AIRBUS A320 Family
MCDU
A318
A319
A320
A321
BASIC PROGRAMMING
Simulation only
Rev 1.0 - ENG
04/07/23
Marco Ramondino
Not for real flight
Index
Overview …….………………...………………...… 2
FUEL PREDICTION …...……………………...... 28
Programming ……..……...………….……………. 8
RADIO NAV …………………………….…...…... 29
INIT ……………………...……….……….……...… 9
DATA INDEX ……………………...………..……. 30
FLIGHT PLAN …………….…..……………….… 12
LAT REV…………..…...………………...………. 16
VERT REV………….……………...……….….… 19
PERF ……..………..…………………...……..…. 20
DIRECT TO ………………...………....…………. 25
Discontinuity …………………….…………….…. 26
PROGRESS ………………………………..……. 27
SIMULATION ONLY
OVERVIEW - FMC
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
The Flight Control System (FMC)
is programmed and managed by:
NAVIGATION DISPLAY
MCDU (MultiFunction Control Unit)
displays the route and any flight information
(distances, waypoints, VOR, wind, etc.)
it is the primary interface of the flight
control system, through which we
enter not only the data relating to
the route, but also everything the
system needs to make the correct
calculations
Data (and route) entry
EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System)
ng
Ra
manages the display modes of the route on
the Navigation Display, but also functions such
as the altimeter setting
y
pla
Dis
e
de
Mo
OVERVIEW - MCDU COMPONENTS
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
Through the MCDU we enter all the data relating to the route and performance of the aircraft.
It contains:
1
2
side selection keys
(Line Select Keys or LSK)
on both sides
3
a keyboard composed of:
page selection keys
for displaying the respective menus
alphanumeric keys
for data entry
a display
A
The data is entered
typing them with the keyboard (what we write will
appear on the line below, which is named
scratchpad)
and pressing the selection key of the line adjacent to
the field where we have to enter the information
There are also some keys with special functions:
The CLR (clear) key clears text entered into the
scratchpad, one character for each press.
If the scratchpad is empty, when the CLR key is pressed,
the indication “CLR” will appear on it, to delete the data
fields already filled in that allow deletion, choosing them
using the side selection keys.
The OVFY key is used to mark a point in the flight plan
as an overflight waypoint.
The slash key (/) is used to separate those field entries
that allow entry of two pieces of data at the same time
(e.g. "from/to" A )
SIMULATION ONLY
OVERVIEW - MCDU DISPLAY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
The color display of the MCDU consists of 14 lines, of which six are selectable for each side. Different colors are used to simplify the
interpretation of the screen, following some general rules:
WHITE: used to display titles, data field
labels, page selection indicators and
messages.
Data for the next waypoint in the flight
plan and the destination are also shown
in white.
GREEN: used to display non-editable
data and the points of the active flight
plan (except the next waypoint).
MAGENTA: indicates altitude or speed
restrictions.
BLUE: indicates data that can be
changed. The alternate flight plan is
also shown in blue.
YELLOW: used to display temporary
flight plan or route data not yet
confirmed.
ORANGE: indicates the fields that must
be confirmed or filled in by the pilot.
OVERVIEW - MCDU DISPLAY
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
Furthermore...
The top shows the title of page A
and most pages contain data fields
with labels B
A
B
Some pages contain further subpages:
in this case, an arrow drawn in the
upper right corner (in the title line)
indicates this to us.
Subpages are accessed by pressing
the NEXT PAGE button on the
keyboard
2
123
123
1
What is typed into the MCDU
appears in the bottom line 1 , called
scratchpad
(something
like
"notepad").
The row selection keys, both on the
left and on the right, are located next
to the fields in which to enter the
corresponding data 2
Some pages (such as F-PLN) contain
excessive lines compared to the
capacity of the display: this is indicated
by white arrows placed in the lower
right corner of the screen.
To see more lines, we can scroll the
screen using the two UP/DOWN arrow
keys
OVERVIEW - MENU/PAGES
SIMULATION ONLY
TAKEOFF
CLIMB
DESCENT
F-PLN A
LAT REV
CRUISE
APPROACH
INIT A
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
INIT B
IRS ALIGN, WIND
WAIPOINT
SAVE ROUTE
NAVAID
LOAD ROUTE
F-PLN B
RUNWAY
VERT REV
POS MONITOR
DEPARTURE / ARRIVAL
A/C STATUS
IMPORT ROUTE
PROGRAMMING
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
All the data that we will have to enter will be entered on the keyboard, will appear on the scratchpad (the last line of the display), and will
be entered in the appropriate lines using the corresponding side keys (1L, 2L, etc.; 1R, 2R, etc.)
The default page of the MCDU shows a series of information
about the aircraft and the software:
A
If this page is not displayed by default (as may happen in some
simulators or on some developers' aircraft), it can be recalled by
pressing the MCDU MENU key
Aircraft type
Engines
Database
Backup database
in case of loss or damage to the main one
Any stored routes
Software version
B
This page will then open, from which we will select the
FMGC item which will appear in line 1L
SIMULATION ONLY
PROGRAMMING - INIT A
1
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
To start the programming sequence we must go to the
INIT page, pressing the appropriate key
The INIT A page will open,
where we will enter:
Flight number
on 3L line (optional)
on the keypad, for
example) and inserting
them in line 1R
Cost index on 5L
ICAO code of any
alternate airport in 2R
line (value from 0 to
100 indicating the
cost of the flight: 0
maximum economy
and
lower
performance,
100
maximum
performance higher
expenditure)
Cruise altitude
in FL,
as indicated in
the flight plan
(e.g.
350
for
35000 FT) in 6L
line
ICAO
codes
of
departure and arrival
airports, separated by
/ (by typing LEMG/LEBL
line (optional)
The filled page
something like this
will
look
Winds: it is possible to
enter
the
winds
(provided by the flight
plan) for each flight
phase in 5R (optional)
Tropopause:
it
is
possible to insert the
tropopause (provided
by the flight plan) in 6R
(optional)
PROGRAMMING - INIT A - IRS ALIGNMENT
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
1A The alignment of the IRS system will be performed if the aircraft is in the cold
& dark state, or if the simulator foresees this aircraft start-up modality by
default. This step is therefore not always necessary.
In line 3 R, both in the
compilation phase and in the
compiled screen, we will see the
ALIGN IRS or IRS INIT option
When the FROM/TO field is populated, the
latitude and longitude of the origin airport
are displayed in lines 4L and 4R. If
necessary, the coordinates can be entered
more precisely.
Next, the Inertial Reference System (IRS)
needs to be aligned, and this is indicated by
the orange ALIGN IRS indicator. To align the
IRS it is therefore necessary to press the
line selection key 3R.
This step is
not always mandatory
PROGRAMMING - INIT B
SIMULATION ONLY
2
From the compiled INIT A page, we must now go to INIT B
page, by pressing the NEXT PAGE key
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
Once the empty weight (ZFW) has been entered,
the BLOCK field will appear, in which to enter the
Total fuel
on board
(line 2R)
Estimated fuel for
taxi
(line 1L)
Landing weight
(take-off weight estimated fuel consumed)
in 5R line
A page like this will open,
where we will enter:
Aircraft center of gravity
without fuel and empty
weight (in line 1R). This data
should be calculated and
entered automatically by the
system, simply by pressing the
selection key
Takeoff weight
(empty weight + fuel +
passengers + cargo) in line 4R
!
Always verify that the
unit of measurement
of the flight plan and
the aircraft match
(e.g. LBS/KG)
PROGRAMMING - FLIGHT PLAN - OVERVIEW
SIMULATION ONLY
3
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
The FLIGHT PLAN pages (A and B) can be reached from the F-PLN button and show all the waypoints of the
active and alternative flight plans, as well as the associated forecasts (speed, altitude, times and restrictions of
each waypoint). Since the autopilot will manage the aircraft both in lateral mode (LNAV) from one wpt to another,
and in vertical mode (VNAV) according to the altitudes and speeds foreseen for each wpt, the pilot can carry out all
the revisions to the plan through these pages of flight, both in terms of "lateral" and "vertical" modification.
The left-line selection keys perform lateral revision, while the right-line selection keys perform vertical revision.
The
left
column
shows all the wpts
and
any
airways
between one wpt and
another or associated
SID/STAR.
This list always ends
with the arrival airport.
The right column shows
the distance, speed and
altitude corresponding to
each wpt respectively.
In the central column we
have the estimated times
of reaching the next wpt
and the destination, as
well as indications about
the direction between one
wpt and another.
The presence of magenta
asterisks
indicates
restrictions, therefore data
that cannot be modified for
the wpts concerned.
You can scroll the page using the arrow keys
Once the origin and destination have been entered (as seen in the previous paragraphs), the system could enter a
preloaded flight plan, which can always be modified by the pilot.
Alternatively, the entire flight plan can be entered manually: in this case it is necessary to generate a flight plan with
a specific service (navigraph or flightplandatabase or simtoolkitpro, etc.) and enter the route data on the MCDU.
!
Some simulators
do not provide
automatic entry of the
flight plan, therefore it
must be entered
manually
PROGRAMMING - FLIGHT PLAN A
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
3A Flight plan modification
Pressing the selection keys on the left line takes you to the lateral revision pages of the waypoints.
These pages allow you to make changes to your flight plan.
Insert a waypoint
To insert a waypoint directly on the F-PLN page, write its name on scratchpad A and press
the selection key of the left line corresponding to the wpt above which we want to insert it B .
The waypoint that was at that position will be scrolled down and the new waypoint will be
inserted in its place, followed by a discontinuity C .
Delete a waypoint
A waypoint can be deleted by pressing the CLR key (the text
"CLR" appears on the scratchpad) and by pressing the select
key of the left line located next to the waypoint we want to
delete. The respective speed and altitude will be deleted
accordingly.
B
A
If there is more than one waypoint with the same
name that we have entered, a page called
DUPLICATE NAMES will appear, with a list of all
waypoints with that name found in the database.
For each match, the distance from your current
location, coordinates, and waypoint type are
displayed. You must select the desired waypoint
from the list using the line selection keys.
C
CLR
Discontinuity indicates "breaks" in the
path and can be cleared by using the CLR
key and selecting the discontinuity line
(“binding” therefore the new wpt that we have
inserted with the previous and following ones).
For example, to delete the "YES" wpt,
press the CLR key and select line 5L
(corresponding to the YES wpt).
PROGRAMMING - FLIGHT PLAN A
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
3B Flight plan modification
By pressing the selection keys on the right line you access the vertical revision pages of the waypoints, for changing the speed and
altitude settings, as well as any restrictions.
Set and change speeds, altitudes and waypoint restrictions
Insert custom waypoints
There is the possibility to impose or modify speed and altitude restrictions associated with a
waypoint directly on the F-PLN page, from the right selection keys (for each wpt) using the
following formats:
- Speed
- Speed/Altitude
- /Altitude
Additional wpts can be entered in the following ways:
- Latitude/Longitude: in the format Nxxxx.x/Wxxxxx.x or
xxxx.xN/xxx.xW. These waypoints are named LL01,
LL02, LL03, etc. within the flight plan.
- Location/Direction/Distance: choosing the wpt and
assigning it a different direction and distance.
These new wpts are named PBD01, PBD02, PBD03, etc.
within the flight plan.
If you enter a waypoint that is already in the flight plan, the
segment between the selected waypoint (included) and the
new waypoint will be deleted.
It is used to delete multiple waypoints at once.
C
300/350
For example, if we wanted to set a different speed and altitude for the wpt BLN (for example 300
and FL 350), we would type: 300/350 and enter it next to BLN in line 4R.
Similarly, if we wanted to change only the speed we would type 300, while only the altitude /350.
For wpts with speed in Ma the same principle applies, inserting the speed in number of Ma (.xx).
Altitude can also be entered as a barometric altitude (5 digits) or as a flight level (3 digits).
Both types of restrictions can be removed from a waypoint by pressing the CLR key and then
selecting the corresponding waypoint with the right row selection key.
PROGRAMMING - FLIGHT PLAN B
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
3C The FLIGHT PLAN B page can be accessed by pressing the NEXT PAGE key from the FLIGHT PLAN A page.
This page displays fuel forecasts (and on some versions also wind forecasts) associated with all waypoints in the flight plan.
The FLIGHT PLAN B page provides the same flight plan review functions as the FLIGHT PLAN A page.
FLIGHT PLAN A
FLIGHT PLAN B
This step is
not mandatory
PROGRAMMING - LATERAL REVISION
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
4 From the F-PLN page, by pressing the left selection key corresponding to the desired waypoint, you access the LAT REV (LATERAL
REVISION) menu, important for selecting SID and STAR.
By selecting the wpt corresponding
to the origin airport (always in 1L line
before takeoff), we will have access to
the DEPARTURE page, containing
runways and SIDs.
The lateral revision can be performed for all wpts of the flight plan,
for example for entering an airway. However, for the basic
PROGRAMMING we will focus only on the departure and arrival as
they are fundamental for setting up the system.
Most changes involve the creation of a
temporary flight plan, which is displayed
in yellow, awaiting confirmation.
By selecting the wpt corresponding
to the destination airport (always in
6L line) we will have access to the
ARRIVAL page, containing runways
and STAR.
For example, by selecting line 1L for the departure
airport (LEMG), the screen with the item LAT REV
will appear, where we find the DEPARTURE option
as we have selected the departure airport as the
waypoint on which to intervene
By
selecting
the
DEPARTURE item from
this page, we will enter
the appropriate menu
The ERASE item deletes
the choices/modifications
and returns to the F-PLN
page.
The INSERT item
makes the
choices/modifications
effective.
On the lateral revision see also
paragraph 3A "flight plan modification"
PROGRAMMING - LATERAL REVISION - DEPARTURE (SID)
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
4A The DEPARTURE page allows you to set the departure procedures (runway, SID, transition) and insert them in the flight plan.
By selecting the DEPARTURE
menu, a page will open from
which, using the NEXT PAGE
key, you will access the
subsequent
By selecting
the
origin
airport,
its
revision page
will open, with
the
DEPARTURE
option...
With the UP/DN arrow keys it is possible
to scroll within each page and view all
the available options
… in which
we will enter
to set all the
data relating
to
the
departure
The first page contains a list of
available runways.
Once you have selected a
specific runway, the SID page
will automatically appear
!
At the end of the choice, click on
INSERT (line 6R) to confirm the
selected data and enter them in the
active flight plan
The second page displays the
SIDs and transitions available
for the previously selected
rwy.
It is possible not to select a
SID by choosing the “NO
SID” option
If a SID has transitions, these
will be listed in the right column
for selection.
Also in this case, if you do not
want to select a transition, you
can choose the "NO TRANS"
option
Selected options will be shown in yellow (as they are still provisional) on the top line, and available alternative
options in blue. Once a selection has been made, the bottom line will display the ERASE (6L) and INSERT (6R)
indicators:
INSERT will accept the selection and insert the procedures in the active flight plan; ERASE will undo any
selections you make.
SIMULATION ONLY
PROGRAMMING - LATERAL REVISION - ARRIVAL (STAR)
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
4B The ARRIVAL page allows you to set up arrival procedures (rwy, STAR, transitions). The operating logic is identical to that of the
DEPARTURE page.
By selecting
the
destination
airport,
its
revision page
will open, with
the ARRIVAL
option
in which we
will enter to
set all the
data relating
to the landing
The first page contains a list of
available
runways
and
landings
It is possible to scroll within each page and
view all the available options using the UP/DN
arrow keys
Once the rwy has been
selected,
the
page
of
compatible
STARs
and
TRNSITIONS
will
automatically be displayed.
It is possible to omit the
selection by choosing the
"NO STAR" or "NO TRANS"
option
The choice is still temporary:
once the selection has been
made, confirm with "INSERT"
(line 6R) to enter the data in the
active flight plan, or "ERASE" to
cancel the temporary choice
SIMULATION ONLY
PROGRAMMING - VERTICAL REVISION
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
5 The VERT REV (VERTICAL REVISION) menu allows you to make changes to the vertical profile of a wpt, i.e. change altitude and
speed or restrictions for that wpt.
This menu is accessed from the F-PLN page by pressing the right selection key corresponding to the desired waypoint.
The VERT REV page for the selected wpt (in this caseBLN) will open, from which we can:
Let's imagine
choosing the
vertical
revision for the
wpt BLN:
press
the
selection key
4R (the right
column
is
assigned to the
VERT REV)
DES SPD LIM but also CLB SPD LIM (line 2L): enter/modify speed limits at a
given altitude for climb or descent, depending on the flight phase belonging to
the wpt for which the review is being performed. In the example, the aircraft will not
It is possible to scroll within the
page to display all wpts which can
be modified using the UP/DN
arrow keys
exceed 250 knots from 10000 ft and below, as it is a limit of descent (DES) as wpt BLN is in
the descent phase;
SPD CSTR (line 3L): Speed limitation for the waypoint. The speed in knots is
inserted in the range 100-350, while the speed in Ma in the range 0.15-0.82;
On the vertical revision see also
paragraph 3B "flight plan modification"
This step is
not mandatory
ALT CSTR (line 3R): Altitude limit below which the aircraft will not descend when
passing over the waypoint.
All limits can be removed by using the CLR key.
SIMULATION ONLY
PROGRAMMING - PERFORMANCES
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
6 The PERF key accesses the performance menu for each current flight phase: takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, approach, go-around.
The respective flight phase is shown in the
PERF page title
It is possible to access the pages of the
subsequent phases using the "NEXT
PHASE" selection key (6R).
In some versions it is also possible to use
the arrow key
In the final phase of the cruise, the "ACTIVATE APPR PHASE" item will be displayed in
line 6L: by selecting and confirming this option, the approach phase will be activated in
advance.
If the approach phase was activated by mistake, the cruise phase can be restored from the PROG or
INIT menus.
The fundamental pages of the PERF menu are TAKEOFF and APPROACH, as these will contain parameters relating to flaps and
reference speed for take-off and landing and other crucial settings.
PROGRAMMING - PERF TAKEOFF
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
6A The PERF TAKEOFF page is displayed by pressing the PERF key during the pre-flight and contains takeoff settings.
Speed (automatically calculated) of full flap
retraction (F), slat (S) and speed in “clean”
configuration (O) of the wing (flaps and slat
fully retracted).
These values are a reminder and cannot be
changed
The mandatory items to be filled in are V1,
VR and V2 (line 1, 2 and 3 L)
V1, VR, V2: Reference take-off speed.
These
speeds
should
be
entered
automatically just by pressing the respective
selection keys (1L, 2L, 3L).
However, it is possible (depending on the
simulator or developer) that the system
does not calculate the reference speeds, in
which case they will have to be entered
manually (there are special performance tables
FLAPS/THS: flap and elevator trim angle
settings for takeoff. This field allows the
entry of data as a reminder.
The input format is “degrees flaps”/”trim UP or DN
and degrees”, e.g.:
1/UP0.0 or 2/UP5.5 or 1/DN6.1, ecc.
or calculation software to determine these speeds)
TRANS ALT: Origin airport transition
altitude (above which the altimeter must be set to
STD).
The
transition
altitude
is
entered
automatically once the origin airport has
been entered on the INIT page, however it
can be modified if it does not correspond to
the flight plan, or added if it is not entered
automatically by the system
FLEX TEMP: presumed temperature for the
calculation of the take-off rate. Entering a
high assumed temperature will reduce takeoff power
THR RED/ACC: Acceleration and thrust
reduction altitudes. Depower altitude at
which the thrust level can be reduced from
TO-GA or FLEX to CLB. Both altitudes default
NEXT PHASE: switch to the settings for the
next phase (CLIMB)
to 1,500 feet AGL
Any other fields not taken into account are disabled in most of the simulators,
do not require mandatory completion or are just reminder items.
SIMULATION ONLY
PROGRAMMING - PERF CLIMB, PERF CRUISE, PERF DESCENT
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
6B The PERF CLB, PERF CRZ and PERF DES pages contain thrust/speed settings for the climb, cruise and descent phases.
They are pages that are very similar to each other and mostly contain reminder fields that don't allow for changes.
ECON: optimal speed (in knots and Ma) for
the active mode (economy) based on the
cost index, altitude and total weight of the
aircraft.
Any speed and altitude restrictions may
prevent the aircraft from flying at the stated
speed
ACT MODE: active speed target
(uneditable)
CI: cost index previously inserted in the
INIT page. You can enter a new
parameter
SPD/MACH: if the ascent phase is not
yet active, an ascent rate can be set by
entering it in this field.
During the ascent it is not possible to
enter data in this line
NEXT PHASE: switch to the settings for the
next phase (CRUISE)
ACT MODE: active speed target
(uneditable)
ECON: Optimal speed for
the active mode for each
flight phase
CI: cost index. See above
SPD/MACH: if the cruising phase is not
yet active, a speed (in kts and Ma) can
be preset by entering it in this field
NEXT PHASE: switch to settings for next
stage (DESCENT)
NEXT PHASE: switch to settings for next
step (APPROACH)
PROGRAMMING - PERF APPROACH
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
6C The PERF APPR page contains landing settings.
Speed (automatically calculated) of full flap
retraction (F), slat (S) and speed in “clean”
configuration (O) of the wing (flaps and slat
fully retracted).
These values are a reminder and cannot be
changed
QNH: atmospheric pressure at sea level of
the destination airport.
It can be entered either in hettoPascal hPa (for
example, 1010) or inches of mercury Hg (for
example, 30.22)
TEMP: temperature at the destination airport
MDA: minimum descent altitude (if a
decision altitude (DH) is entered on line 3R,
this field appears blank).
DH: decision altitude (if a minimum descent
altitude (MDA) is entered in row 2R, this
field appears blank)
MAG WIND: direction and intensity of the
wind at the destination. The input format is
direction/strength.
(For example, 180 degrees at 20 knots = 180/020)
TRANS ALT: transition altitude of the
destination airport.
(The altimeter must be reset from STD mode to
QNH when the aircraft descends below this
altitude)
VAPP:
approach
speed
calculated
automatically by the system. It can be
changed manually by entering a new value.
By deleting any entered value (with the CLR key),
the speed calculated by the FMS will be entered
again
NEXT PHASE: Switch to the settings for the
next phase (GO AROUND)
LDG CONF & FULL: the two lines 4R and
5R list the possible landing configurations for
the flaps (CONF3 and FULL).
The selected configuration (FULL) is
displayed with a larger font, while the second
configuration with a smaller font. You can
switch from one configuration to another
using the corresponding selection keys
Any other fields not taken into account are disabled in most of the simulators,
do not require mandatory completion or are just reminder items.
PROGRAMMING - PERF GO AROUND
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
6D The PERF GO AROUND page contains settings for a possible go-around and is very similar to the TAKEOFF page.
Speed (automatically calculated by the
system) of full flap retraction (F), slat (S)
and speed in “clean” configuration (O) of the
wing (flaps and slat fully retracted).
These values are a reminder and cannot be
changed.
THR RED/ACC: acceleration and derate
altitudes (from TO-GA or FLEX to CLB).
Both altitudes default to 1,500 feet AGL
ENG OUT ACC: Single-engine acceleration
altitude
In all flight phases, with the selection key
"PREV PHASE" (line 6L) it is possible to
return to the settings for the previous flight
phase, provided that it has not yet ended
Any other fields not taken into account are disabled in most of the simulators,
do not require mandatory completion or are just reminder items.
PROGRAMMING - DIRECT TO
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
7 The DIRECT TO page, accessible from the DIR key, allows you to fly directly from the current aircraft position to any waypoint, thus
applying a change to the original route. This action, via the autopilot's LNAV mode, will direct the aircraft towards the waypoint that has
been entered. The structure of the page is basically the same as the wpts list of the F-PLN A page.
DIRECT to new wpt
Inserting a waypoint in line 1L activates the DIRECT
TO function, which adds a new waypoint to reach
before those already inserted in the flight plan. The
aircraft will therefore abandon the current direction and
will first head for the new waypoint, and then continue
with the following ones already present in the flight
plan.
For example, if we wanted to pass before BLN (already
included in the flight plan) on a new wpt named "ABC", we
would type its name and insert it in the "DIRECT TO" item (line
1L)
DIRECT to next one wpt (already existing)
!
The operations
described on this page
can generate
discontinuities, which
we will see how to
check and correct in the
next paragraph
There is also the possibility of heading towards a
waypoint already present in the flight plan, skipping the
intermediate ones: by selecting the wpt of interest and
copying it in the "DIR TO" field, we will fly directly from
our position towards the chosen wpt, ignoring the
intervening ones.
For example, if we want to skip the wpts from BLN to ASTRO
and go directly to VLC, we would have to copy VLC (selection
key 6L) and paste it into the "DIR TO" item (1L). The system
will then clear and will jump all the others waypoints and the
aircraft will fly directly to VLC.
ABC
PROGRAMMING - ROUTE and DISCONTINUITY CHECKING
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
8 Returning to the F-PLN menu and setting the ND PLAN mode from the EFIS, we will be able to have an "overall" view of the route and
make sure that there are no discontinuities in the flight plan.
A
C
By setting the EFIS to PLAN
mode, a global display of the
route will be shown in the ND
B
On the MCDU,
going to the F-PLN
page,
we
can
scroll our flight
plan using the
"UP" arrow key...
… if discontinuities
are reported, they
can be cleared
using the CLR key
(the wording “CRL”
will appear on the
scratchpad)
and
selecting
the
discontinuity line
Once
the
discontinuity/s have
been
correctly
eliminated, we will
see the correct flight
plan, with no more
interruptions
CLR
PROGRESS PAGE
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
9 The PROG page mainly provides information on the optimal and maximum cruising levels and on the precision of navigation and
descent, but also allows the selection of a new cruising level and the monitoring of position and distance to a waypoint.
The page title shows the current
speed mode (ECON, SPD/MACH,
EXPEDITE)
and
flight
phase
(CRUISE or DESCent)
CRZ (cruise phase only):
cruising altitude, which can
be changed by entering a
new value in this data field
REQ DISTANCE TO LAND:
distance required to land
following the route of the
active flight plan
(DIR DIST TO DEST: direct
distance from the destination
airport
OPT (non-editable): optimal flight
level, based on aircraft weight,
cost index and temperature
REC
MAX
(not
editable):
Recommended maximum altitude
VDEV (solo durante la discesa):
deviazione verticale (in piedi) dell’
aeromobile rispetto al profilo
verticale di discesa calcolato dal
FMS
navigation
accuracy
information
(required
and
estimated)
and
accuracy level (ACCUR), which can
be LOW or HIGH
BRG/DIST TO: entering any
waypoint in the “TO” data field, the
“BRG/DIST”
item
continuously
measures bearing and distance to
that wpt
SIMULATION ONLY
FUEL PREDICTION PAGE
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
10 The FUEL PRED page provides fuel information and weather forecasts for the destination airport.
Many features on this page are not implemented in most simulators and will therefore be omitted.
AT – TIME – EFOB: destination airport
(AT), UTC time (TIME), and estimated fuel
on board at destination (EFOB).
Furthermore, the TIME field, before take off,
shows the flight time; after take-off, the
estimated time of arrival (UTC)
GW/CG: total aircraft weight
and center of gravity
RTE RSV%: fuel reserves
expressed in quantity and
percentage for the route
EXTRA/TIME: extra fuel,
equivalent to BLOCK – (TAXI
+ TRIP + RSV + ALTN +
FINAL)
FOB (Fuel On Board):
instantaneous amount of fuel
on board
CRZTEMP/TROPO:
level
temperature
tropopause altitude
flightand
RADIO NAV PAGE
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
11 The RAD NAV button takes you to the page dedicated to displaying and controlling the navigation radios. The Flight Control System
(FMS) automatically tunes the NAV1 and NAV2 radios to the frequencies of the nearest stations. Furthermore, during the approach
phase, if a runway with ILS has been selected, the relative frequency is automatically tuned on the NAV1 radio.
VOR1/FREQ and VOR 2/FREQ:VOR identifier (1 and 2) and NAV radio (1 and 2)
frequency.
The automatically tuned frequencies are shown in small characters. It is possible
to enter a new frequency or station ID, which will appear in larger characters.
Manual entry overrides automatic entry. To return to the automatic tuning mode it
is necessary to cancel the field with the CLR key
ILS/FREQ: ILS frequency.
When the ILS has been set
automatically, the frequency
is reported in small print.
It is possible to enter the
frequency manually and in
this case it will be shown in
larger characters. Manual
entry can be canceled with
the CLR key
CRS: ILS COURSE, to be
inserted into the autopilot
CRS: COURSE for VOR 1 and 2
!
ADF1/FREQ: ADF radio frequency. You
can enter a new frequency
Automatic tuning of NAV
radios is not implemented
on all simulators.
Always verify
frequency match
DATA INDEX
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
12 The DATA button gives access to the DATA INDEX menu, which contains various subpages concerning navigation data.
Many features on this page are not implemented in most simulators and will therefore be omitted.
SAVE ROUTE: saves the active
flight plan to a file
WAYPOINTS: information about
waypoints in the database
LOAD ROUTE: load a
previously saved flight plan
NAVAIDS: information on radio
aids (VOR, NDB)
IMPORT ROUTE: import a
route generated and saved by
the simulator (not implemented
on all simulators)
RUNWAYS: information about
the rwys in the database
ROUTES: not developed
A/C STATUS: aircraft status
page
PRINT FUNCTION: not
developed
PERFORMANCE SETTINGS: refer to
the PERFORMANCES page
POSITION MONITOR:shows
the current position of the
aircraft according to different
positioning systems
SIMULATION ONLY
DATA INDEX
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
12A DATA INDEX MENU – INFO PAGES
The WAYPOINTS page allows you to search for
information about any waypoint in the database.
The NAVAID page allows you to search for
information on any VOR or NDB in the database.
The RUNWAY page provides information about any
rwy in the database.
Once the waypoint name has been entered in line
1L, the relative latitude and longitude will be
displayed.
By entering the name of the radio assistance in line
1L, the relative information is displayed, such as
the class (CLASS), the coordinates (LAT/LONG),
the radio frequency (FREQ) and the magnetic
variation (STATION DEC).
By entering the ICAO code of the airport and the
respective runway in line 1L, its coordinates
(LAT/LONG), length (LENGTH), orientation (CRS)
and ILS frequency (ILS FREQ) will be displayed.
The POSITION MONITOR page displays the
position of the aircraft
The "FREEZE" option allows you to "memorize"
your current position and, when selected, changes
to "UNFREEZE" to return to the normal continuous
position update mode.
The A/C STATUS page shows general information
about the aircraft
Are reported engine type, aircraft model and
version of the navigation database.
DATA INDEX
SIMULATION ONLY
NOT FOR REAL FLIGHT
12B DATA INDEX MENU – ROUTES
LOAD ROUTE
SAVE ROUTE
This page allows you to load a flight plan from the list of
previously saved routes.
The page allows you to save the active
flight plan in a file, to then be loaded
directly for an identical flight.
IMPORT ROUTE (not on all simulators)
In simulators that enable it, it allows you
to import one of the routes generated by
the flight programmer.
When selecting a route from the list, the “LOAD ROUTE”
confirmation page is displayed: the saved flight plan is
shown, with options to insert the route into the active
flight plan or deselect it.
It is necessary to enter a name for the
route in line 1L (CO RTE) and select
STORE in line 2L. If you do not enter a
route name in 1L, the flight plan is saved
with an automatically generated name,
with the ICAO codes of the origin and
destination airports.
The route must be saved before starting
the flight, as the waypoints through
which it is flown are removed as they are
passed.
The page contains a list of routes found
in the simulator's flight directory.
Selecting a route from the list calls up
the LOAD ROUTE page (seen opposite),
which displays the saved flight plan
route and provides options to activate or
cancel the selection.
This page is also displayed when using the “CO ROUTE”
data field on the INIT page or when using the “IMPORT
ROUTE” function.
The difference between the LOAD and IMPORT
functions lies in the fact that the first recalls a flight
plan created by us and saved, while the second
recalls a route already prepared by the simulator.