Got some questions I’m sure some of you will be able to answer.
I was flying earlier today in the A320 with the MCDU setup for Heathrow on runway 27R. As I was closing in on the airport ATC tells me that I’m clear for runway 09L. So I typed that in the MCDU and the aircraft decides to make a full 360 turn and lined itself on the path again which really didn’t change until much later for the new runway. It was the second time it happened so I thought I should ask about it. Any particular reason for this?
And how do I fill in the Approach page in the MCDU. Are there some kind of websites with charts etc. I can have a look at. Can’t really find anything when it comes to performance calculations.
Another question I have is about the flaps during takeoff. I usually takeoff with flaps 2 because the first one only extends the slats. Maybe there is something to that. You guys can let me know. But when I reach about 1500 ft. and pull back to the CL detent the engines goes down to idle until the aircraft reaches like somewhere below 150 airspeed. If I retract the flaps the engines immediately spool up and the aircraft reaches 250 airspeed. Am I missing something?
One last question. Is the APU bleed turned on after landing?
In Airbus A320, flaps 1+F corresponds to two configurations with one flap lever position. If you choose flaps 1 for take off from the flap lever, you will see both the flaps and the slats move out from the wings. After a take off in 1+F configuration, you will reach a speed called S speed (the minimum speed for slat retraction). This is shown to the pilot in the air speed tape of the primary flight display.
Once the speed goes above the S speed, the pilot flying would call for flaps zero. If the flap lever is not positioned to zero for some reason, the flaps are retracted automatically when speed goes to 210 knots, which is 5 knots below the maximum speed for config 1+F. The reason for this is to avoid a flap over speed situation. The slats however remain extended. So, in this case the aircraft configuration goes from config 1+F to config 1. In this scenario, if the air speed happens to fall below 100 knots, the flaps are again deployed to keep a safe margin from a potential stall condition.
When you are on approach to land, the first flaps you call out for is flaps 1. If the flaps are selected to 1 from the flap lever, you will only see slats out in the ECAM display with flaps remaining retracted. Why this is because the same protection on take off applies here. In 1+F configuration, the flaps will deploy only when speed is below 100 knots. This is not much of an issue as 1+F is not a landing flap setting. After setting 1+F, the flaps 2 is selected below 200 knots and other two settings (flap 3 and flap full) follow during approach to land flap sequence.