Attn A320 pilots

[xrated]

I understand that you Smurfs are the best Airbus pilots in the known universe, specially considering the big iron experience of your initial cadre, but I think the point here is that an overly automated airplane with counterintuitive systems is confusing competent pilots... something that is not happening in Boeings.

I can see with all your heavy iron experience netjets boy, you must see confused pilots on a daily basis....all of with are flying Airbus's with "counterintuitive" systems. (very impressive use of the word I must say)! In addition to all your listed Boeing experience, I'd say you're right on and must know what your talking about.

 

[AC560]

Out of curiosity how hard is to adjust from a yoke to a side stick? I am left handed and can make do in the right seat with a yoke but if I had to manipulate a side stick with my right hand would be pretty hard to coordinate things I would think.

 

[positiveg]

The biggest problem with the aircraft is that it is made in Toulouse, France and not Seattle, Washington. Each aircraft purchase puts brie and burgundy on the table for some French citizen who despises the USA, but does little for any US worker. Yes, Yes I know about US products that may be supplied by vendors that would constitute a small percentage of total content. Tired argument...

The other issue with the aircraft is the French design philosophy. They think pilots are of little value and something to protect the airplane against. Subsequently, if you look at the accidents at Strausberg, Bale Mulhausen or Merignac, you will see that they all occured because the pilots could not overcome the aircraft flight control systems. Additionally, when the automation is working the pilot is left out of the loop - when the autopilot or autothrottles move the flight controls or change the power setting nothing moves in the cockpit. When the pilot is flying, the flight control system offers no feedback to assist the pilot in judging conditions.


GV

Did I accidently bump into the A.net forums? Sure seems like it.

 

[xrated]

Out of curiosity how hard is to adjust from a yoke to a side stick? I am left handed and can make do in the right seat with a yoke but if I had to manipulate a side stick with my right hand would be pretty hard to coordinate things I would think.

Not difficult. Gotta ask though, even though you are left handed, when you land a plane, or takeoff from the right seat, is your left hand on the yoke? If so, which hand (or foot) are you using to adjust the throttles?

 

[steveg]

To most people that would be a legitimate concern. XRated is very deft at handling sticks with either hand though. He practices all the time.

 

[Say Again Over]

FL420, great post! :beer: I don't have any apples to apples experience in the bus but enjoy it a lot.

 

[AC560]

Not difficult. Gotta ask though, even though you are left handed, when you land a plane, or takeoff from the right seat, is your left hand on the yoke? If so, which hand (or foot) are you using to adjust the throttles?

My right hand is on the yoke, left foot is on the clutch, and right foot on the gas. I do find a yoke to have a different level of coordination required then say a joystick (only thing I can equate to a sidestick).

I will say that I do find it harder to fly the plane in the right seat to some extent because I have to use my right hand, not to the point where I am unsafe but I certainly feel a lot more comfortable doing a 20kt cross wind with my left hand on the yoke. I also fail horribly at driving to drive a stick with right hand drive cars.

 

[FL420]

Obtw

Several more very important points I forgot.

The AFCS in the A320 family has very effective low speed/high AOA and high speed/low AOA protections regardless of whether or not an autopilot or A/THR(autothrust) is engaged. If you get too slow or too fast in the coffin corner of the flight envelope, the AFCS will add power up to TOGA and pitch down or reduce power to idle and pitch up to keep you in the envelope. Many pilots of aircraft w/o this feature have stalled or oversped in this flight regime. Score one for the Bus.

The A320 family FMS automatically calculates Vapp which is the Airbus equivalent of Boeing's Vref with headwind component speed adjustments. A major improvement is that it incorporates windshear protection by adjusting Vapp using a feature called GS Mini(minimum groundspeed.) The A/THR adds power to keep a minimum groundspeed in a strong headwind so as to not leave the aircraft in a low energy state with reduced power if the headwind suddenly goes away or shears to a tailwind as might happen when encountering a microburst close to the ground. Score one for the bus.

Finally, the aircraft climb performance is optimized and the pilot technique is simplified during windshear recovery and GPWS terrain avoidance escape maneuvers. In the Boeing you must pitch up to and nibble at the stickshaker while going to TOGA and retracting speedbrakes. In the Airbus you pull the stick back and hold it while the AFCS optimizes the AOA for best climb performance. Score one for the Bus.

 

[NJAFracPilot]

I can see with all your heavy iron experience netjets boy, you must see confused pilots on a daily basis....all of with are flying Airbus's with "counterintuitive" systems. (very impressive use of the word I must say)! In addition to all your listed Boeing experience, I'd say you're right on and must know what your talking about.

Using your logic, a male obstetrician could never deliver a baby because he had never had one himself. It remains clear, however, that the Airbus automation induced mishaps speak for themselves.

 

[blade230]

I have not flown the 737, but the A320 is a joy to fly. The flightdeck is extremely comfortable, the automation is fantastic. Even if you decided to disconnect the auto-thrust/pilot, the aircraft is fun to "hand fly" as well.

My only negative comment is the "box"/FMS. It is not as user friendly as other boxes.