ATA CHAPTER 00
The Single Aisle Family is well-known for giving its stakeholders comfort, efficiency
and advancement of technology. Airbus Industry has founded the first real family of
aircraft, the Single Aisle Family, which consisted of 4 cost-effective aircraft namely;
the A318, A319, A320, and A321 which differed in sizes to cater different number of
passengers. It utilizes almost the same equipment, which helped its investors to save
costs due to the identicality of each other’s parts, and of course no special training
will be needed for every operational staff. Every model features almost the same
instruments and controls, which helped pilots in familiarizing themselves with the
whole family of aircraft. Maintenance and Servicing of the Single Aisle Family is also
the same within the family
Specifications of every aircraft in the family varies from each other to accommodate
the different passenger sizes. By adding frames to the center and wing sections,
Airbus A320 has been modified into 3 different variants, namely the A318, A319 and
A321.
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Airbus A318: This aircraft is the smallest in the Single Aisle Family. It can
accommodate 107 seats, and it has a Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) of
66 tons.
•
Airbus A319: This aircraft is the most economical model in the Single Aisle
Family. It can accommodate 124 seats, and it has a Maximum Take-off Weight
(MTOW) of 68 tons.
•
A321: This is the largest member of the family and has the lowest cost per passenger
mile among the Single Aisle Family. It can accommodate 185 seats and has a
Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) of 83 tons.
The controls and the flight deck are almost the same among the family. Airbus Family
is equipped with the Flight Control Unit (FCU) on the glareshield, and includes the
Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS). The Master Warning and Master Caution
is also located on the glareshield to help pilots determine important faults within the
Aircraft.
Additionally, the Integrated Standby Instrument System (ISIS) replaces the
traditional standby instrumentation. It includes the standby horizon, altimeter and
airspeed indicator.
Within the cockpit, there are side consoles that are fixed on the side of the pilot. This
houses the Side Stick Controllers (SSC), nose wheel steering tillers, oxygen masks of
the pilot, important documents of the aircraft, fire extinguishers and communication
equipment.
As for the cockpit’s philosophy, the A320 family followed the pushbutton color
philosophy, in which different colors of buttons displays different function.
In terms of maintenance of the A320 Family, Centralized Fault Display System is
utilized by the pilots to determine the faults within the aircraft. Ground Support
Equipment (GSE) are tools that can be categorized into tools and standard
equipment. The maintenance operations are based on the manuals such as Aircraft
Maintenance Manual (AMM) and Illustrated Tool and Equipment Manual (TEM).
During maintenance of the aircraft, jacking is done to the aircraft to points A, B and C
and safety jacks are installed in the rear to avoid the aircraft tipping up.
Towing of the aircraft can be performed on the main or nose landing gear, and
specific procedure and general towing precautions should be followed for safety of
the person and the equipment that is being handled.
Servicing points of the Single Aisle Family are placed strategically for ease of access
during the servicing time of the aircraft.
This chapter includes the general information about the Airbus A320 family, and this
chapter highlights why A320 family is a popular choice in the aviation industry. Even
though these aircraft are different, their maintenance and operation are almost the
same all throughout the family.