Takeoff Surveillance & Monitoring Functions
Airbus has continuously improved takeoff safety since the “TO CONFIG TEST” pushbutton was first introduced on A300 and A310 aircraft, and with the development of the Takeoff Surveillance (TOS1 & TOS2) and Takeoff Monitoring (TOM) functions.The TOS2 package that was initially developed for the A350 is now available for A320 family and A330 aircraft. This is an opportunity to review the checks that are performed by each function, from cockpit preparation to takeoff.
Control your Speed… During Descent, Approach and Landing
This article is the conclusion of our theme of speed management during a flight, which began in Safety first Issue #18. We are entering into the descent phase. Our objective is to cover descent from cruise altitude down toward the destination airport and prepare the aircraft for its approach and landing.This article aims to highlight how the reference, limit and operating speeds are useful during descent, approach and landing. It also provides a description of the tools that are available and operational recommendations on how to manage the aircraft energy during the last phases of flight.
Safely Flying Non-Precision Instrument Approaches
Historically the distinction between flying ILS/MLS and non-precision approaches was very clear. However, many new kinds of instrument approaches are now available and this makes the distinction less obvious. What remains true today for any approach is that disregarding basic flying techniques and procedures reduces safety margins.This article clarifies which technologies are available to perform approaches using an Airbus aircraft. It also emphasises the safety messages that are important to remember whenever flying an approach.
Flying a Go-Around Managing Energy
Airbus recently performed some research on the quality of go-around execution. This involved examining nearly 500,000 approaches flown by many airlines from around the world.The results highlighted that in some cases crews are choosing not to apply the Airbus Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the go-around phase.Particularly when a go-around was performed above 1,200 ft, the flight crew often decided to adapt the engines thrust selection instead of setting TOGA thrust. Feedback from operators also indicates a similar tendency. As a result, Airbus received several reports of unexpected aircraft trajectories and energy management techniques during the go-around procedure.Therefore, it was decided to address these issues by:Better defining an optional thrust levers management tech-nique during the a go-around, as per Airbus SOP.Developing a “Discontinued Approach” technique that wouldallow crews to effectively “abort” the approach without selecting TOGA detent.The Flight Crew Training Manual (FCTM) and the Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM) were updated accordingly end 2013 (updates respectively in March and May 2014 for the A300/A310 and A380).