Flight Instructor Seminar

Airbus Crew Coordination

Presented by
Joel LEBRUN

Business Manager Flight Crew Training Policy

Content

Airbus Task Sharing

Airbus Standard Callouts

Take over procedure

Dual input
Conclusion

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Introduction
Basic task sharing principle:

One pilot is PF at a time.

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PF role

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PNF / PM role

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PF/PNF Transfer of Duties

1) To give control: The pilot calls out YOU HAVE CONTROL. The other pilot
accepts this transfer by calling out I HAVE CONTROL, before assuming PF
duties.
2) To take control:

I HAVE CONTROL
YOU HAVE CONTROL

I HAVE CONTROL !

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YOU HAVE
CONTROL !

Content

Airbus Task Sharing

Airbus Standard Callouts

Take over procedure

Dual input
Conclusion

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Introduction
Standard phraseology is essential to
ensure effective crew communication.

Standard Callouts are designed to:

Enhance the efficiency of crew coordination

Update the flight crew situational awareness.

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???

Why Standard Callouts ?

Use of standard calls and acknowledgements reduces the risk of tactical
(short-term) decision-making errors (e.g., in selecting modes, setting targets or
selecting aircraft configurations).
The importance of using standard calls increases with increasing workload or
flight phase criticality:

Standard calls must convey the required information with a minimum of words.
Command and response calls should be performed in accordance with the
defined PF / PNF task sharing

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Standard Callouts
Upon a Standard Callout:
The other crewmember should accomplish the requested command or verify the
requested condition and respond accordingly.
Standard calls may be generated automatically (auto callouts)
In the absence of such auto callouts (i.e., due a system malfunction), the PNF
should make verbally the appropriate standard call.
eg: Minimums
The absence of a standard call at the appropriate time or the absence of
acknowledgement may:
Result in a loss of situational awareness for the other crewmember
Be an indication of a system or indication malfunction
Indicate a possible incapacitation of the crewmember.

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Standard Callouts
Standard calls are used to:
Ask the other pilot to perform an action
Flaps, L/G...

Use/Monitor the aircraft automations

AP, FD, A/THRFMA

Check lateral and vertical trajectory

Announcing deviations from nominal flight parameters

Manage abnormal situations and failures

Initiation of ECAM actions

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???

FMA Callouts
The PF should call out any FMA change: (It is not only a call)
The PNF should check and respond, CHECKED to all FMA changes
called out by the PF.
Armed modes: Color is called (Blue or Magenta)

Active modes: Color is not called (Green or White)

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NAV BLUE !

NAV !

MEMORY Emergency Callouts

Associated with the triggering of an Abnormal/Emergency situation
Requires PF/PNF application of Memory Actions
Allows crew awareness of the situation / Better crew reaction.

Event

CALLOUT

GPWS:

PULL UP TOGA

WINDSHEAR

WINDSHEAR TOGA

Unreliable Speed Indication

UNRELIABLE SPEED

TCAS: as soon as TRAFFIC warning

is triggered

TCAS, I HAVE CONTROL

Emergency Descent

EMERGENCY DESCENT

Loss of braking

LOSS OF BRAKING

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Parameters Deviation Callouts

The PNF must make callouts if flight parameters deviate from
standard/safe values:
To enhance PFs awareness of the situation
To trigger a corrective action by the PF.

GLIDE !

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Parameters Deviation Callouts

Approach
Speed below Vapp 5 kt
Speed above Vapp + 10 kt

SPEED

Bank more than 7

BANK

V/S more than -1000 ft/mn

SINK RATE

Pitch lower than -2.5

Picth higher than +10

PITCH

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Parameters Deviation Callouts

ILS approach

LOC more than dot

LOC

G/S more than 1 dot

GLIDE

GLIDE !

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Parameters Deviation Callouts

Non precision approach
Course more than 2.5 (VOR)
or 5 (LCTR)

COURSE

Altitude checks

xx FT LOW (or HIGH)

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Parameters Deviation Callouts

Go Around
Bank more than 15

BANK

No positive V/S

SINK RATE

Pitch lower than +10

Picth higher than +20

PITCH

PITCH !

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Content

Airbus Task Sharing

Airbus Standard Callouts

Take over procedure

Dual input
Conclusion

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Take over Procedure

Should the PNF disagree with the PF inputs:

He/she has to verbally request corrective actions, or

To take over the controls by clearly announcing
I have control.

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Taking over control

When the PNF needs to take over control:

He announces I HAVE CONTROL
He presses the sidestick priority p/b
The other pilot acknowledges YOU HAVE CONTROL.

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Month 200X

What if ?
Feedback gained from line operations monitoring indicates that
dual inputs still occur periodically.

Dual inputs are also sometimes involved in operational

incidents analyzed by Airbus.

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6/25/2012

Content

Airbus Task Sharing

Airbus Standard Callouts

Take over procedure

Dual input
Conclusion

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Dual Input: Indications

Airbus aircraft have a package of dual input indicators and
warning, which operates when both side sticks are deflected
simultaneously.

This package contains visual indications and an aural warning.

Both visual and aural warnings have proved to be efficient means
to inform the pilots of dual inputs, even in stress situations.

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Dual Input: System Description

Dual input threshold
A dual input situation is detected when both side sticks are
deflected simultaneously by more than 2 for more than 500 ms.
Why these levels?
No significant effect on the trajectory below 2 deflection
500 ms confirmation prevents spurious indications
( PF change, use of Push To Talk switch, ).

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Dual Input: System Description

Visual indication
When a dual input situation is detected, the 2 green priority
lights flash simultaneously.

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Dual Input: System Description

Aural warning
A synthetic voice DUAL INPUT comes up, every 5 sec. as
long as the dual input condition persists.
Note: This audio has the lowest priority among the synthetic voice audio alerts.

DUAL INPUT

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Taking over
The CM1 presses the sidestick priority push button:

The red arrow appears on the CM2 side pointing to the priority side
An aural warning is triggered: Priority Left
The green CAPT light comes on in case of right sidestick input.
PRIORITY LEFT

I have
control

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Operational recommendations
Experience has shown, that these warnings very effectively
helped to:
Educate the pilots to respect the basic task sharing principle
Reduce drastically the number of dual input occurrences.

Extracts of FCTM (OP-020):

When the Pilot Flying (PF) makes an input on the sidestick, an order is sent to
the fly-by-wire computer. If the Pilot Not Flying (PNF) also acts on the stick, then
both signals/orders are added.
Therefore, PF and PNF must not act on their sidesticks at the same time.
If the PNF (or Instructor) needs to take over, he/she must press the sidestick
takeover pushbutton, and announce: "I have control".

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Content

Airbus Task Sharing

Airbus Standard Callouts

Take over procedure

Dual input
Conclusion

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Conclusion
Standard Calls:
Ensure effective crew interaction and communication
Enable to update the flight crew situational awareness
Do not replace the crew communication.

The Call/Command and the Response/Acknowledgement are of equal

importance to guarantee a timely action or correction.
Crew communication is essential for crew awareness and safety.

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Conclusion
Use Standard calls to transfer control:
I HAVE CONTROL / YOU HAVE CONTROL

Use Sidestick priority p/b:

To take over control / to de-activate the other sidestick

DUAL INPUT warnings:

Alert the crew of dual sidestick inputs

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Dual Side Stick Input

Indicators and warning

29th November 02 December 2011

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delivery of this document or the disclosure of its content. This document shall not be reproduced or disclosed to a third party without the express written consent of AIRBUS S.A.S. This document and its content shall not be
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