Fellow flyers,

how do you manage descent in the A319?

Its a fast little torpedo. I need to open the speedbrakes nearly over the complete descent and even then im sometimes too fast in the final approach.

 

What is best / common practice?

- Program the ILS capture altitude already one waypoint early so to have time to slow down at the very end? (if allowed of course)

- Switch always to open descent and then take full speed brakes?

- other solutions?

 

Im curious on the answers.

Ideally, start the descent earlier.

How are you planning your descent? With the 3 to 1 rule or with VNAV? If VNAV isn't giving you good results, try doing it yourself. I hear there are some VNAV improvements in the works - maybe it just isn't dialed in very well on the 319 yet (I haven't flown the short bus a lot, so I don't have a lot of experience of my own to draw from). If you're using VNAV, do make sure you have accurate winds entered in the FMS.

38 minutes ago, Paladin2005 said:

- Switch always to open descent and then take full speed brakes?

This is definitely not what you want, as you then don't have the speedbrakes available for additional corrections (plus it's simply not very efficient). If you find you're having to use speedbrakes for the whole descent, you should start your descent quite a bit earlier.

Hi,

 

A couple of things I have picked up flying the A320 but I assume applies to the 319 as well.

I am planning my TOD using current FL and then the lowest altitude constraint using the 3x rule to calculate distance but then adjusting for head or tail wind component (10kts wind equates to 1nm less or more depending upon wind direction) to adjust the actual TOD point. 

Also, In a A330 Driver video I heard the recommendation that you can dive faster than the computed descent speed using Op Des in order to get down faster (engines idle and initial descent is much faster than in Managed Des) and then intercept the final approach/glide path back in Managed mode to deploy slats and flaps. Speed brakes is likely though in this scenario. They are slippery by design so needs pro-active speed and altitude management.

 

 

I always start the A319 down a bit before TOD in VNAV, but you have to watch it like a hawk.  There’s little margin for error with your descent speeds and rates compared to the A320 and A321.  

Often a STAR will have an “at or above” altitude limit very close to the transition to the approach that I will change to an “at” to give myself a bit of level off time as an insurance policy.

It’s certainly a slippery aircraft though!

Check the descent speed on your PERF Descent page and force it to something lower. 280 is a good starting point or try something like 250 if you’re still having issues. It then automatically recalculates your VNAV descent profile and should give you more margin to play with.

As @Speedbird 217 mentioned, the biggest factor in these descents is the CI; we used 15 to 30 with Mach 0.76 to 0.78 for standard, and for higher speeds, 50 to 80 with approximate Mach 0.80 to 0.82, transitioning to 270 to 280 IAS. Transition on the A380, 310-330 IAS. 

Edited February 20Feb 20 by LRBS

1 hour ago, Speedbird 217 said:

Check the descent speed on your PERF Descent page and force it to something lower. 280 is a good starting point or try something like 250 if you’re still having issues. It then automatically recalculates your VNAV descent profile and should give you more margin to play with.

This too is what I've done in almost all FS airliners over the last 20+ years.  If I see a descent speed of anything like 310 or higher (quite typical in the 777, A300 and a few others), I will know that that descent is going to be late, fast and steep. My favourite descent speed, that I use on almost everything from the PMDG 737 and 777, to the Fenix birds and most in between, is 270 kts.  It results in a 'relaxed' descent, and the transition to 250kts at 10,000 in much more comfortably executed too.   

Edited February 20Feb 20 by JYW

Where is the reluctance in using the speedbrakes coming from? You have them, you are allowed to use them. 😉

@Paladin2005, mostlikely the software has an issue. If you did not pass the TD, on managed descent, if you are on profile, the airplane will follow the calculated path, speed, and altitude restrictions very well without needing to use speedbrakes. Sometimes, when not in a congested area and ATC doesn't get involved in tight sequences, vectoring, etc., from the TOD to the final, you just don't touch anything, and it will fly right on the money. Yes, there are airplanes where slowing down takes some time, but that's where the magic is: FMS will handle it in normal conditions, regardless of your programmed CI. In any case, in managed descent, if you are at FL350 and start your descent at TD with no ATC interference, it should follow the profile without any issues, complying with all altitude and speed constraints. Now, if you really find yourself so high, use the speedbrakes, request vectors, or whatever is necessary (even lowering the landing gear) to get back on profile.

 

31 minutes ago, Farlis said:

Where is the reluctance in using the speedbrakes coming from? You have them, you are allowed to use them. 😉

The OP says they're using speedbrakes for almost the entire descent. That's not normal.