Technical Flights - The AIRBUS view

1. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium Flight Safety Foundation – Functional Check Flight Symposium Technical Flights - The AIRBUS view Presented by Captain Harry NELSON / Experimental Test Pilot Captain Jean-Michel ROY / Test Pilot

2. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium Why the concern with Technical Flights? • Recent incidents and accidents • We think we may be only seeing the tip of the iceberg • Our experience with Customer Acceptance Flights • Queries and questions from Customer Airlines

3. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium What we will cover today • A common sense view on Check flights • Planning and preparation • Execution • 2. Crewing • Composition • Selection • Training • 3. Technical Flight Familiarisation Course • Some thoughts on the way forward

4. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 1 Planning and Preparation Some practical things to think about Aircraft Airfield ATC and Airspace Weather Checklists Check Schedules

5. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 1 Planning and Preparation – Check Schedules Options include a. A detailed check schedule for each type of check b. A master check schedule with deletes c. We offer an “In Service Aircraft Test Manual” (ISATM) • Associate warnings and limits with check to be done • Hard limits need clear DO NOT EXCEED warnings • Avoid writing a check sequence over two pages • Make them easy to handle. Not too big or detailed

6. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 1 Planning and Preparation – Check Schedules • Production Aircraft Test Manual (PATM) • Customer Acceptance Manual (CAM) • In Service Aircraft Test Manual (ISATM )

7. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 1 Planning and Preparation – Check Schedules • Production Aircraft Test Manual (PATM) • Tests on new serial a/c after production • The purpose of the PATM is to demonstrate that the aircraft: • * conforms with the type and individual certificate to a Certificate of Airworthiness Standard • * meets its specifications, • * meets the standards of quality required for delivery • Under EASA Airbus Production Organisation Approval (POA) , accepted as such by the FAA and most other authorities.

8. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium • Customer Acceptance Manual (CAM) • The CAM is the compilation of check procedures agreed between Airbus and a Customer as part of the customer technical acceptance of a new aircraft. It is used to demonstrate technical compliance with a contract • It covers both ground and flight checks but unlike the PATMit can be carried out in any order i.e. Flight before Ground Checks. • It should not be used as an airworthiness demonstration • There is no control over the weather • Mixing the objective of the flight can create safety issue • There is a mixed background crew 1 Planning and Preparation – Check Schedules

9. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium • In Service Aircraft Test Manual (ISATM) • The ISATM is a manual containing the procedures for ground and flight tests to be performed by Airbus personnel on an in service aircraft(ex: after a working party or for an aircraft transfer between Airbus and another party) • It must be performed in a specified order • It is offered to Customers who request help, prior to a check flight, under letter of waiver as a PDF file, the intention being that they create their own check schedule from it, duly considering all the “local” issues. 1 Planning and Preparation – Check Schedules

10. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 1 Execution There are many elements to master in a check sortie. Briefing Pre take off Take-off Switching Communication Workload Different flight plans The day/night question Cabin systems More difficult check points

11. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 1 Execution – More difficult check points • Identify which check points carry more risk • Pre flight, plan how to fly them and then stick to your plan • Decide and brief “break off” points • If things don’t look right they are probably wrong – so stop • Take care with breaks in the sequence • Don’t be tempted to “take a look” at certification test points

12. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 1 Execution – More difficult check points ….. Remember the old ZEN wisdom of “Never test the depth of the water with both feet at the same time” Be failure minded and always consider your escape plan ….. Which also leads us nicely to the other Zen wisdom of “If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you”

13. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium • A small technical crew group • Leadership • Crew composition: • Technical Flight Engineer • Cabin specialists 2 Crewing - Composition Have a strict no passengers policy

14. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 2 Crewing – Selection KNOWLEDGE You can never have too much knowledge You should never stop learning You will never know it all Aircraft Theory Role SKILLS EXPERIENCE Observation Interpretation Analysis Communication “I’ve been here before ” “it doesn’t feel right” “a good nose” ‘a healthy fear” Better risk evaluation Better Prioritisation of task Less errors APTITUDE Approach Attitude Use of ALL senses LogicalCreative Flexible Persistent Consistent Variable Asking Telling Learning Knowing Airmanship and Teamwork Take care 10 = 10 or 1¹º Under confidence Right Over Confidence Motor skills Manage these paradoxes To achieve the right balance INTEGRITY

15. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 2 Selection – Summary Egotistical X Questionable integrity X Indecisive X Uninterested technically X Takes criticism badlyX Avoids responsibilityX Impatient X InflexibleX Risk proneX Loner X Good Communicator  Technically inquisitive  Determined to get answers  Good flying ability  Admits errors and learns  Takes responsibility  Patient  Makes balanced judgments “Defaults” towards Safety  Team player  Take time on people selection. It is the key to achieving real safety in the checking process. February 2011 FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium

16. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 2 Crewing - Training • If you have good test trained personnel, use them in the technical checking role • 2. If you have experienced check or acceptance flight crew, review their real experience and currency in the task. Many are very good. • If you have neither, then you should train people or obtain • the services of trained people • There are several short introductory courses available • on the market, including the Airbus course called : • “Technical Flight Familiarization (TFF) Course”

17. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium Purpose of the TFF course Safety Quality Efficiency • Provide crew members with information on Knowledge, Skills and Attitude to better contribute to : • Technical flights (post maintenance, painting, etc.) • Acceptance flights (deliveries) • Familiarization course: • Attestation not a Rating

18. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: A bridge between Aviators

19. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: The instructors • An experienced team: • A Test Pilot, and • A Flight Test Engineer • Used to work/fly together • Experienced: • Development flight tests • Production flight tests • Customer flights

20. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: The trainees • Technical Flight Crew is a crew of 3: • 2 PilotsPrerequisites: rated and current on Aircraft type with at least 6 month experience • 1 Technical Flight Engineer (TFE)Prerequisites: • A third pilot, or • A Flight Engineer who has followed a familiarization course on the type, or • A Maintenance Engineer who has successfully followed the applicable maintenance type rating course as per Part 147 or equivalent, or • A Flight Operations Engineer who has followed a familiarization course on the type

21. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: The Syllabus Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

22. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: Ground school • Generic modules • Crew concept • Weather • ATC • Technical Flight Order • Pre-flight briefing • Recording of in-flight results • Post Flight Analysis

23. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: Ground school • Aircraft specific modules (from ISATM) • Ground checks • Taxi checks • In-flight checks: • Flight controls • AFS • Systems (Pressurization....) • High Speed • Low Speed

24. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: Ground school • Training Documentation: • ISATM • Course module hand-out

25. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: FFS • FFS is a great training device BUT: • Limited to reproduce flight acceleration => Motion ON or OFF according to checks • Some “maintenance” functions not simulated (AIDS..) • FFS 1 (4h): Normal system operation • Instructor pilot in RH seat (demo => practice) • FFS 2 (4h): Some system malfunctions • Both trainee pilot in pilot seat (PF then PNF)

26. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: Flight • 2 hours per pilot (*2) • Instructor pilot in RH seat • Normal system operation • Use of AIDS

27. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: Locations • At Airbus Training centers(Toulouse, Miami, Beijing, ...) • At Customer Training center • On customer aircraft at customer base • On Airbus development aircraft

28. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: Experience & Customer feedback • First course in Sept 09 on A320 • 6 airlines/27 crew membersalready trained • In TLS and at customer base • Very positive feedback (videos)

29. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium TFF course: Looking forward • Course available now on all Airbus FBW aircraft • Delivered on a monthly basistypically 2 crews (of 3) per session

30. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 4 Possible ways to go forward • Fully evaluate, discuss and recognize the issue • Need for care with the solutioni.e Pros & cons of regulationOPTIONS • Do nothing (a no change decision) • Publicize the issue across the industry • Regulate - If so at what level?

31. FSF Functional Check Flight Symposium 4 Possible ways to go forward Some things to be discussed Responsibilities of Authorities, Manufacturers, Airlines, and individual Qualified Checkers Qualification of Check flight courses and instructors Would any qualification be type specific or generic, or can the course have both generic and specific elements? If so, what will be the validity of each? Would any qualification be “tied” to an airline or location How many checkers to qualify per fleet size? Check flight currency – Guidance or rules Check crew composition (position and qualification) Liability