Author Topic: OT. A320 Full Auto landing  (Read 7603 times)

Offline Tom56

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« on: January 30, 2006, 12:58:42 PM »
Hi all, I just returned from vacation yesterday and had to share this little story. Coming into CYYZ the pilot announced it was time for a once per month check of the auto landing system. Needless to say my brother who has only flown on a plane once before just about crapped his pants at that news. I never laughed so hard. The look of terror on his face was priceless. The landing was very smooth in spite of the rain and very low visibility. He still thinks the pilot was just kidding, hehehehee.  :lol:



Offline The Hoffspatcher

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2006, 02:06:14 AM »
I was on the 747-400 last month and was talking to the guy next to me, I told him about how the plane can land itself and that it can fly on only two engines and so on

Same thing, the look of shear terror on his face was funny  :lol:

Its sick I know!

Offline Kalpazan

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2006, 05:41:00 AM »
Unless a weather is really bad (strong winds, etc) using an auto-land system is pretty safe and reliable to use. Of ocurse pilots are closely monitoring it and ready to take-over the controls at any time should something goes abnormal. Nothing to worry about :-)

Offline DTAK

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2006, 12:03:48 PM »
Since I've been listening to KSEA the last couple of week, I hear the autoland call in the evenings, when the traffic is slower, good conditions.

A couple of nights ago Southwest asked about using the autoland and the controller said they'd kept the ILS nicely tuned that night "just for YOU"  

chuckles all around

Offline Tomato

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2006, 01:57:56 PM »
Does autoland use the ILS?  I remember a clip being posted a while ago with of a Boeing (test) aircraft landing with a very big crosswind.  Maybe it was autoland...not sure.  :)

Offline Kalpazan

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2006, 03:00:43 PM »
An auto-land system always uses ILS and two or three auto-pilot computers enabled. There are other restrictions I beleive that it must be CATII at least and so on.

Offline n57flyguy

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2006, 05:35:28 PM »
Check out Xwind landings in atc audio, we beleive that is auto land.

Offline Vince717

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2006, 11:30:46 PM »
I asked a Sothwest Pilot on the Airliners.net forums about the use of Autoland by Southwest Airlines and this was his reply.

Southwest does not have autoland. We have a head's up display that the captain uses for low minimum takeoffs and Cat III approaches to 50 feet. The system does both and costs less than what autland requires.

I was recently on a United Airbus A320 flight and when we landed in Albany, NY I asked the pilot on the way off the plane if they used the Autoland feature very often. His reply was that they could not use it at Albany Airport as they did not have the proper level of systems there to do an autoland. He did say they use Autoland often at Airports that have the proper systems to do Autolands.

From what I have read I beleive Autoland relies a lot on a very accurate ILS System at the landing Airport.

Vince

Offline DTAK

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OT. A320 Full Auto landing
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2006, 12:36:45 PM »
Southwest does not have autoland.

I guess I mis-heard[/b]