Week 71: A320 Type Rating Week 10

It was a "crazy" week, not because there were a lot of training, but I had two sim sessions on two consecutive days. At my current stage, it takes me some time to absorb and digest what was taught as there simply is a lot to learn in each sim session.

Let's start with Day One, we had another new instructor, a very experienced former airline pilot who flew from first generation of civil aircraft right to the latest generation. He's over seventy in years of age now and we can definitely learn heaps from him.

First difference of this session was the T/O Config, which was to be set at 3 instead of the usual 2 we had for the past two sessions. However upon take-off and cleaning up, we are allowed to retract from Flaps 3 straight to Flaps 1 to save time and reduce drag for better speed performance. That was another new knowledge I've learnt.

The approach is a little different this time with the need to remain at Flaps 1 till we hit 2000ft. Between 2000ft to 100ft, we had to set up the aircraft for a stable approach, that is to say the aircraft will have to be in Flaps Full in V(app), gears down and all checklists completed. With the skill level we're at, that was quite a challenge.

With the approach, we were also taught on how to calculate our vertical descend speed once we're on the "glideslope". It wasn't the ILS, but rather, using the papi lights.

Groundspeed * 5 or Groundspeed/2 * 10

That was something which I've learnt in Ballarat, but the C172 is way slower and easier to control along with the mental calculation. A320 is a whole new game....... My landing as usual wasn't good, and so the instructor keep putting me at 3miles out for me to practise to perfection. I think I made a total of nine landings before calling it a day. Gosh, that was real tiring.

----------

Day Two, finally a familiar face as instructor and this time we was more strict on how we deal with the radio calls and procedures right from the gate to the runway threshold. We were also introduced to making departure, take-off and approach briefings. As you can see, the workload has started to pile up and we've got to cope with it.

T/O Config this time round was also different with it at Config 1+F. For the first time, cleaning up upon take-off is so much faster and easier. We were vectored to FL150 and introduced to stalling. In reality, the A320 doesn't stall, but for training purposes, we have to be taught on how to recover from it if it ever happens.

First, we brought the plane to stall in Normal Law. As we get nearer to the stall speed, an audio warning will be activated followed by the engines spooling up by the computer to bring the aircraft away from the stall speed. Then with Alternate Law, we went for the real stall with recovery. Back in the C172 days, we were taught to lower the nose and apply full power in a parallel motion. However, doing so in the A320 will cause the aircraft to go into a deeper stall which probably will be impossible to recover. What we had to do is to lower the nose immediately to see and increase in the speed trend. Once that is achieved, apply toga power and raise the nose higher to slow down the altitude loss until the plane is able to maintain altitude and the thrust can be reduced.

The session ended with approach using ILS guidance, which totally threw me off balance. After getting some hang on doing a full visual approach with no instrument aids, the ILS got me all confused with my scanning. Not that I've not flown ILS approaches before, but the way it's being portrayed on the PFD in the A320 is different from what I'm used to in the C172. That, plus my lacklustre landing skills, ended up with a very poor landing performance from me.

The same issue I've been facing all along; the trouble with getting the correct amount of aileron and anticipation still hounding me. It was so disappointing to see myself flying like this, snaking left/right and unable to get it right. The saving grace was the instructor giving me another two chances at it after both my other sim partners had finished their PF training. And having done the observation on how they did it better than me, I did much better and felt relieved.

I need to land better.

F1 race in Singapore this weekend is now sponsored by Singapore Airlines, and their iconic Singapore Girls were being used as "race queens".. Haha, I was expecting shorter skirts maybe??