I am trying to perfect my checklist and wonder if what I have now is alright or maybe a bit too much...TCAS: STBY during cockpit prep, XPNDR on when taxi, TA ONLY before take off and TA/RA after take off (after thrust reduction). It's the other way around during approach.Then you also have BLW (below), N (I guess that's all) and ABV (above): I turn ABV on during climb, N during cruise and BLW during descent and approach. I set it back to the default N when leaving the runway (maybe during final approach already?). Is this a bit okay or way too much...? Maybe in real life it stays on N all the time and ABV or BLW is only used in certain cirumstances...? And maybe I can turn on TA only during taxi already and skip XPNDR...? Things like that. :( While I am at it: anyone knows the proper procedures for the lights (specially RWY TURN OFF lights: on all the time during taxi until after take off or not, WING lights on all the time or not)?I am surprised information like this (COMPLETE procedure for every knob) is so extremely hard to find online... Even the Smarycockpit site can't help me here!

I am trying to perfect my checklist and wonder if what I have now is alright or maybe a bit too much...TCAS: STBY during cockpit prep, XPNDR on when taxi, TA ONLY before take off and TA/RA after take off (after thrust reduction). It's the other way around during approach.Then you also have BLW (below), N (I guess that's all) and ABV (above): I turn ABV on during climb, N during cruise and BLW during descent and approach. I set it back to the default N when leaving the runway (maybe during final approach already?). Is this a bit okay or way too much...? Maybe in real life it stays on N all the time and ABV or BLW is only used in certain cirumstances...? And maybe I can turn on TA only during taxi already and skip XPNDR...? Things like that. :( While I am at it: anyone knows the proper procedures for the lights (specially RWY TURN OFF lights: on all the time during taxi until after take off or not, WING lights on all the time or not)?I am surprised information like this (COMPLETE procedure for every knob) is so extremely hard to find online... Even the Smarycockpit site can't help me here!

What you are asking is quite a bit company specific so it is more than natural there simply is no "complete" procedure at all for every knob... Wouldn't quite make sense too since the crew After all I don't see a reason why one would select TA for take-off. When you're cleared and entering the runway simply use TA/RA since RAs are inhibited anyways during your initial climb...!? Also, there is usually no need to even touch the ABV/BLW modes. What you can do though, after landing, is reset the code to 2000 which is some standard IFR code if you haven't been assigned any other code (happens basically never ever), this is what many airlines do. This also reminds the next crew to not forget to enter their assigned code in turn.Other than that, is used to be common practice to switch off XPDR whenever on the ground or taxiing (or to STBY at least). Now with ASDE coming up ATC actually wants to make use of your mode S XPDR so is has to be switched on even on ground. That way the ground controller can track you by radar with ease even in adverse weather conditions. Some XPDRs will have a GND mode too but airliners usually don't have those as a dedicated switch like many G/A planes do. I would imagine it simply switches to GND automatically whenever the air/ground switch senses ground contact, or when below a certain speed, or a combination of both, or something else too. RWY T/O lights are, well, what the name says. But other than that, landing lights are also not only used for landing. So common practice would be, when cleared for take-off and entering the runway, switch on all lights, including taxi, rwy t/o and wing (strobes also will be switched on here, these should not be used during taxi in order to not disturb other taxxing aircraft). This will yield maximum visibility for other traffic.Then again, some folks might use some of these switches as a reminder for something important... Say he would actually trigger the taxi light when he receives T/O clearance. So when he enters the runway and sees his taxi light is still off he might want to recheck if they are actually cleared or not.Wing lights in turn are actually meant to check wings and engines for visible ice accumulation. They might still be used during take-off and approach below 10K in order to increase visibility for other traffic.

Cool, thanks for the long reply! I though it would be nice to add all those TCAS settings and so on to keep you busy during the various stages of flight :( but if it's not done in real life, I'd better forget about it...The checklist that comes with my Airbus X says to select TA only... I also read on the net that RA is inhibited and also wondered why this was necessary. So I might as well select STBY during preparation, TA/RA when entering the runway and back to STBY after leavind the runway (after landing). I'll forget about ABV and BLW...The lights are very company specific indeed, so I found out. Someone said the WING should be on all the time, you say it can be turned on all the time below 10.000 ft and the Airbus X manual doesn't even mention them at all... (just like it doesn't mention the RWY T/O lights and BLA and ABV and XPNDR and TA/RA... B) ). Someone else said RWY T/O should only be turned on when entering the runway but I read some sort of note from some sort of safety institution that it is adviced to have the RWY T/O on all the time during taxi to prevent collisions or whatever.I think I will wait for a few more replies and then just make my own 'company procedures'. :( One thing is for certain: there is no ONE WAY of doing things. :(

Absoutely correct. Don't overthink these things, as you won't find any definate answer like "gear needs to be down on final". How to set up your lights is simply not as crucial. What I wrote above are just examples of how it could be done.It's a bit like checking flight controls as another example of these small things... There's not really a right of wrong way to do this. Some will push forward, pull backward, center, turn left, turn right, center.Some others, though, think it's better to check the whole 'envelope', so to speak. So they prefer something like pull backward, turn left, push forward, turn right, pull backward, turn left, center. I think after company procedures it's also a bit of personal preference. :blush:Oh, and by the way, these are certainly the wrong things to keep you "busy". If you for any reason get bored, check your flight plan, times and fuel, check enroute alternates, review weather, whatever. But don't just flip switches for nothing. If there is no reason, there is no reason so keep your fingers away even if it's seductive. :(:(

If you for any reason get bored, check your flight plan, times and fuel, check enroute alternates, review weather, whatever. But don't just flip switches for nothing. If there is no reason, there is no reason so keep your fingers away even if it's seductive. :(:(

LOL :( Haha, I understand! :(

I am trying to perfect my checklist and wonder if what I have now is alright or maybe a bit too much...TCAS: STBY during cockpit prep, XPNDR on when taxi, TA ONLY before take off and TA/RA after take off (after thrust reduction). It's the other way around during approach.Then you also have BLW (below), N (I guess that's all) and ABV (above): I turn ABV on during climb, N during cruise and BLW during descent and approach. I set it back to the default N when leaving the runway (maybe during final approach already?). Is this a bit okay or way too much...? Maybe in real life it stays on N all the time and ABV or BLW is only used in certain cirumstances...? And maybe I can turn on TA only during taxi already and skip XPNDR...? Things like that. :( While I am at it: anyone knows the proper procedures for the lights (specially RWY TURN OFF lights: on all the time during taxi until after take off or not, WING lights on all the time or not)?I am surprised information like this (COMPLETE procedure for every knob) is so extremely hard to find online... Even the Smarycockpit site can't help me here!

Have a look at this website -here- which clearly explains the proper procedure and response to TCAS RA's. Many pilots are habitually used to setting stby while still on the ground but as has been said many major airports have ground surveillance radar which requires your xpdr to be active and therefore it is best practice to set it to TA/RA. If you don't it's an extra task to remember during the climb.vololiberista

You also have 'Auto' on the real bus, (the newer A320's anyway) XPNDR Will automaticaly switch on in Flight mode & off in Ground mode. You just leave it on that setting unless it needs to be on for ground radar.TA/RA is inhibited below 1000ft so just set it to TA/RA. You should only need to put it on TA only if you have a engine failure or fault that decreases the aircrafts performance. Strobes should also be in Auto like the XPNDR.As others have stated SOP can vary a lot.

But don't just flip switches for nothing. If there is no reason, there is no reason so keep your fingers away even if it's seductive. :(:(

But... but, I like flipping switches! It's just so cool to watch the switches -well- switch and knobs turn, especially if there's a sound effect to go along with it! :(

Strobes should also be in Auto like the XPNDR.

Yep, that's cool. Unfortunately other planes are not so much integrated like the Buses so most will lack these automations. But thanks for the interesting addition!

But... but, I like flipping switches! It's just so cool to watch the switches -well- switch and knobs turn, especially if there's a sound effect to go along with it! :(

A'ight a'ight Bill, now I certainly know why YOU love to flip switches for a (or any) reason, and I totally agree with you - but that's a different story here, I believe...! LOL :(

As others have stated SOP can vary a lot.

Well, that's for sure...! I got some advice this afternoon from a real life pilot on another forum and he does use XPNDR during taxi and he does use ABV (until climb) and BLW (from cruise to the end): he never used the normal mode...! He also said he only uses RWY T/O during take off and landing, but some of his collegues from the same company use that RWY T/O light for taxi also...Seems you can just do what you like to do...! :( It surprises me a little, though, because I thought flying in real life was a very regulated things, with lots of rules to avoid accidents and so on... but apparently not only companies make up their own policies, but also pilots...Guess I just have to do what seems right to me or what I like to do... (and since I am trigger happy, I might use all TCAS mode anyway, hahaha! :( )

Seems you can just do what you like to do...! :( It surprises me a little, though, because I thought flying in real life was a very regulated things, with lots of rules to avoid accidents and so on... but apparently not only companies make up their own policies, but also pilots...

That's quite exactly what I had thought earlier. I always wanted to know "the exact rule" for just about everything really. Took me a couple years of simming until finally getting into real aviation when I found out there simply ain't such exact rules for everything as I had expected. I always wanted to know every exact word, callout, checklist, switch position. Really, think of the following: Many say "vee one, ... vee R" during take-off roll. That's alright and perfectly valid. There are others who substitute the "... vee R" by an actual command, they would maybe say "... rotate!" instead. And again there are tons of other pilots or airlines that have in fact two commands replacing the two speeds, namely "go, ... rotate!". There are many more examples like this. The one thing I have learned in real aviation in regard to this was clearly that getting your message across if way more important than excessively sticking to single words and such. :blush:Oh, and by the way, there are more than enough other rules that will keep you busy, usually. :rolleyes:Happy landings, man. :(

.Guess I just have to do what seems right to me or what I like to do... (and since I am trigger happy, I might use all TCAS mode anyway, hahaha! :( )

As long as you stick to the procedures required for when you receive an RA!!vololiberista