BritFlight

Airborne Weather Radar Interpretation (pdf)(2.9MB)(Honeywell) This familiarisation is targeted for aircraft equipped with Honeywell weather radar. The fundamental principles are, however, applicable to all weather radars in all aircraft.

Optimum Use of the Weather Radar   (pdf)(441kb)(AIRBUS)   The aim of this Flight Operational Briefing Note is to provide additional information about weather radar capabilities and limitations, in order to improve the flight crew’s overall understanding of the system, and to help prevent such incidents from occurring. Airbus Safety Library http://www.airbus.com/en/corporate/ethics/safety_lib/

Engineering Aspects of Cabin Air Quality (pdf)(175kb)(BOEING) This paper discusses engineering aspects of a modern commercial jet airliner environmental control system (ECS), focusing on cabin air quality. News media coverage suggests that aircraft cabin air quality is a serious concern. However, an objective review of pertinent data and comprehensive testing do not support this perception.

Getting to grips with MMEL and MEL (pdf)(8MB)(AIRBUS) The purpose of this brochure is:

• To help Airbus Operators understand the Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL) and the Minimum Equipment List (MEL)

• To explain how the Airbus MMEL is created and approved/accepted

• To provide guidance material for the creation and the use of the MEL

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) Pilot's Guide (pdf)(10.2MB)(Honeywell) The EGPWS is a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) providing basic GPWS functions plus additional enhanced terrain alerting and display features. The EGPWS uses aircraft inputs including geographic position, attitude, altitude, airspeed, and glideslope deviation. These are used with respect to internal terrain, obstacle, and airport databases to predict a potential conflict between the aircraft flight path and terrain or an obstacle. A conflict will result in the EGPWS providing a visual and audio caution or warning alert. More about EGPWS http://www.honeywell.com

The Deliberately Weak Link in the Electrical Chain (pdf)(78kb)(by Mike Murphy) Circuit breakers! They stare at you from panels at your knees, overhead, behind you or perhaps on the console between you and your crewmate. Occasionally, they trip. Just what do these humble yet hardworking devices do? What does it mean when they pop? And, just as importantly, what don’t they do? 

Continuous ignition selection in adverse weather (pdf)(80kb)(AIRBUS)    The recommendation for the selection of the continuous ignition selection in turbulence conditions has been deleted from the FCOM. This paper explains the reasons of this deletion. Here are listed, for each engine manufacturer, the instruction to be applied in case of adverse weather as far the continuous ignition is concerned.

Guidance Material and Best Practices for Fuel and Environmental Management   (pdf)(1.1MB)(IATA)   The material contained in this document represents a combination of inputs from a number of professional airline and air traffic control sources, and is written from the perspective of "aviation professional to aviation professional". Some airlines, pilots, engineers, dispatchers, and controllers may already be practicing these techniques. Others may have evaluated them and assessed that they are not suitable in their environment. IATA encourages you to review the material, to evaluate whether or not the noted procedures could be safely applied in your area, and to provide suggestions or share additional material aimed at further enhancing professional awareness of the critical importance of fuel conservation.

Getting to grips with fuel economy. Issue 4 (2004)   (pdf)(2.7MB)(AIRBUS)   The purpose of this document is to examine the influence of flight operations on fuel conservation with a view towards providing recommendations to enhance fuel economy.

Getting to grips with fuel economy. Issue 3 (2004)   (pdf)(2.3MB)(AIRBUS)   The purpose of this document is to examine the influence of flight operations on fuel conservation with a view towards providing recommendations to enhance fuel economy.

Getting to grips with fuel economy. Issue 2 (2001)  (pdf)(11.3MB)(AIRBUS)   The purpose of this document is to examine the influence of flight operations on fuel conservation with a view towards providing recommendations to enhance fuel economy. No dedicated attempt is made to identify the trade-off of fuel saved versus the other operating variables, such as cost or trip time. This is the scope of another brochure called "Getting to Grips with the Cost Index: Balancing Cost of Fuel and Cost of Time".

Fuel Conservation  (pdf)(1.15MB)(AIRBUS)

Fuel Conservation  (pdf)(3.8MB)(BOEING).   Flight Operations Engineering, Boeing commercial airplanes 2004

Fuel Conservation (DOUGLAS)   The purpose of this Flight Operations section is to define the optimum flight profile in terms of fuel used and to present the penalties encountered when deviations are made from the optimum conditions. The information contained in this section is basic to conduct of a trade-off study to arrive at a minimum cost operation, or to enable management to quantify fuel cost if a different operating formula should be adopted. This section, therefore, is written not as an operating manual, but as a guide for management to establish operating procedures.

Long Range Economy (DOUGLAS)  Fuel economy is the efficient utilization of fuel to obtain the maximum benefit from each gallon consumed. Proper fuel management therefore is not fuel conservation at any cost. Policy should be to operate at minimum cost.

Getting to grips with Cost Index   (pdf)(3.8MB)(AIRBUS)   The purpose of this brochure is to clarify the cost index as a tool aimed at achieving this flexibility with regard to Airbus aircraft performance.

Low fuel temperatures   (pdf)(1.3MB)(AIRBUS)   Basics, principles of operations and a new software tool for operational predictions.

Cold Fuel Management (pdf)(2.81MB)(BOEING)  Because of the extended flight duration and the prevalence of very cold air masses on the polar routes, the potential exists for fuel temperatures to approach the freezing point.

Fuel Imbalance (pdf)(464kb)(BOEING)   In-flight fuel imbalance occurs when the quantity of fuel between the fuel tanks in the left and right wings is unequal. A fuel imbalance can occur for many reasons, including acceptable variations in the performance of fuel system components, variations in engine fuel burn characteristics, faults in internal fuel system components, or fuel system or structural faults that cause fuel to leak overboard. Operators can avoid unnecessary dispatch delays and maintenance work by understanding the causes of in-flight fuel imbalance, proper fuel management, fuel imbalance indication, and airplane dispatch procedures following the display of fuel imbalance indications.

A310 Flight deck and systems briefing for pilots   (pfd)(8.4MB)(AIRBUS)  General, flight deck design, electrical system, APU, hydraulic system, flight controls, landing gear, fuel system, fire protection, automatic flight system, flight management system, environmental control system, EFIS, ECAM, maintenance, ground handling and communication.

A319/A320/A321 Flight deck and systems briefing for pilots   (pfd)(7.5MB)(AIRBUS)   General, flight deck layout, electrical system, hydraulic system, flight controls, landing gear, fuel system, engine controls, auxiliary power unit, automatic flight system, environmental flight system, electronic instrument system, radio management and communication, maintenance centralized fault display system.

A330 Flight deck and systems briefing for pilots   (pfd)(6.2MB)(AIRBUS)   General, flight deck layout, electrical system, hydraulic system, flight controls, landing gear, fuel system, engine controls, auxiliary power unit, automatic flight system, environmental flight system, electronic instrument system, radio management and communication, central maintenance system.

A340 Flight deck and systems briefing for pilots   (pfd)(8.4MB)(AIRBUS)   General, flight deck layout, electrical system, hydraulic system, flight controls, landing gear, fuel system, engine controls, auxiliary power unit, automatic flight system, environmental flight system, electronic instrument system, radio management and communication, central maintenance system.

A340-200/300/500/600 Family Differences Brochure    (pdf)(8.1MB)(AIRBUS)    This brochure describes the various differences between each member of the A340 Family: The A340-200/300/500/600. It is presented in modular format, whereby each chapter deals with a specific ATA chapter. Each chapter can thus be read independently of the others. Anything not covered in this brochure can be considered to be identical between the 3 variants. As such, many selections have not been reiterated. In addition, as many modifications are available on both, these similarities have been omitted. Furthermore, retrofits to the A340-200/300/500/600 standards have not been taken into account. Changes to the basic standards have, however, been included. This brochure is provided for information purposes only, and its contents will not be updated. It must not be used as an official reference. For technical data or operational procedures, please refer to the relevant Airbus Industrie documentation.

Introduction to TCAS II Version 7 (pfd)(558kb)(FAA) This booklet provides the background for a better understanding of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II) by personnel involved in the implementation and operation of TCAS II. This booklet is an update of a similar booklet published in 1990 by the FAA. This update describes TCAS II Version 7. More about ACAS: http://www.eurocontrol.int/msa/public/standard_page/ACAS_Overview.html

Optimum Use of Automation   (pdf)(210kb)(AIRBUS)   refers to the integrated and coordinated use of the following systems:

Three generations of flight guidance systems are currently in airline service, providing different levels of integration and automation.

Braking Management    (pdf)(672kb)(AIRBUS)

Managing uneven brake temperatures (pdf)(1.2MB)(BOEING)   When a twin-aisle airplane is used for short-flight operations, brakes may heat unevenly on each landing, with the difference in temperatures becoming more pronounced with repeated landings. At the gate, the brake temperature display may indicate that some brakes are hotter than others. Temperatures may continue to climb until the brake temperature light illuminates or an alert displays. Understanding the causes of uneven brake heating and the meaning of the brake temperature indication can help flight crews minimize possible departure delays. This article explains the following:

1-Factors that lead to uneven brake heating.

2-Interpretation of the brake temperature indication.

3-Flight crew action that can minimize uneven brake heating.

Combining environment protection and windshield rain protection on Airbus aircraft   (pdf)(212kb)(AIRBUS)   Windshield rain protection provides the flight crew with a clear vision through the aircraft windshield when rain is encountered. The " Rainboe " rain repellent fluid, originally used on Airbus aircraft in addition to the basic windshield wiper system, has been phased out as part of the worldwide effort to protect the Ozone layer. Airbus Industrie has been actively working on alternative solutions and is now in a position to provide the operators with a choice of environmentally friendly rain repellent fluid or windshield hydrophobic coating. This combines maximum windshield rain protection with safe guards for the environment. Airbus Safety Library http://www.airbus.com/en/corporate/ethics/safety_lib/

Cargo Fire Suppression (BOEING)   Concern over the potential for catastrophic in-flight fires in commercial airplane cargo compartments has focused attention on cargo compartments that depend on oxygen deprivation to prevent and suppress combustion (Class D compartments). Though the risk of fire in a cargo compartment is statistically very low, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a rule change to require airplanes registered in the United States to convert all Class D cargo compartments to Class C or Class E compartments by installing a smoke-detection system (Class E), fire-suppression system, or both (Class C), depending on whether the airplane is a passenger or freighter configuration. Boeing has been supplying the information and installation hardware that operators need to meet the rule change deadline of March 18, 2001.

Installation and Operational Use of Circuit Breakers     (pdf)(165kb)(BOEING)   Ever since Boeing certified the first two-crew Flight Deck configuration, the use of electrical circuit breakers (C/Bs) in published procedures has been strongly discouraged by Boeing flight operations policy and certified systems design. With two notable exceptions on the 737, the procedural pulling or cycling of C/Bs (1) by the flight crew, either on the ground or in flight, is not allowed has been an interesting and debated subject for over two decades.

Briefing Regarding the B737 Rudder  In anticipation of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) March 23^rd hearing into the Sept. 8, 1994 crash of USAir Flight 427, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) held a briefing March 11 to present details of ongoing analysis of the B737 rudder and the overall status of the RPCU retrofit program. Herewith, a transcript of remarks.

Pilot authority and aircraft protection   (pdf)(694kb)(ALPA)   This paper presents a discussion of the evolution of aircraft protection schemes and lessons learned, along with design recommendations for aircraft systems.