Transition from Yoke to Joystick

[FoxyWhiskey]

I'm interested to know what your experience has been from transitioning from an aircraft with a traditional yoke into one with a "Joystick", like the Airbus. Thanks!

-FW

 

[Dizel8]

Five minutes, and then you will have forgotten that is is "different".

You may even go so far, as to wonder why it isn't more common

 

[Long-Gonner]

not an issue at all. Getting used to the Airbus auto thrust system took a little bit longer, but likewise.........not an issue.

 

[Redmeat]

Completely intuitive. No problemo.

 

[Truckdriver]

I like the comfort of not having the big old yoke inbetween your legs, but I prefer the yoke over a side stick anyday as far as flying goes. The first day you get a gusty 20kt crosswind in the Airbus, you'll wish you had a yoke back. When you get out the logbook or luck out and get some food on the MD-88, you wish you had the stick back. As far as the transistion goes, a couple of sim sessions and your in the ball-park.

 

[contrail67]

30 Minutes tops...easy.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

In most aircraft that have the sidestick, isn't the autopilot clicked on immediately after takeoff anyway, and not clicked off until on short final?

 

[Mad Dog 80]

Not an issue at all. Is nice to be able to see your instruments and not having a traditional yoke in the way.

 

[PsubS]

Where do you put your salad and diet coke on those jets with yokes?...

 

[Jungle Prop]

Agree will all the above posts. Not an issue after 30 minutes. But I would prefer a yoke in a gusty crosswind, not much feel with the sidestick. Nice on long transcons though!

 

[TWA Dude]

In most aircraft that have the sidestick, isn't the autopilot clicked on immediately after takeoff anyway, and not clicked off until on short final?

I used to do a lot more hand flying. But hand flying the Bus just isn't as fun as a non-FBW. So I don't do as much anymore. The Bus makes me miss flying. And a 172 now costs $110/hr to rent. What's a pilot to do? (I love soaring/gliding but the Midwest ain't so good for that for half the year.)

 

[spacecadet1]

Probably the hardest adjustment to flying the airbus is knowing that you're flying a french sissy airplane.

 

[Dizel8]

Probably the hardest adjustment to flying the airbus is knowing that you're flying a french sissy airplane.

What do you have against Fifi?

I suppose you want freedom fries and discourage french kissing

 

[landlover]

Where do you put your salad and diet coke on those jets with yokes?...

ahhh the diet of a 9 year old girl!

 

[Truckdriver]

Probably the hardest adjustment to flying the airbus is knowing that you're flying a french sissy airplane.

And you get reminded that it is a gay french sissy airplane every time you hit 2500 RA. I hated that voice saying "two thowsand fife hundwed". The most annoying aural voice accent in the entire world!

 

[General Lee]

And to top it off, the French added insults as you try to land, calling you a "retard."

Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[hockeypilot44]

And to top it off, the French added insults as you try to land, calling you a "retard."

Bye Bye---General Lee

That's funny.

 

[BEfly]

Joysticks are for chicks

 

[NEDude]

Easy transition. And it is nice not having a yoke there for those three plus hour legs.

Our Airbi have two different voices - one the sissy french voice in most of the airplanes, but a few have a voice that reminds me of Obi Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness). On those gusty crosswind days I think I hear him say "use the force NEDude" - which, as mentioned, you need with that sidestick.

As far as handflying, I actually do it quite a bit in the 'bus. I actually enjoy shutting off the AP and autothrust and flying it like a regular airplane. Flies nicer than the CRJ IMHO.

 

[Vspeeds]

Yoke to Joy Stick

In most aircraft that have the sidestick, isn't the autopilot clicked on immediately after takeoff anyway, and not clicked off until on short final?

True that! "5 seconds or 100ft off the ground Auto Pilot can be engaged".
I disconnect 1000' to 500 ft off the ground depending on how I am feeling that day or night....

The "Yoke to Joystick" Transition was not a biggie for me but the Arm Rest position was kinda .....
(I fly the 19/20/21.....& in my opinion pretty much they all don't set/adjust the same... (I set them btw C-3 to C-5).
I sure would like other Bus flyer's thoughts on that!

Like most of the fellas said, I too, prefer the Yoke vs. the Joy stick in Xwind conditions......

But all in all, I sure do miss hand flying......maybe one of these days I'll venture out in a C-172 or something of that sort to get the feeling back.....Can't say much about me trying to land one of them suckers.....Been a while.....


Fly safe ya'll!

 

[dtfl]

not an issue at all. Getting used to the Airbus auto thrust system took a little bit longer, but likewise.........not an issue.

Its got to be better than this POS DFGC and AT that I am trying to learn on the MD88...........

 

[JetPilot_Mike]

The biggest thing I hate about the Airbus is ALT*! Way too slow!

 

[Truckdriver]

Its got to be better than this POS DFGC and AT that I am trying to learn on the MD88...........

Now be nice to the old 88. Once your figure out how to contort yourself so you can press IAS while at the same time slamming the throttles to idle you will be set. The Airbus does have a much nicer AT/FGCP system than the 88, but what airplane doesn't?

 

[skiandsurf]

And you get reminded that it is a gay french sissy airplane every time you hit 2500 RA. I hated that voice saying "two thowsand fife hundwed". The most annoying aural voice accent in the entire world!

I thought it said "twiiiinteeee five hundred".

The transition is easy, and I would prefer to handfly the airbus, with its auto-trim, its easy and smooth.

 

[Cardinal]

As stated, the stick is perfectly natural.

Auto-trim, however, goes against all that is holy! That in combination with the non-moving autothrust serve to completely disconnect the new Airbus pilot from reality.

Example; visual approach, AP/AT off. In a normal aircraft, upon reaching g/s intercept one could bring the power back near idle and the aircraft would begin a constant airspeed descent without further input. Fifi requires that you adjust the power, then push the stick forward to start a descent and hopefully (but not likely) hold your target airspeed. It really does feel like "driving" an airplane. But you get used to it.

 

[Beetle007]

And to top it off, the French added insults as you try to land, calling you a "retard."

Bye Bye---General Lee

The first "retard" call is a verb
The second+ "retard" call is a noun

 

[F/O]

The biggest thing I hate about the Airbus is ALT*! Way too slow!

Hand fly it to ALT then...

 

[Beetle007]

Hand fly it to ALT then...

Just keep in mind it is dangerous to ignore the flight director commands. As long as you are in a variable thrust mode (speed or mach) it isn't a problem. But bad stuff can happen if autothrust is in a fixed thrust mode (like thrust idle or thurst climb).

Air India had an A320 that crashed due to thrust idle and ignoring the flight directors. They got too slow and hit the ground bursting into flames. And a legacy airline in the U.S. had a crew that briefly planned on ditching because they thought they had lost control of the engines and the airplane kept slowing (i.e., they were ignoring the flight directors).

I have seen situations where ALT* can be dangerous though because ALT* ignores your speed protections. Airbus lost an A330 because test pilots simulated an engine failure in ALT* and the autopilot ignored the speed protections. The airplane rolled over and crashed before the pilots could recover.