• AP was disconnected just above 100' RA
• At the 50ft auto callout the PM called "pull up"
• The aircraft struck and severed a power line that was perpendicular to the runway causing power outage to the terminal
• TOGA was selected about 1 second before ground impact and a full, pull up, demand was made on the side stick.
• The left landing gear struck an approach light about 860ft before the threshold. Then the main landing gear, aft fuselage and the left engine hit the snow covered ground, bounced, took out the LOC antenna, bouncing twice more before skidding along the runway, coming to rest about 1900ft after the threshold.
• Power to the aircraft was lost during the ground contacts leaving only the emergency lights on in the cabin.
• Pax were evacuated successfully with no deaths. 1 cabin crew member was seriously injured and the were 25 minor injuries.
• The flight crew were pretty experienced with the Captain having over 5700 hours and the FO 6300 hours on type.
• Errors/factors
  The Auto pilot limitation on a NPA is AT MDA. AP was actually disconnected 23 seconds after passing MDA
  Didn't monitor DIST/ALT table on chart. "At Air Canada, the use of dist/alt table on jepp charts as a monitoring tool is not cited during pilot training fro loc/npas
  CT (canadian CAA/FAA) didnt raise this as an issue at any inspections.
  This is critical because of the limitations of the FPA

• According to the report, Air Canada pilots didnt have access to the FCOM, only the company manuals.
  FCOM doesnt offer any guidance on how to adjust the FPA e.g how much for how long.
• For your info, 0.1º change will affect the a/c path by 10ft over the next NM so for example if youre on a 3º glide and youre 30ft high at a height check, increasing the FPA to will get you back on profile in 1 NM. so 0.1º per 10ft. just remember to reset to 3º once its back on profile!
• Contrary to this, "air canada's practice was the, once the a/c was past the FAF, flight crews were not required to monitor the a/c's alt and dist from the threshold, nor make any adjustments to the FPA. Also, Airbus said at the time that before the FAF press TRK/FPA pb, select desired FPA on the FPA dial and then at 0.3 before the FAF - pull. Air canadas practice was to pull v/s/FPA selecting 0 and then wind it to desired angle at FPA -0.3
• Unlike EASA and FAA, in canade the minimum vis for an approach isnt afected by the type of ALS installed. As a comparison, for the minima at halifax the FAA would require an additional 900m of approach lighting!!

You can read the report yourself by clicking on this link:

http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2015/a15h0002/a15h0002.asp

In this episode Matt & Andy discuss the Lithium Battery Fire QRH checklist and cabin crew procedures and interview Andy from Avsax.com about the risks posed by lithium batteries. 

This episode is a fantastic example of workload management, failure management and prioritisation. The report used here can be found at:

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/crippled-smartlynx-a320-nursed-home-after-runway-str-461983/ 

A more comprehensive report can be found here:

https://avherald.com/h?article=4b57c3dd 

This week Matt & Andy have the pleasure of speaking to Gerome Gardiner who is an amazing artist specialising in doing oil paintings of airliners.

Not only does he talk about his passion for aviation and painting, but he also reveals an amazing prize he has very generously donated to us to give away to you, our lovely listeners!

To enter, go to our Facebook page and then Like our page, Share the competition post and comment "Yes Please". And that's it! The competition closes at midnight on December 31st, 2017 so get in quick so you don't miss out. The winner will be picked at random and then announced on the podcast and also on Facebook - Good Luck

Not only that, he has also given all our listeners a 10% discount on all his prints! When you contact him via email or through his Instagram page (details below) mention the A320 Podcast to receive your discount.

art@airlinerart.net

https://www.instagram.com/airlinerart/

+971 50 421 5998

https://www.facebook.com/AirlinerArt-163591277416489/

This week Matt and Andy take a look at the slat flap jammed checklist and look through the flap system

This week Matt & Andy talk to Richard De Crespigny, the captain of Qantas flight QF32 in which his A380 suffered multiple major failures when one of it's engines exploded. He discusses the incident itself and how he felt afterwards and then gives us some great knowledge and advice about stress, failure management and safety culture. This one isn't just for A320 pilots, in fact, it's not even just for pilots - everyone can learn from this episode.

If that wasn't enough, Richard has also donated two signed copies of his latest book, Fly! for them to give away. He has set a question for you to answer, get it correct and you'll be in with a chance of wining one of these two books.

There are two new system developments discussed in this episode,

TOS (Take off surveillance) which comprises of TOS1 and TOS2, and,

TOM (Take off monitoring) which currently isn’t available on the A320 but is being evaluated for possible installation.

TOS1 checks flaps and trim settings and does a check of the performance parameters entered in the FMS (aircraft weight and takeoff speeds). This then compares actual performance settings with that entered in the FMS.

TOS2 makes the same checks as TOS1, but additionally, checks that the aircraft is positioned on the intended runway and that the expected takeoff performance – based on data entered in the FMS by the crew,  is compatible with the runway distance available.

If any of these checks compute an error, various ECAMs can be triggered.

TOM monitors the acceleration of the aircraft during the takeoff phase and warns you if a lower-than-expected acceleration is detected. From 30 kt, it compares the expected acceleration with the real acceleration of the aircraft. If the difference between the real aircraft acceleration and its expected acceleration is more than 15 % when the aircraft reaches 90 kt, TOM will trigger the red ECAM warning T.O ACCELERATION DEGRADED

Airbus recommends rejecting a takeoff if you get any of these uninhibited ECAMs on the takeoff roll.

In this episode we look at the procedure for a manual start on the IAE V2500 engine

In this special episode to celebrate our 100th show we are joined by Capt Al to chat about the history of the A320, how things have changed and what the future holds. Capt Nick from the Airline Pilot Guy show tells us about the A320 and we share some fun facts!

Aircraft Fire Protection Systems for the Engines and APU provide Fire and overheat detection and extinguishing systems (as opposed to just fire or smoke detection like in other systems).
The engines and the APU each have their own fire and overheat detection systems. These consist of:
Two identical fire detection loops (A and B) which are mounted in parallel and a Fire Detection Unit or FDU.
The fire detection loops have three sensing elements for each engine. They are found in the pylon nacelle, in the engine core and in the engine fan section
There is one sensing element in the APU compartment.

The Fire detection unit processes all the warnings and cautions originating in the sensing elements.
There are 4 things that will cause a fire warning to appear:
- a fire signal from both loop A and B,
- a fire signal from one loop when the other is faulty,
- a break in both loops occuring within 5 s of each other (flame effect), or
- a test performed using the control panel.
We get a loop-fault caution if :
- one loop is faulty,
- both loops are faulty or,
the fire detection unit fails.

Scenario of the week

Imagine that as you taxi out you get the engine fire warning. Run through the ECAM we've just read out and then think about all the different things you need to consider. You've got ATC, Fire crews, cabin crew, passengers, the company and of course each other to sort out. How will you prioritise them all and what can you ask each group to help you make your decision?

In this episode Matt & Andy discuss the reasons behind this procedure and tells us the risks if you don't do it.

With airlines parking up fleets of aircraft around the world Matt & Andy look at the difference between parking and storing aircraft and the factors to consider

The FCU is located on the glareshield, and is the short-term interface between the flight crew and the FMGC. It is used to select any flight parameters or modify those selected in the MCDU. The autopilots and autothrust functions may be engaged or disengaged. Different guidance modes can be selected to change various targets these are speed, heading, track, altitude, flight path angle, vertical speed.

 the FCU also includes the two EFIS control panels either side of it and we will explain why shortly.

 The FCU comprises three panels : - one center panel (auto flight control section) which features the   controls and the displays associated with the AFS. - and two symmetrical panels (EFIS control sections) located on the left side  and right side of the center panel. These panels include the controls to change the displays associated respectively with the Captain and  the First Officer EFIS display units. 

The FCU consists of two identical computers (FCU #1 and #2) and are independent of each other. The computers have separate power supplies, with  FCU 1 being prioritised in the event of any electrical issues. FCU1 is for the Captain, FCU 2 for the Copilot.

 In order to ensure segregation of barometric selections and displays, the CAPT and F/O BARO parameters are controlled, in normal operation, independently by the two different FCU - processors.

If both FCUs are serviceable, FCU 1 is active and controls Capt BARO selection, AFS display, AFS and EFIS pushbutton switches

FCU 2 controls only F/O BARO selection.

Welcome to the first ever A320 Podcast. It's just a short version this week to introduce ourselves and give you an idea of what you can expect from us each week.

Find lots more information at www.A320podcast.com

We hope to help new and experienced pilots with studying and revising for type ratings, simulator checks or promotions. Tell as many colleagues and friends about us as possible so we can grow and create a worldwide community of great airbus pilots.

Show Notes

The Golden Rules for Pilots - FCTM_OP-010_Introduction

1. Fly, Navigate, Communicate

Fly - this is referring to keeping the aircraft safely within its flight envelope and making sure the pitch, bank angle, heading, airspeed etc are all at the desired targets. This is achieved by the pilot flying controlling the aircraft through either use of the correct automation or by manual flying and pilot monitoring assisting and actively monitoring these parameters.

Navigate - make sure you're currently in the right place and heading in the right place. There's no point flying an aircraft at the perfect speed, straight and level if you're pointing at the side of the mountain. This is partly already taken care of in the 'fly' or 'aviate' section because your desired altitude target should be based on being above MSA. Airbus refer to knowing the 4 'know where' statements.
Know where you are…
Know where you should be…
Know where you should go…
Know where the weather, terrain, and obstacles are. I personally would add one more to that last one which is airspace because you might not want to fly into busy airspace if they're not expecting you, and you may not want to fly out of controlled airspace and lose radar control.
Communicate
People often assume that this just means with air traffic control but as pilots we also need to communicate with each other, cabin crew, ground staff, engineers, passengers etc. We also use communication for important jobs such as task sharing or running checklists. Communication is so important and that's why we have our standard phraseology and standard call outs.

2. Use appropriate level of automation

Its very important to make sure that we are always using the most appropriate automation available at any time. If used correctly the automatics can help us by drastically reducing our workload and freeing up our capacity which gives us more situational awareness Used incorrectly they can increase the workload and make a situation much worse. In Airbus' words we have to,

"- Determine and select the appropriate level of automation that can include manual flight

- Understand the operational effect of the selected level of automation
Confirm that the aircraft reacts as expected."

Basically, if the automatics aren't doing want you want, change the mode or take it out all together. Remember that all the automatics out is a level of automation and is a perfectly acceptable option.

3. Understand FMAs at all times

The Airbus has several levels of automation and we all know that there are ways that these can easily bite us if we're not careful.
The most important thing with the Airbus automatics is to ensure that what we select on the fcu or the mcdu is correctly displayed on the PFD or the ND. Understanding the different modes, how they interact and how they revert is very important and we will have a whole episode dedicated to this in the future. This leads on to golden rule number 4,

4. Take action if things do not go as expected

If the aircraft isn't doing what we want, we have to either solve the situation with automatics or take them out all together.
If at any point the aircraft doesn't follow the desired flight path or targets selected then the pilot flying should do whatever is appropriate. If the aircraft is in managed modes, change it to selected modes to demand exactly what you want.
If the aircraft is in selected modes, change it to manual flying.
The pilot monitoring should communicate with the pilot flying, challenge the actions of the pilot flying when necessary or take over if required.

Just a short one this week, next week we'll be looking at Air Conditioning to ease us in to the technical subjects....

This week Matt & Andy continue discussing PBN.

This week Matt & Andy have a look at the FCU panel and how it works

This week Matt and Andy look in detail at a manual engine start on the CFM56, what it is and how to do it

This week Matt & Andy look at the new (for some) Emergency Evacuation procedure. Remember that these procedures will still vary slightly from airline to airline so it's important to check your manuals to make sure you're doing them correctly.

Here are the pertinent points from Matt's information;

1. No oil quantity indications after the FADECs have depowered. You need to power them manually using the guarded switches on the maintenance panel.

2. Engine start with anything but cold engines take a long time. 

3. Single Pack operation causes the engines to increase thrust significantly and can cause high brake temperatures

4. Warm up and cool down times are very important - 3 min warm up and cool down unless cold engine which requires 5 min warm up.

5. Significant sound difference

In this episode Matt & Andy continue the series looking at the Autoflight system.

This week we are looking at an air crash investigation. It's a follow-on from the CRM episode we did a couple of weeks ago.  If you haven't listened to that one then it may be worth a listen because we discussed situational Awareness.

Here are the links to the reports discussed

Kegworth - https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/4-1990-boeing-737-400-g-obme-8-january-1989

TransAsia Accident - https://www.asc.gov.tw/main_en/docaccident.aspx?uid=343&pid=296&acd_no=191

In this episode Matt & Andy discuss the different types of NPA available and how to fly them.

This week Matt and Andy discuss a listener's experience that we can all learn from. Plus, a fact we bet you didn't know.

75 % of approach-and-landing incidents and accidents come under 5 categories:

• CFIT (which includes landing short of runway); 

• Loss of control; 

• Runway overrun; 

• Runway excursion; and, 

• Non-stabilized approaches. 

They looked at the factors that often lead to these accidents. They broke them down into 7 different subjects,

SOPs 

Crew cooperation (CRM)

Altimeter and altitude issues

Descent and approach management 

Approach hazard awareness

Readiness to go around 

Approach and landing techniques

Listen to episodes 15 & 21 for a refresher on the CRM topics discussed in this episode.

This week Matt and Andy take a look at the little understood CIDS system and what happens when a total failure occurs

Generator Failure

If one engine generator fails, the system will automatically replace the failed generator with the APU generator, if it is available, or the other engine generator. Part of the galley load will be shed automatically and, if fitted, the DC entertainment bus will also be shed. 

So if an engine generator is lost the entire system can be supplied by the remaining engine generator or the APU so the entire system remains powered.

Failure of AC Bus

If AC BUS 1 fails AC BUS 2 can supply the AC ESS BUS and the ESS TR can supply  the DC ESS BUS.  Depending on the MSN of the aircraft this either occurs automatically or can be recovered by switching the AC ESS FEED to ALTN on the overhead panel. If manual switching is required both the AC and DC ESS BUS FAULTS will show on the ECAM. DC BUS 2 supplies DC BUS 1 and DC BAT BUS automatically after 5 seconds. 

TR failure

TR1 or TR2 can supply both DC BUS1 and DC BUS2 via the DC BAT BUS. so if TR 2 fails to slack is taken up by TR1 and DC BUS 2 is supplied via the DC BAT BUS and vice versa.

A TR 1 or 2 FAULT ECAM caution is for crew awareness. The status page states the aircraft is now cat 3 single and the inop systems are the associated TR and cat 3 dual. 

If TR1 fails the DC ESS BUS looses its power source so in this case the ESS TR via the AC ESS bus, will power the DC ESS bus. 

Failure of a DC BUS

DC BUS 1 Fault 

The system display will show DC 1 in amber and, as with a TR 1 fault the DC ESS BUS is now powered via the ESS TR. 

DC BUS 2 FAULT

AIR DATA SWTG - F/O 3. as the First officers side has lost air data this is self explanatory. 

BARO REF CHECK - SINCE FCU CHANNEL 2  is lost the barometer settings need to be crosschecked on the FCU and PFD. 

Secondary systems

CAB PRESS - SYS 2 in amber

FUEL - L+R tank and Centre tank pump 2 inop

WHEEL - gear indications missing due to LGCIU 1 + 2 in op

F/CTL - SPOILERS 1 2 AND 5 INOP ELAC 2 AND  SEC 2 AND 3 IN OP

Read ECAM source:

https://www.facebook.com/A320-IPAD-ECAM-1849879165252506/

This week Andy takes a look at the Dual Engine Failure QRH procedure

Happy New Year!

Well we've had a couple of weeks break, now we're straight back to it and this week is a good one. Fuel. Theres more to this system than you would imagine actually. 

Here is a summary of the fuel's journey from tanker to engine/APU

Fuel enters the aircraft via the Refuel coupling or (hose connector) on the right wing. There is also the option to have one installed on the left wing if so desired.
The amount of fuel required is selected on the Fuel panel on the right hand side of the fuselage. There is also the option to have a second panel fitted on the wing next to the hose connection.
From the refuelling connection the fuel is carried along the length of both wings in what Airbus call a gallery. It basically a pipe with valves and outlets along it to deliver fuel to the correct places.
Each wing has an inner tank, an outer tank and a surge tank. There is a centre tank in the fuselage. Fuel can be delivered into the outer tanks or the centre tank.

Out of interest, the rough refuelling time at a standard pressure is about 17 min for wing tanks and 20 min for all tanks.

From here, there's then three options for where the fuel can go. One of the two engines or, the APU.

The fuel can be delivered in two ways. By fuel pumps or by gravity feeding. There are a total of six main fuel pumps, two in each of the inner tanks and two in the centre tank. Each pump supplies fuel to the engines.
There's a crossfeed valve which allows fuel from either wing to feed either engine. Then as we reach the engine we have the low pressure fuel valve, which can stop the fuel flow "to the engine. It's closed by either the engine master switch, or the ENG FIRE PUSH pushbutton.

Scenario of the week - What procedures do you have to follow if you are gravity feeding and where are they found?

Thanks, and remember - Fly Safe

This week Matt discusses a windshield failure which also damaged the FCU causing the loss of autopilot!

http://avherald.com/h?article=4b890953&opt=0

This week we are going continue our series of non technical discussions and  take a look at the role of pilot monitoring and its importance. This podcast isn't exclusive to the A320 and  the principals we will be discussing can be applied to all multi crew environments. 

We will cover what monitoring actual is, how we do it, what happens when monitoring is impaired and finally, how we can improve our own monitoring. 

This week Matt & Andy look at FMGC failures and their consequences.

There's little information in the manuals so they both take us though the effects of these failues and some of the issues that can be faced.

This week Matt is solo and talks about what a tailpipe fire is and how to deal with it.

As an easy summary - cut off the fuel source and then ventilate.

Do this by turning the engine master switch off and then engine mode selector to crank, man start on.

Check out your manuals for more information.

QRH ABN 70

FCTM NO-030 & AO-070

FCOM PRO-ABN-70

This week we take a more detailed look at an AC BUS 1 FAULT, firstly having a quick review of the system, the ECAM procedure and status page, and finally a discussion on how to handle it and some of the pitfalls!