AIRBUS BOOT CAMP

Airbus Boot Camp?

No, its not what you think!

No pushups, force marches,
sergeants yelling or spit
shined shoes. Airbus Boot
Camp is designed as a
review for the Airbus veteran
or as a good source of
information for the pilot in
initial training. We are going
to take your questions and
try to provide simple
understandable answers.
Hopefully this page will
enable you to review these
items and better prepare you
for your checkride and more
importantly make you a
better informed line pilot.

We hope you find Airbus

Boot Camp interesting and look forward to hearing from you. Send your questions to me (Click
here) and we'll post them along with the answers here.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Go-Arounds

Q.What causes the Airbus to go to the go-around (G/A) mode?

A. In order for the Airbus to go to the G/A mode three things must be satisfied. First, the aircraft
must be in something other than the T/O phase of flight. The takeoff phase of flight ends when
you reach thrust reduction altitude THR RED altitude, select (LVR CLB) or ALTITUDE HOLD on
single engine. Second, the flap handle must be greater than zero. Note that this is flap handle
position and not the flap position. You must select TOGA.

When these three conditions are met, the aircraft will go the the G/A mode.

Q.Do we have two different types of go-around procedures?

A. Actually there are three ways for the Airbus to go around. Lets look at all three in detail.

The first go-around procedure is designed for the go-around at low altitude, at minimums for
example. This procedure is designed to get you away from the ground and back to altitude as
quickly as possible. In the go-around the FMA displays: MAN TOGA | SRS | G/A TRK. The
aircraft is in a manual thrust mode, the flight director is commanding SRS, and the aircraft is
tracking whatever track you were on when you selected TOGA.

The second procedure is started in exactly the same way, by selecting TOGA and putting the
aircraft in the Go-Around mode. If the pilot determines that TOGA thrust is not necessary for the
go-around, you may select LVR CLB at any time once you have assured that MAN TOGA | SRS |
G/A TRK is displayed. The Airbus can be very aggressive during the go-around and many times
the soft go-around may be the best option. Remember, the soft go-around procedure is not an
option for single engine operations.

A third option for a go-around does not involve selecting TOGA. If you are given a go-around
when you are already at a higher altitude or have a very few hundred feet to climb, the go-
around would best be accomplished by selecting Open Climb (OP CLB) or Vertical speed (V/S+).
This simply allows the aircraft to climb and continue on its track without putting the aircraft in the
go-around phase of flight. In this instance, you do not have to select TOGA.

MCDU

Q. How do I change the destination in the MCDU?

A. The destination can be found on the FLT PLAN page on 6-L. The destination in 6-L is only for
destination purposes and is not a usable key for doing other things in the FLT PLAN. The
destination can be changed by line-selecting a fix on the flight plan page which will take you to
the new destination prompt on 3-R. Entering a new destination will allow you to access arrival
information for the new airport as well as change the alternate. You will use fewer key strokes if
you select the TO way point to change the destination as the MCDU will automatically clean up
everything below that fix for you.

Q. What happens when I dont have a fix to line-select in the flight plan?

A. Not having a fix in the FLT PLAN is more of a simulator thing, although it can happen if you are
vectored close to the airport or approach fixes at a place like PHL. If you lose your fix in the flight
plan or for some reason dont have one, simply re-enter a fix back into the flight plan. I like to
use the letter (I).
I is a non-directional beacon in Canada and it reminds me that I want to change the destination,
or I want to insert a discontinuity. You should always try to select a fix that is far away from your
present position so you wont leave it in the flight plan by accident.

Q. How do I insert a discontinuity into the flight plan?

A. A discontinuity in the FLT PLAN means that the flight plan routing is disconnected. The flight
management computer will not fly a discontinuity. There are times when it is desirable to have
this disconnection in the FLT PLAN. When you insert a fix over another fix on the FLT PLAN, the fix
that was originally in the FLT PLAN will be moved down and a discontinuity will be inserted
between them. Once again, as we talked about above, the letter I works well and you can think
I want a discontinuity.

Q. What If you inadvertently Activate and Confirm the approach?

A. You can get the airplane back into the cruise phase by re-entering your present cruise altitude
on the PROG page. When you Activate and Confirm it clears the cruise altitude out of the PROG
page.

Q. What happens if you enter an airport identifier in the MCDU DIR TO [ ] field (i.e. DIR TO
[KPIT]?

A. If you attempt to go direct to the destination airport it does lock you out of the flight plan, but
the airplane just needs a few seconds to reset and it will allow you access back into the flight plan
page. Usually about 30 to 45 seconds will do it.

Q. What is Cals Rule?

A. Cals Rule: Never let the FLT PLAN contain something you are not willing to fly. Good advice on
any airplane, but especially good on the Airbus.

Q. Is there any way to make the Non Flying Pilots callouts simple?

A. Yes! The non-flying pilot is required to make a call anytime the configuration of the aircraft is
changed. This requirement is right out of 83.10 and is required by the FAA. All one has to do is
think of stepping outside and looking at the configuration of the aircraft. Ask yourself, will what I
am about to do change the configuration of the aircraft? If the answer is yes, the non-flying pilot
is required to make a call. For example, GEAR DOWN, LANDING CHECKLIST. The non-flying pilots
call is GEAR DOWN. In this example, the landing checklist will not change the configuration of the
aircraft. The call of AUTOPILOT 1 or AUTOPILOT 2 does NOT require a reply because turning the
autopilot on does not change the configuration of the aircraft.

Q. Is there any way to make the flap callouts simple?

A. Yes! Airbus has tried to make this airplane as simple as possible. Naming the flap settings 0, 1,
2, 3, and Full is a good example. We are used to the classic aircraft and thus are in the habit of
looking at the flap handle to determine where the flaps are set. On the Airbus we have to use the
upper ECAM to determine where the flaps are located. ECAM is the only method we have of
knowing what flap setting we have. Determining where the flaps are and what comes next is
simply a matter of developing good habit patterns. Does the non-flying pilot make a flap call?
YES, because the configuration of the aircraft will change.
Q. Is there any way to make the FCU callouts simple?

A. Yes! Flight Control Unit commands are some of the biggest stumbling blocks to initial students
and veteran Bus drivers alike. If I may, I would like to break the FCU command down into two
separate parts. The first part of the command tells me which button to touch and the second part
tells me what to do with it.

SPEED-SELECT or SPEED-ENGAGE
HEADING-SELECT or NAV-ENGAGE
OPEN-CLIMB or CLIMB-ENGAGE
OPEN-DESCENT or DESCENT-ENGAGE
VERTICAL SPEED - (+700) (-700) or ALTITUDE-HOLD

Remember, the Flight Control Unit drives the automation and generates steering commands in the
Airbus. It is not going to do anything that you didnt have to do in your former airplane. Once you
become comfortable with the automation you will realize what a time and work saver it really is.

AUTOTHRUST 101

Q, How is the autothrust system armed?

A. The autothrust system is armed when you select FLEX or TOGA. This arming can be verified by
the A/THR annunciation in cyan.

Q. How do I activate the autothrust system?

A. The autothrust system is activated when you select LVR CLB. The airplane tells you that it is
time to activate the autothrust system by giving you theLVR CLB message.

Q. What causes lever climb LVR CLB to happen?

A. Lever climb happens when the aircraft reaches the thrust reduction altitude that you have
loaded into the MCDU PERF page. In addition to the preceding, LVR CLB also happens if the
aircraft determines that it is necessary for LVR CLB to happen earlier than the thrust reduction
altitude. For example, if you loaded an altitude in the Flight Control Unit (FCU) that is lower than
the thrust reduction altitude, LVR CLB would happen before you reached your thrust reduction
altitude.

Q. How do I know that LVR CLB has activated the auto-thrust system properly?

A. The autothrust system is properly activated if the Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA)
shows A/THR in white. In addition to the white autothrust annunciation, the aircraft will also
show THR CLB on the FMA.

Q. Why is it so important to select LVR CLB?

A. Selecting lever climb allows the autothrust to work properly and provides the pilot with speed
protections.

Q. When does THR CLB change to the SPEED mode?

A. THR CLB changes to the SPEED mode when the aircraft captures the selected altitude
(ALT*).

Q. What is the SPEED mode?

A. The SPEED mode simply means that the thrust of the engines is controlling the speed of the
SPEED mode and be in either selected or managed speed.
aircraft. You can be in
Q. How do I know that I am in selected or managed speed?

A. There is only one way for you to know that you are inmanaged speed. The triangle speed
target will be magenta. If youre in selected speed, the triangle speed target will be cyan.

Q. What is the normal range of the autothrust?

A. The normal range of the autothrust with both engines running is slightly above Idle to Climb.
The normal range for a single engine is slightly above Idle to Max Continuous Thrust (MCT).

Q. What does THR CLB and THR IDLE mean?

A. If you will simply read these words backwards, they will make sense. THR CLB becomes
Climb Thrust. THR IDLE becomes Idle Thrust. Both of these thrust settings are fixed power
settings. Remember in earlier discussions we said that the Airbus is not going to do anything that
you didnt have to do in the previous airplane.

Q. Will changing the vertical mode of the airplane change the auto-thrust setting?

OPN CLB will always put the thrust in THR CLB. OPN DES will always put
A. Yes, selecting
THR IDLE. Managed climb or descent will do the same thing to the thrust.
the thrust in
Remember, when the Airbus goes to ALT* the auto thrust goes to the SPEED mode.

Q. Does anyone understand the auto thrust system????

A. Yes, all it takes is some study and practice. Once you understand how it works it will be very
logical. Remember, the only clue that you will have to explain what is happening with the auto
thrust is presented on the FMA.