Airbus A350 Flightdeck Introduction

The Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) consists of the Primary Flight Display (PFD) and Navigation Display (ND) and the display options can be adjusted with the EFIS Control Panel (EFIS CP). Here is an abbreviated list of what each display is showing to you:

Primary Flight Display (PFD):

• Attitude Indicator, Heading/Track
• Airspeed, Altitude, Vertical Speed
• Autopilot Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA)
• Bottom Memo area
• Taxi camera (on desktop versions only)

Navigation Display (ND):

• Heading/Track, Ground Speed (GS), True Airspeed (TAS)
• Moving map with navigation route (flight-plan), airports, nav-aids, optional fix info
• VOR/ADF bearing needles and distances to station
• Vertical Display (VD) showing a cross section of the path ahead
• Airport Navigation Function (ANF), airport moving map

• Rotate the ND mode knob to NAV, ARC or PLAN
• Rotate the ND range knob to the ZOOM setting to display the Airport Navigation Function (ANF)

When you are on the ground a map for the current airport is now display. The map includes the runways, the tarmac, buildings/terminals and parking positions. Runways which are included in the flight plan (navigation route) are highlighted in green and runways manually selected for landing are in cyan. If you taxi close to a runway and are about to enter it the runway is also highlighted to bring this to the flight crew’s attention.

In the PLAN mode you can drag the map and also select the desired runway exit for your landing. The auto-brake function BTV (brake to vacate) can then be used to decelerate the aircraft just in time to vacate the runway at the desired position. This is described in more detail below.

• Press the TAXI pushbutton to display the taxi camera on the PFD (this is available on desktop versions only)
• Rotate the ND mode knob to NAV, ARC or PLAN
• Rotate the ND range knob to the ZOOM setting to display the Airport Navigation Function (ANF)

The bottom half of the Primary Flight Display (PFD) is a memo area which shows

• Flap, slat, spoiler, gear selection and position
• Parking brake and pitch/rudder trims display
• Most important ECAM warnings/cautions and limitations

• Rotate the ND range knob to adjust the Navigation Display (ND) range between 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 or 640NM.

Available options are

• CSTR - route speed and altitude constraint texts next to the route waypoints
• ARPT - airports
• WPT / VORD / NDB (only one at a time): All waypoints, VOR-Stations or NDB-Stations
• VOR1/ADF1 and VOR2/ADF2 bearing needles (raw data bearing needle to currently tuned station)
• WX / TERR (only one at a time): Weather and Terrain Radar (currently not implemented)
• TRAF: Nearby aircraft traffic (currently not implemented)

The Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) can be useful for raw-data navigation and shows a top down view of the Localizer or VOR beam in relation to the aircraft’s current heading and position.

• Rotate the ND mode selector to ILS or VOR to see the HSI mode
• On the MFD select the Position/Navaids page by using the drop down menu at the top or by pressing the short-cut key “NAV AIDS”.
• On the MFD Position/Navaids page enter the VOR, ADF or ILS frequencies of the station and the course you want to use
• Set the bearing needle selection to VOR/ADF as desired

After the Onboard Information System (OIS) has booted the OIS Menu is shown. This page provides quick access to the EFB and Avionics programs of the OIS.

• Press the EFB button on the left to go to the EFB initialization page
• Press the ENROUTE button to get to the Enroute Map and skip the initialization process (can also be done later)

Next to the OIS screen you can also find a switch which can be used to toggle between the active EFB and Avionics programs of the OIS.

After selecting the EFB init page from the OIS Menu, or by clicking the aircraft registration button in the quick-menu, you can verify or change the origin, destination airport and flight number of the OIS. This does not affect the FMS flight plan and only the on-side display.

• Press the SYNCHRO AVIONICS button to copy the FMS origin, destination, alternate and flight number to the OIS.
• Adjust or change the FROM/TO and FLIGHT NUMBER fields as needed
• Press the INIT button to begin initialize the flight

On the EFB pages you find a quick access strip at the top and a menu button on the left.

• Click the menu button to display a dropdown menu of all available EFB programs
• Click on one of the items of the menu to display that program

or

• Click on any of the buttons on the top menu quick access to switch to that program

Select the Takeoff Performance (T.O PERF) from the quick menu at the top of the screen or from the dropdown menu. Now we can fill in the data for the takeoff performance calculation.

Click on the entry field on the left that you want to change. A pop-up window appears that allows you to type in the data. When the entry is finished press the button “Next” to validate the entry and move to the next step or press “Done” to only verify the data but to stay on the current entry.

• Verify the departure airport and runway and change them if needed.
• Enter the Wind speed, e.g. 090/5 for wind from the East with 5kt. Enter ‘0’ to set wind to calm.

• Enter the Outside Air Temperature (OAT), e.g. 15°C and QNH of 1013hPa
• On the RWY COND dropdown select the appropriate runway condition (e.g. DRY or WET)
• Select Anti-Ice (A-ICE) off if conditions permit
• Enter the Takeoff Weight (TOW), currently 233.0t for the A350-1000 and 347.7t for the A380
• On the takeoff thrust (T.O THRUST) select TOGA/FLX and type in e.g. 55°C for the (assumed) flexible temperature.
• Select the climb thrust (CLB THRUST) to “Auto-derated Climb” in the A350 or just “CLB” in the A380
• Select the takeoff flap configuration (T.O CONF)
• Set the air conditioning (AIR COND) to off if the runway is long enough for a reduced thrust takeoff

When all necessary data has been inserted the COMPUTE button in the lower left corner becomes available.

• Click the button to compute the takeoff performance margins

On the center of the screen the takeoff flap configuration (CONF), takeoff thrust (FLEX…), V-Speeds (V1, VR, V2) and other data is displayed.

On the right hand side the runway is drawn with the accelerate-stop-distance (ASD) and available stop margin.

Select the landing performance from the quick menu at the top of the screen or from the dropdown menu. Now we can fill in the data for the landing performance calculation.

Data entry works identical to the takeoff performance page.

• Verify the destination airport and runway and change them if needed.
• Enter the Wind speed, e.g. 270/5 for wind from the West with 5kt. Enter ‘0’ to set wind to calm.

• Enter the Outside Air Temperature (OAT), e.g. 15°C and QNH of 1013hPa
• On the RWY COND dropdown select the appropriate runway condition (e.g. DRY or WET)
• Enter the Landing Weight (LW), currently 233.0t for the A350-1000 and 347.7t for the A380
• Set the Landing Center of Gravity (LDG CG%) to 32.5% for the A350-1000 and 39.5% for the A380 respectively.
• Select the landing flap configuration (LDG CONF), air conditioning (AIR COND), Anti-Ice (A-ICE), Approach Type, etc.

When all necessary data has been inserted the COMPUTE button in the lower left corner becomes available.

• Click the button to compute the landing performance margins

On the center of the screen the landing flap configuration (CONF), approach speed (VAPP) and maximum landing weight (MLW) for the current performance data is displayed.

On the right hand side the runway is drawn with the landing distance (LD), factored landing distance (Factored LD) and margin.

You can move the OIS display to the lower center display to share it with the other pilot.

• In the pedestal press the CAPT OIS ON CENTER button to move the Captain OIS to the center display.
• Similarly you can move the first officer OIS to the center display using the F/O OIS ON CENTER.

These two cannot be active at the same time, so the currently active OIS on center needs to be moved back to the outboard display first by pressing the respective button again (blue ON light turns off).

To access the enroute map press the ENROUTE button on the OIS menu, select the route-icon on the top quick-menu strip or select the ENROUTE from the OIS drop down menu.

• The map can be moved around by dragging it with the finger or mouse cursor.
• Use the plus and minus buttons on the side menu to adjust the display range

After moving the map or changing the zoom the map no longer follows the aircraft and auto-zoom is disabled.

To resume the auto-following and auto-zoom

• Press the circular button in the top left/right corner
• Press the button with magnifier glass that is surrounded by a rectangular dashed line.

When the function is active the button illuminates in blue.

On the side menu you can switch between the airports that you have selected in the OIS, usually the origin, destination and alternate airport.

After the EFB initialization the terminal chart clip is empty and we need to select the charts first.

• Click on the Airport menu button and select the airport that you want to edit
• Click the Chart button and select “Clip Management”

In the Terminal Chart Clip Management menu we can add or remove charts to the charts clipboard.

• On the left side you can select filters to reduce the number of charts in the list
• To add a chart from the left column to the active right hand clip side simply press the ADD button.
• You can remove charts from the active clip on the right by pressing the DELETE button next to it.
• When finished press the DONE button in the lower right.

Back on the Terminal Charts display we can now quickly switch between the charts that we pinned to our digital clipboard.

• If you need to switch the airport then press the Airport button again as shown earlier and select the correct airport
• When you press on the Clip button you can now select between the charts in your charts clip.

Note At the time of writing this tutorial the chart display itself is not fully implemented.

When the Flight Warning Computer (FWC) detects an aircraft system fault it can display a red warning or an amber caution right away or choose to delay the display until the aircraft enters a more appropriate flight phase.

• Click on the flashing red Master Warning or amber Master Caution light to reset the warning or caution light and sound. If you have the assistance for auto-warnings enabled then this happens automatically after a few seconds.
• Read the text message on the ECAM display and follow the ECAM actions on the screen
• When the ECAM action has a small checkbox on the left side then the action has to be confirmed manually by clicking on the screen or by clicking the checkmark on the ECAM control panel in the pedestal
• Some ECAM actions are automatically checked when the action has been completed

When all steps have been completed the caution or warning might disappear on its own or you need to manually clear the fault:

• Click on the blue CLEAR text label on the ECAM screen or
• Click the highlighted CLR button in the pedestal, on the ECAM control panel.

On the left side of the screen the System Display (SD) is located which displays the aircraft system pages. In normal operation the System Display (SD) switches automatically to present the most relevant page. Before starting the engines the door page is shown, during engine start and during takeoff the engine page is displayed. During taxi, if the flight controls are deflected the flight control page is displayed and during cruise the cruise page is visible, showing an overview. Prior to landing the landing gear page is displayed.

If there is an ECAM caution or warning then the associated System Display (SD) is displayed, which overrides the normal page selection or any previous manual page selection.

Pilots can manually select any system page at any time. The buttons for page selection are located in the pedestal but in Aerofly FS we also provide clickspots on the screen for easier navigation.

• Click one of the page buttons in the ECAM control panel to display a System Display, or
• Rotate the SD page knob, to display the SD page matrix, select a page and confirm by pressing the knob in, or
• Click on the bottom area of the System Display to display the SD page matrix and select the page from there.
• Press the same button again or click on the same area on the SD page matrix a second time or push the SD page knob in to deselect the page and resume normal automatic page display

After all cautions or warnings have been cleared the ECAM Status page appears if there are any remaining issues with the aircraft that affect the aircraft’s operational capabilities or performance for approach and landing.

• You can manually display this page at any time by clicking the STS button in the ECAM control panel.
• At the bottom of the ECAM page you can also click the small white STS reminder to display this page

If no issues are detected then a green NORMAL is visible on the center of the screen and the page disappears after a few seconds. However, if there are systems currently inoperative then the ECAM Status page lists them in the appropriate column.

To remove the status page from view:

• Click the STS button in the ECAM control panel in the pedestal or
• Press the CLR button to clear the Status page, same panel.

On some of the system pages there are more clickspots available to make it more user friendly. For example: On the CAB PRESS page you can toggle the pressurization mode directly by clicking on the AUTO/MAN label on the screen and adjust the target cabin altitude (see below). On the VIDEO page you can switch the camera video feed by clicking on the menu strip buttons, or using the video knob in the ECAM control panel.

On the right side of the ECAM the ECAM memo is displayed. It shows currently relevant information and memos for increased situational awareness. The most critical items such as autopilot, autothrust or autobrake disengagement as well as current limitations are displayed on the Primary Flight Display (PFD) Memo as well.

On the ECAM the takeoff checklist is automatically displayed after engine start. If you see any amber caution or red warning instead of the checklist check if you can fix the inoperative system or clear the caution/warning by clicking the CLEAR label on screen or by pressing the illuminated CLR button in the pedestal (aft of the engine ignition).

• Check that there are no cyan (“no blue”) items are remaining, apart from T.O CONFIG TEST.
• On the pedestal ECAM control panel press the T.O CONFIG test button.

The checklist should now be all green, “no blue”. If a caution or warning has appeared you can clear it by clicking the CLEAR text on the screen or by pressing the CLR buttons on the ECAM control panel. Follow the instructions that the caution or warning gives you to prevent the warning from showing up again during takeoff.

When you accidentally move the control inputs when the autopilot is engaged then it disengages and a red master warning is triggered. To acknowledge this disengagement of the autopilot and to take manual control:

• Press the red takeover button on the sidestick

To disengage the autopilot correctly:

• Press the red takeover button twice in quick succession. Once to take control and a second time to mute the warning sound and clear the warning.

When you see the caution Caution A-ICE WING SYS FAULT and AIR PACK 1+2 FAULT before engine start then this is normal. If you have the APU running you should turn on the APU BLEED now, so that the Pneumatic Air Conditioning Kits (PACKs) can operate as well as the wing anti-ice system.

If needed start the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) first:

• Set APU MASTER SW pushbutton to ON
• Press the APU START pushbutton

When the APU has started then APU START button shows a green AVAIL light.

• Set the APU BLEED switch to ON

When the speed brake lever is not in the retracted or arm position then an ECAM caution is triggered depending on the flight phase.

• Retract the speed brake lever (SPD BRK)

Caution GND SPRLs NOT ARMED

During the approach, below 500ft radar altitude, if the ground spoilers have not been armed yet an ECAM caution pops up to remind the pilots to arm them.

• Tap or click on the SPD BRK lever to arm the ground spoilers

If you are flying without a route, or without a destination airport set then the automatic cabin pressurization system then does not know to which cabin altitude it needs to pressurize, so manual control is required.

If the cockpit assistance feature is enabled then this is handled for you, but if you have switched that assistance off you now need to take action.

When the amber caution CAB PRESS LDG ELEVN FAULT is shown:

• In the overhead panel select CABIN ALT MODE to MAN. You can also click on the label on the System Display (SD) for cabin pressurization as a shortcut.
• In the overhead rotate the CABIN ALT TRGT knob to set the target cabin altitude. You can also use the mouse wheel or drag the finger over the system display.
• Click on the CLEAR text or use the ECAM panel CLR button in the pedestal to clear the caution

Keep the altitude at around 6000ft during cruise and then set it to your landing airport field elevation when you start to descent.

When the angle of attack (alpha) is approaching a stall condition then the auto-thrust system turns on automatically in the ALPHA FLOOR (A.FLOOR) mode and commands full TOGA thrust to prevent the stall. When the angle of attack reduces again or when the pilot holds the side-stick forward for about one second to recover from the stall then the mode switches from A.FLOOR to TOGA LOCK (TOGA LK). During TOGA LK the TOGA thrust is kept until you manually move your thrust levers.

Notice that the active thrust mode on the flight mode annunciator (FMA) is now A.FLOOR or TOGA LK boxed in an amber color and flashing. On the engine display (upper ECAM) you can see an amber pulsating A.FLOOR or TOGA LK text.

• Push the nose down to recover from the approaching stall
• Add full TOGA thrust manually

When stall condition has been recovered - Move thrust levers to CLB

Note - You can cancel the A.FLOOR and TOGA LK modes by moving the thrust levers to idle or by pushing the instinctive auto-thrust disconnect buttons on the thrust levers. A.FLOOR won’t trigger again until the stall has been recovered and a new stall occurs.

When your thrust levers are below the CLB detent your maximum engine thrust is limited to your thrust lever position and auto-thrust cannot command more thrust. In this case LVR CLB is also flashing in the FMA and SPEED/THR CLB/THR IDLE is shown.

• Move your thrust lever to the climb (CLB) detent

Note - In case one engine is off the message shows LVR MCT and you should move the levers to the FLX/MCT detent instead.

When you see one of the following ECAM cautions:

• NAV CAPT & F/O BARO VALUE DISAGREE
• NAV CAPT & F/O BARO REF DISAGREE
• NAV ISIS BARO VALUE DISAGREE
• NAV ISIS BARO REF DISAGREE

Check that all three altimeters use the same reference (QNH/STD) and are set to the same pressure setting value (QNH) and the the captain and first officer use the same barometric unit (hPa or InHg).

When the cabin altitude rises above 14,000ft a red master warning is triggered and the aircraft attempts a fully automatic emergency descent. On the ECAM we see the “AUTO FLT EMER DESCENT” warning and on the Primary Flight Display (PFD) there is a red text “AUTO EMER DES IN …” counting down to the automatic emergency descent engagement.

To manually arm and engage the EMER DES mode:

• Press the EMER DES pushbutton in the pedestal, next to the speed brake lever.
• Pull the speed brake lever above 50% deflection to engage the emergency descent.

To cancel the auto emergency descent (if not already active):

• Press the flashing EMER DES pushbutton in the pedestal twice. Once to arm manual mode, once to disarm it again. No blue light should remain, then the descent is disarmed.

After the countdown the auto emergency descent starts and the red text on the PFD changes to “AUTO EMER DES ENGAGED”. The autopilot and auto-thrust engage and the autopilot switches to HDG mode and flies away from the previous navigation route and tries to fly a lateral offset of roughly 3NM. The selected altitude changes to FL100 or the Minimum Off-Route Altitude (MORA), which ever is higher, and the EMER DES vertical mode engages. The speed brake automatically deploys, which can be seen as a green “SPD BRK AUTO EXT” on the PFD memo. The autopilot pitches down and aims for a very high airspeed to increase the descent rate as much as possible.

If the emergency descent was initiated manually, by pulling the speed brake lever, then the red label on the PFD is not shown and the speed brake matches the manually commanded position.

Once the emergency descent is activated you can disengage it at any time by selecting a different autopilot mode, e.g. press the ALT button to perform a level off and pull the HDG knob and rotate it to set the desired heading again.

To switch from the automatic emergency descent mode to the manual emergency descent mode you only need to pull the speed brake lever to confirm the descent. Then the AUTO EMER DES ENGAGED text disappears.

On the System Display (SD) the CAB PRESS page is displayed, where you can monitor the cabin altitude and cabin rate during the descent.

After reaching the selected altitude the autopilot captures it and the speed brake is retracted. The selected airspeed is reduced to the green dot airspeed to decrease the total energy of the aircraft, which makes a successive descents shorter.

When the altitude is captured the vertical mode changes to ALT and the red text at the center of the PFD changes to “AUTO EMER DES COMPLETED”.

At the right bottom of the PFD, in the memo area, we can see a new limitation, reminding the pilots that no climb should be attempted at this time, because the pressurization of the aircraft has failed and oxygen may not be sufficient at higher altitudes. Consider diverting and keep the descent rates low, because the cabin altitude might match the actual altitude now.

After takeoff, when you are in the air with the auto-thrust system turned on, you should keep the thrust levers in the CLB detent throughout the flight. When the thrust levers are above the CLB detent you are commanding manual thrust and you can see a LVR CLB message blinking in the FMA and MAN THR is shown.

• Move your thrust lever to the climb (CLB) detent

Note - In case one engine is off the message shows LVR MCT and you should move the levers to the FLX/MCT detent instead.

When your thrust levers are below the CLB detent your maximum engine thrust is limited to your thrust lever position and auto-thrust cannot command more thrust. In this case LVR CLB is also flashing in the FMA and SPEED/THR CLB/THR IDLE is shown.

• Move your thrust lever to the climb (CLB) detent

Note - In case one engine is off the message shows LVR MCT and you should move the levers to the FLX/MCT detent instead.

During landing, shortly before touching down, a callout is made to remind you to close the thrust levers and set them to IDLE. The callout “RETARD, RETARD” is repeated until you have reduced thrust to idle or triggered a go-around.

During automatic landing (auto-land) the callout activates at 10 feet above the ground and during manual landing the callout comes on at 20 feet.

• Pull the thrust lever to IDLE

During takeoff, when the aircraft accelerates past the V1 speed, the takeoff decision airspeed, a callout “V1” can be heard. From this point on the takeoff can no longer be aborted safely because the remaining runway can be too short to stop.

• Release the thrust levers and continue the takeoff

During landing, when the auto brake (A/BRK) is used, a callout “AUTO BRAKE OFF” is played when the auto brake disengages or is disarmed unintentionally.

• An associated ECAM caution and PFD memo message is shown which lasts for a couple of seconds
• You can cancel the caution by pressing the instinktive takeover button on the thrust levers. This button can also be used to disengage the auto brake during landing, but not during rejected takeoff.

Hint: If you press the instinctive takeover button on the thrust levers twice in quick succession then the auto brake disengages and no callout sound is played.

When the flaps are extended and you are below 2000 feet above the ground the aircraft monitors if your aircraft is getting too low on energy or too slow. When your flight path cannot be maintained with current engine thrust, e.g. you are getting dangerously low on airspeed and are approaching a stall condition, then the aircraft issues a “SPEED, SPEED” callout.

• Immediately increase thrust and lower the nose to pick up speed

The reason for this occurrence could be that you accidentally turned off the auto-thrust. Make sure that if you are flying manually that the auto-thrust is controlling airspeed by pulling the vertical speed knob.

When the auto-thrust system is active the minimum target airspeed for the A/THR is kept above the velocity low speed (VLS), a.k.a. velocity lowest selectable. The VLS is shown on the airspeed tape as a thin yellow line and it is based on flap setting, spoiler position and aircraft weight. The VLS is the first defense against a stall in an Airbus and it allows a level flight turn up to about 30 degrees without getting into the stall protection zone.

• Select a higher flap setting to decelerate further
• Retract speedbrakes to increase the stall margin
• Increase the selected airspeed above the VLS

During the approach phase the aircraft tries to maintain a constant ground speed to avoid a low energy situation after a wind gust suddenly decreases.

When an unexpected headwind is encountered the target airspeed automatically increases so that the aircraft maintains the same ground speed as before the wind gust.

When the wind gust is over or when the wind speed decreases then the target airspeed reduces to the default approach speed.

To avoid excessive airspeed for sustained winds the pilots need to insert wind speed on the MFD PERF APPR page into the MAG WIND field. The Aerofly FS assistance usually automatically does this for you when you set the aircraft to the final approach position or when cockpit assistance is turned on.

When the angle of attack (alpha) is approaching a stall condition then the auto-thrust system turns on automatically in the ALPHA FLOOR (A.FLOOR) mode and commands full TOGA thrust to prevent the stall. When the angle of attack reduces again or when the pilot holds the side-stick forward for about one second to recover from the stall then the mode switches from A.FLOOR to TOGA LOCK (TOGA LK). During TOGA LK the TOGA thrust is kept until you manually move your thrust levers.

Notice that the active thrust mode on the flight mode annunciator (FMA) is now A.FLOOR or TOGA LK boxed in an amber color and flashing. On the engine display (upper ECAM) you can see an amber pulsating A.FLOOR or TOGA LK text.

• Push the nose down to recover from the approaching stall
• Add full TOGA thrust manually

When stall condition has been recovered - Move thrust levers to CLB

Note - You can cancel the A.FLOOR and TOGA LK modes by moving the thrust levers to idle or by pushing the instinctive auto-thrust disconnect buttons on the thrust levers. A.FLOOR won’t trigger again until the stall has been recovered and a new stall occurs.

When you hear a “Tick Tick Tick” (Triple Click, Triple Ticking sound) in the cockpit then the autopilot is trying to get your attention. Look at the flight mode annunciator (FMA) and check if any mode or indication is boxed in white or amber.

Some of the conditions that trigger the attention getter sound:

1. The lateral navigation is lost and the aircraft reverted to heading select
2. The vertical mode changed on its own without pilot action
3. The approach capability downgraded, e.g. after disconnecting the autopilot or auto-thrust
4. The selected vertical speed is excessive and the autopilot cannot maintain the selected vertical speed

• Double check the active modes and selected values and change them if needed

With the vertical speed mode (V/S) engaged the aircraft tries to pitch for the selected vertical speed target. This affects the airspeed and if climb thrust is not enough to stay above the stall speed or when even at idle thrust the aircraft still speeds up above the maximum allowed airspeed, then the vertical speed mode starts flashing in amber color on the FMA. The autopilot issues a triple clicking sound “Tick Tick Tick” and adjusts the vertical speed target to stay within the safe airspeed envelope.

• Check your airspeed and adjust the vertical speed target
• Increase thrust or increase drag if needed

During an ILS approach pilots should select the ILS needle display with their EFIS controller. If the autopilot is armed to intercept the localizer or is already capturing it then an amber “ILS” is flashing on the primary flight display (PFD) in the lower right corner of the attitude indicator to remind pilots to turn on the landing system display.

• Push the LS button on the EFIS controller to turn on the landing system display

When the active lateral mode can no longer be maintained then the autopilot reverts to the basic mode HDG. This change triggers the attention getter triple clicking sound (“Tick Tick Tick”) and the flight director lateral steering bar is flashing on and off. The lateral mode on the FMA is boxed in white and flashes for several seconds.

Reasons why this happened:

1. The NAV mode was active but you flew too far off the planned course or flew over the end of the flight plan
2. The LOC mode was active and the localizer signal was lost

• Verify the active lateral and vertical modes and change them as desired

When the active vertical mode can no longer be maintained then it automatically reverts to another mode. You can hear the attention getter triple click “Tick Tick Tick” and the vertical command bar of the flight director flashes on and off. The vertical mode on the FMA is boxed in white and flashes for several seconds.

Reasons why this has happened:

1. You pulled the heading knob when the G/S, CLB, DES, ALT CST or other modes where active which require the LOC or NAV lateral modes
2. You rotated the altitude knob when the autopilot was in the altitude capture phase (ALT* or ALT CST*)

• Adjust the altitude and pull the altitude knob if you wish to use OP CLB or OP DES modes
• Adjust the altitude and pull the vertical speed knob to set vertical speed mode

Note - If you have NAV or LOC mode engaged and CLB/DES or G/S active you can pull the heading knob and immediately after confirm the automatic change to OP CLB or V/S by pulling the respective buttons to prevent the attention getter and mode flashing.

When an ILS is flown with the LOC and G/S mode they combine to the LAND mode below 400 feet above the ground. When the localizer or glide slope signals are lost or when deviations become excessive or then the autopilot is turned off below 200 feet then a red AUTO LAND indicator flashes in the glareshield.

The automatic landing is no longer possible and the landing should be aborted unless you have the runway in sight and can take manual control.

• Take manual control if you have the runway in sight
• Otherwise perform a go-around by moving the thrust levers to TOGA

During cruise the navigation display displays the point at which you need to start descending (the top of descent, TOD) in form of a white arrow pointing down and right. That is the point at which the descent should be initiated. When you have flown past the top of descent point (TOD) then a white DECELERATE text is written on the primary flight display (PFD) reminding you that you should descent or slow down at least.

• Initiate the descent by selecting a lower altitude and pushing the altitude knob in or pulling it

Hint - The green dot on the altitude tape indicates the planned target altitude for the managed descent.

During the descent the flight management system computes the optimal vertical profile to meet all altitude constraints along the route. When the aircraft is too high and cannot descent in time for the next altitude constraint then a “EXT SPD BRK” message is shown to the pilot.

• Extend the speedbrake to descent quicker

Hint - On the navigation display a blue saw-tooth arrow points at the location where the vertical profile will be intercepted with half deflected speedbrakes.

When the speed brake lever is not in the retracted or arm position then an ECAM caution is triggered depending on the flight phase.

• Retract the speed brake lever (SPD BRK)

Caution GND SPRLs NOT ARMED

During the approach, below 500ft radar altitude, if the ground spoilers have not been armed yet an ECAM caution pops up to remind the pilots to arm them.

• Tap or click on the SPD BRK lever to arm the ground spoilers

If you are flying without a route, or without a destination airport set then the automatic cabin pressurization system then does not know to which cabin altitude it needs to pressurize, so manual control is required.

If the cockpit assistance feature is enabled then this is handled for you, but if you have switched that assistance off you now need to take action.

When the amber caution CAB PRESS LDG ELEVN FAULT is shown:

• In the overhead panel select CABIN ALT MODE to MAN. You can also click on the label on the System Display (SD) for cabin pressurization as a shortcut.
• In the overhead rotate the CABIN ALT TRGT knob to set the target cabin altitude. You can also use the mouse wheel or drag the finger over the system display.
• Click on the CLEAR text or use the ECAM panel CLR button in the pedestal to clear the caution

Keep the altitude at around 6000ft during cruise and then set it to your landing airport field elevation when you start to descent.

The altitude alert is a continuous chime that plays a C-Chord note and flashes the altitude window on the primary flight display. The alert is triggered when the aircraft has not levelled off at the selected altitude and has flown through it or deviated from the selected altitude after a while. This alert is designed to get the attention of the pilots to monitor their altitude.

Reasons why this happens

1. You are in a steep descent and select an altitude very close to the current altitude. The altitude capture mode engages but the aircraft cannot pitch down in time with the maximum vertical g-load limits and overshoots the target altitude
2. You are flying manually and did not level off at the selected altitude or deviated after capturing it

• Push the master caution button to mute the altitude alert sound
• Fly back to the selected altitude or change the selected altitude

Note - A brief (about one second) c-chord can be heard and the altitude window flashes in yellow when you are approaching the target altitude and the autopilot is not flying. This is a reminder for the pilots to start leveling off now

When climbing to the cruising altitude you should switch to the standard pressure setting when passing through the transition altitude of the departure airport. Similarly during the descent you should switch back to local QNH pressure setting when you are descending through the transition level on the way to your destination airport.

When you have not switched to STD pressure setting above the transition altitude during climb the pressure setting starts flashing.

• Push the pressure setting knob on the EFIS control panel to set standard pressure barometric reference (Std)

During the descent when you have not switched back to QNH below the transition level the pressure setting also starts flashing.

• Pull the pressure setting knob on the EFIS control panel to set QNH barometric reference
• Rotate the pressure setting knob to set the local pressure setting

Hint - Pushing/Pulling has the reverse action in the A350/A380 than in the A320. In the U.S. the transition altitude and transition level are 18,000ft but in Europe these values change depending on the weather and airport surroundings. Naturally you can find higher transition altitudes near mountainous terrain where it is important that aircraft know the correct height relative to mountains in the area.

When you see one of the following ECAM cautions:

• NAV CAPT & F/O BARO VALUE DISAGREE
• NAV CAPT & F/O BARO REF DISAGREE
• NAV ISIS BARO VALUE DISAGREE
• NAV ISIS BARO REF DISAGREE

Check that all three altimeters use the same reference (QNH/STD) and are set to the same pressure setting value (QNH) and the the captain and first officer use the same barometric unit (hPa or InHg).

Each approach has a minimum altitude that you are allowed to descent to or a minimum height above the ground at which you are required to have visual contact with the runway or approach lighting system. The minimum descent altitude (MDA) is a barometric altitude entered in the MCDU and the decision height (DH) is a radar altitude value also entered in the MCDU.

When the aircraft descents below these minimum altitudes then the primary flight display shows a flashing “DH”.

• If you see the runway continue the approach, disconnect the autopilot if it’s not an ILS autoland
• If you cannot see the runway: perform a go-around by moving the thrust levers to TOGA

Approach markers are radio beacons with a limited range that are installed along the final approach course for a runway. The outer marker (OM), middle marker (MM) and inner marker (IM) are displayed in the lower right corner of the attitude indicator and blink or flash when the aircraft flies over it. This is an information for the pilot that they are approaching the runway.

If you know the approach markers are installed on a runway and are working then you can double-check the distance to the threshold with these approach markers.