If I was PNF on the 753 and the other guy reached 6 degrees in the flare I would have called ‘pitch, pitch’ in accordance with TCX (ie Lufthansa) SOP’s.

Tail bumpers and usually tailstrike indicators not damage prevention devices due to the loads that can be exerted which I mentioned earlier. Redesign the back end to be able to take the force of a tailstrike as the norm and you would end up witha phenomenally heavier airframe with less payload carrying capability.

FBW doesn’t prevent tailstrikes. I don’t know why…it could be that the tolerances are just too small to be able to get a computer to be able to decide when a normal landing is about to become a tailstrike. I don’t know, I’m just guessing, I’m just the driver!

ACARS, ACP, ACMS, ADIRS, ADIRU, ADM, ADV, AEVC, AFIS, AFS, AIDS, AIME, AINS, AMJ, AMU, ANSU, AOC, APPU, ARINC, etc…

That’s just a selection of some of the acronyms starting with the letter A!!!

If this thing is as good to fly as it is difficult to learn it’ll be just great! Passed my first exam yesterday with 97%. My alarm goes off at 0640 and I work solidly through to between midnight and 0100. Weekends are similar except I work at home and don’t bother starting until about 0900. This is a rare break to let me get my head back together!

Tailstrikes occur more often on landing when pilots are trying to pull off soft touchdowns by arresting the sink rate by too much flare. Also, a sudden downdraft can cause the pilot to correct the sink rate with pitch rather than power. Now couple these with the fact that the aircraft has (in some cases quite a significant) downward motion, the main gear suspension will compress on touchdown further reducing the tail clearance. On the 757-300 the maximum allowable pitch angle in the flare was just 6 degrees before the PNF would shout at you. This is just one of many reasons why the training is so extensive.

Friend of mine has just joined them. Could be the next big thing in the Middle East…alternatively he might be knocking on easyJet’s door in 18 months! He’s given up MyTravel A330’s and a start date with Virgin for Etihad hoping for a quick command. Would I have done it? Never in a million years!

Preston, you are absolutely spot on. Of course the PR department of any airline is going to say that seats are being removed for passenger comfort, whereas the truth is that if they didn’t remove the extra seats you’d all be swimming the last 500 miles!!!

Both pilots were inexperienced on type. After engine start the bus puts a sidestick position indicator overlay onto the PFD. This is used to check flight control movement on the lower ECAM system display against sidestick deflection (not normally visible from the other guys position). It also allows the PNF to see what control inputs the PF is making on the take off roll. This display dissappears after lift off. The normal take off requires a rotation to a target pitch angle of approximately 12.5 degrees. The FO in this incident (the PF) pulled back on the stick at VR but instead of placing the aircraft symbol on the 12.5 degree up pitch line on the PFD he put the sidestick deflection cross on the 12.5 degree line. This is far too little pitch to achieve a proper rotation but did lift the nosewheel to 3-4 degrees. The FO now pushed forward to keep the sidestick on the 12.5 degree line so the nose lowered. Eventually the aircraft gained enough speed to gently fly off despite the low attitude but took out the lighting system at the far end. The captain (recently transferred from the Boeing) didn’t spot the FO’s error.

I’m delighted that after many years of Airbus forcing Boeing to be on their toes Boeing are now going to give Airbus the shove that they need to avoid complacency. A good war between manufacturers can only be good for the end user with improving products. Long may it go on (in both directions)!

Not quite sure about the term “jmc was officially left behind about a month ago”. The airline rebranded 15 months ago but the jmc package holiday brand still exists. Not aware of anything happening a month ago!