A320 pilots, do you ever add any Vpilot to Vapp? If yes, when and why?

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FL060@reddit

Yes, if Vapp is right at the top of the hook or if it's a little gusty. Keeps the throttle from getting poured on on short final.

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capn_starsky@reddit

So does clicking AT off! This is your non scheduled reminder to do manual thrust soon!

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

I have no idea WTF you all are talking about.

Signed, 737 pilot.

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Fit-Mammoth1359@reddit

Yeah I think in maybe 50% of approaches we do this as Vapp is sitting too close to VLS. Just a couple of knots

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Choconilla@reddit

This is really the only reason to do it IMO, since groundspeed mini does a great job of adding speed for you on approach anyway there’s really not much need.

That being said we’re allowed to add up to 15 knots, not sure if that’s universal.

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VLS calculated by FMGS is using ZFW you put in INIT B page. VLS displayed on PFD is calculated using FACs, so there might be a discrepancy because loadsheet is not always accurate. Sometimes you have increase Vapp to maintain 5kt margin from VLS

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Choconilla@reddit

Hello Airbus nerd. I noticed sometimes on the PERF page for approach where it lists all the speeds it’ll sometimes say green dot is 210 knots but on the PFD it’ll show the actual green dot at 211 knots. Is that for the same reason?

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Boris_the_pipe@reddit

Yep. On Neos you can use parameter callup in MCDU MENU. Insert GWFK in cruise and it will display Gross weight calculated by FAC. Inmy experience it's heavier by 800-2000kg than loadsheet

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beercanpilot@reddit

Yes

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capn_starsky@reddit

Our company allows and encourages a small increase for gusty direct crosswinds when you wouldn’t get GS mini. Their reasoning is that it improves handling and gives a little extra margin for wind shear. I don’t really do it unless it’s wild, but have flown with pilots that’ll add 10 knots for whatever reason they feel justifies it.

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flyingbbanana@reddit

Ah gs mini only accounts for hw and tw?

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capn_starsky@reddit

It tries to keep a minimum ground speed to keep up some energy during shear and gusts, theoretically a pure crosswind wouldn’t change your airspeed and forward speed across the ground. These numbers aren’t exact because I don’t feel like calculating, but it’ll give you a rough idea of what it does:

Vapp is 140, the winds are reporting a 5 knot tailwind but they’re gusting and variable 180 degrees so you put in the steady state wind:

Fifi wants to keep 140 over the ground, Vapp is 140 because the tailwind is giving you a faster ground speed and the plane won’t calculate slower than Vapp. Wind now shifts 180 degrees and gusts to give you a 15 knot headwind so you effectively lose 20 knots of groundspeed, your indicated would increase during this and GS mini kicks in, increasing Vapp by 10 (formula it uses gives an exact value,) so when the wind goes back to the tailwind you entered, you’re not sitting right at the hook and lose all 20 knots indicated.

I’ve got kiddo with me today but if I get a free bit later, I can DM you a little more precise info with the formula the plane uses.

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spacecadet2399@reddit

I've done both adding speed and conf 3 a couple times in the past couple years, both during particularly gusty conditions, but both are tools that are meant to be used.

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Belowmda@reddit

Generally no. Gusty crosswind maybe 2kts. The NEO is a bit different though and we have what we call NEO KNOTS. The auto thrust will happily sit below VLS on the NEO so people often add a couple in most scenarios, especially on the 321 NEO. On a calm day in the NEO I don't bother but if it's a bit gusty I do.

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Fr3nch_Toa5t_@reddit

Auto pilot off, auto thrust off, send it

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disfannj@reddit

it's rare at my shop.

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anonymous4071@reddit

As others have said, I like a 5 knot margin on Vls so I would add to keep that buffer. That was a pilot technique thing and most guys I flew with did the same. I found it especially helpful with the NEOs, those things seemed to kill all your energy at idle. My buddy flies the bus at the tulip and i think he told me they always add 3 knots, maybe 5 by SOP

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beercanpilot@reddit

It’s not SOP

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anonymous4071@reddit

I just looked back, maybe the 5 knot tailwind on takeoff calc is what i was thinking of

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beercanpilot@reddit

A lot of them add 3 knots when flying the 319 bc of the vls vapp spread being smaller than a 320. The 5 knot tailwind number you’re referring to isn’t SOP. ACARS spits out 0 wind, 5 TW and 10 TW numbers (just explaining bc idk if other operators do the same). A lot of tulip bus drivers defer to the 5 TW numbers regardless of headwind. You can have 15 kts headwind and they’ll still do 5 TW, personally I think some of them do it bc of a lack of understanding.

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anonymous4071@reddit

Good deal. My previous carrier used ACARS takeoff data that only gave info for the conditions provided by the pilots upon request, not multiple conditions. We used the Airbus ECB application to get our landing data which also gave a singular output for pilot entered conditions. To be fair though, we operated at much lower weights than other bus operators so we generally had much better margins to max takeoff and landing weights

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