Ok. So, let’s put that into context:
– You are a FR or German MPA pilot flying a brand newish A320MPA
– Flying above the North sea in poor weather conditions and low ceiling. Your altitude is 20k
– you have been tasked to visually identify a bulky payload seating under tarps on the bridge of a suspected fishing trawler apparently fleeting surface forces. Your radar have pinpointed and followed the vessel since hours when your system officer seated in the roomy Airbus cabine has asserted that multi-spectral imagery would give you a good hint on what it could be hidden there. He has requested a low flyby.
– Request sent to the area commander was granted
– With the comforting perspective of being soon RTB with a mission accomplished, you and your copilot quickly agreed on the vector and speed that will position you 1NM away from the trawler at 1000ft msl
– given the never exceed speed of the airframe, max sustainable G’s, your altitude and the tactical situation, the fact that your first officer has requested a high speed descent and flyby, you will have to initiate a long straight shallow descent limited by your limited VNE. In order to achieve that, you had to fly away from the target for some minutes before turning back toward it and beginning your shallow descent. Civilians controllers had to clear the buzzy airspace hundred of kilometers around and after a bit of chatting on open airwaves and a loss of 15 minutes, you initiate your descent.
– While emerging from a hole in the cloud layer at 5000ft/330knt, you are alerted that MANPAD are fired. Your officer in charge of the powerful defensive suite built by an European consortium orders you on comms to break starboard and dive at sea level. Her voice sounds confident. The system as she used to say have been numerously tested already on C-130s flying in Afghanistan and in other place that she can’t name.
– ” break 90° right ! Nose down to sea level!” she orders
– Yanking the mini-stick on your left side, you initiate a right banking turn and a nose down input… Soon enough, the plane hits his never exceed speed and max banking angle of 30degree. You keep pushing on the stick but the systems hold the plane in its safety flight envelope.
– “Right ! Right ! Nose down !” her now screeching voice tears you ears now
– Out of the haze you can see the missiles plumes heading toward you. Two of them slowly moving off your nose in the turn at around 30degree offset from the airplane center of axis.
– the ministick is pushed full forward hitting the right corner. Your copilot hold the throttles with both hands trying frantically to eat some more knots out of the system.
– “Right! Down!” she howled again.
– That painful sound nearly killed you in advance out of frustration… *
Probably that I should link the 320 flight manual for the reader, no?
*Alternate scenario: Right before your eyes you can see the FBW pitching up firmly your nose to avoid exceeding the VNE.
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