Welcome to the A330MRTT, the world’s most advanced multi-role tanker transport aircraft.
The A330 MRTT has a fully glass cockpit setup, designed to achieve all aircrew (pilots, Air Refuelling Operator and Mission Systems Operator) operational requirements throughout the aircraft operating environment, while ensuring maximum commonality within the civilian Airbus Fly by Wire family. The cockpit design objectives are driven by three criteria:
- Reinforce safety of flight
- Improve efficiency of flight
- Answer crew requirements in a continuously changing environment
Airbus operational rules result from this design concept, particularly from the following systems:
- The Fly by Wire systems, with associated control laws and protections, commanded through Flight Control Sticks (Pilot Side Sticks / Boom Flight Control Sticks)
- An Integrated Auto Flight System comprising:
- The Flight Management System, interfaced through the Multi-function Control Display Unit and Mission Planning System
- The Auto-Pilot/Flight Director, interfaced through the Flight Control Unit
- The Auto-thrust, interfaced through the non back-driven thrust levers
- Flight Mode Annunciators interface to provide guidance targets and information to monitor the Auto Flight System / Flight Directors
- A set of Display Units that provide information parameters to the crew:
- To operate and navigate the aircraft
- To communicate
- To manage the aircraft systems
- An Integrated Cockpit Layout accommodating all required operating crewmembers, with a “Lights Out” or “Dark Cockpit” concept and a “Pilots facing forward” philosophy that assists the crew to properly control the various aircraft systems.
Operational rules applicable to specific systems are discussed in other blog posts.
OPERATIONAL GOLDEN RULES
- The aircraft can be flown like any other aircraft
- Fly, Navigate, Communicate – in that order
- One head up at all times
- Cross check the accuracy of the FMS
- Know your FMA at all times
- When things don’t go as expected – take over
- Use the proper level of automation for the task
- Practice task sharing and back-up each other