Add-on for Microsoft

Flight Simulator

A300 B4-200
Quickstart manual
SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

Copyright: © 2010/ Aerosoft GmbH

Airport Paderborn/Lippstadt
D-33142 Bueren, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 29 55 / 76 03-10
Fax: +49 (0) 29 55 / 76 03-33
E-Mail: info@aerosoft.de
Internet: www.aerosoft.de
www.aerosoft.com
All trademarks and brand names are trademarks or registered of their
respective owners. All rights reserved.

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 SimCheck
Airbus
A300B4-200
Quickstart manual

Add-on for

Microsoft Flight Simulator X

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

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Content
System Requirements:.......................................................... 6
Installation............................................................................ 6
Uninstallation....................................................................... 7

INTRODUCTION...........................................................8
STARTING THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE FIRST TIME..........9
2D PANEL OVERVIEW AND LIMITATIONS.................10
FLIGHT PREPARATION...............................................11
LOADING FUEL.................................................................... 12
ESTABLISHING ELECTRICAL POWER AND PNEUMATIC (FOR
ENGINE START)....................................................................... 13
External power and air............................................... 13
APU Power ......................................................................... 15
SPEED BUGS........................................................................ 19
MAXIMUM SPEEDS............................................................. 21
PARKING BRAKES................................................................ 22
ENGINE START..................................................................... 23
MAXIMUM AND OPTIMUM CRUISE LEVEL....................... 24

Autoflight System: Autopilot and Autothrottle.....25

GENERAL............................................................................. 25
HIDDEN CLICK ZONES ON AFCS PANEL ............................ 27
NORMAL PROCEDURES – AUTOPILOT OPERATION.......... 27
Take-off, climb and cruise . ........................................ 27
Lateral modes............................................................ 29
Descent / holding ...................................................... 30
Approach and landing................................................ 31

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System Requirements:
Minimum:
• Multicore Processor
• 2 GB RAM
• 512MB Gfx Graphics Card
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X with SP1 & SP2 or Acceleration Pack.
Maximum:
• Quadcore Processor
• 3 GB RAM
• 1024MB Gfx Graphics Card
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X with SP1 & SP2 or Acceleration Pack.
• Windows 7, Vista or XP SP2

Installation
Please Note: To install the Airbus A300B4-200, you need the serial
number which is printed on the cover of your DVD! Store this number
in a safe place, you will need it again in case of a new installation of
the product.
You have to be logged in as system administrator to be able to install
the software. The setup program will be launched automatically when
the DVD is inserted into the DVD-ROM-Drive. If it does not start,
choose START -> EXECUTE and enter “D:\Setup.exe“ (change the
letter of your DVD-ROM-Drive if necessary).
Click the button “Install Airbus A300B4-200“ and the installer will be
launched. Click “Next“ to enter the serial number, then click “Validate“.
Your serial is validated and a confirmation or an error message will be
shown. Click OK and “Next“ to proceed. Accept the License Agreement
and click “Next“.
Choose if you want a custom or a complete installation and click
“Next“. The installer will search for your Flight Simulator. If it doesn‘t
find it or if you want to manually define another directory, you may do
so by using the “Browse” button. Click “Next“, then “Install“.
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To activate the software, reboot your computer. The Airbus
A300B4-200 DVD is not required to operate the software.

Uninstallation
To uninstall the Airbus A300B4-200, use the “Add/Remove Software“
tool in Windows control panel. Select Airbus A300B4-200 from the list
of installed programs and select “uninstall“. This will completely remove
your Airbus A300B4-200 installation. Do not manually delete files.

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

INTRODUCTION
This Quickstart manual contains need-to-know information about the
SimCheck A300B4-200 implementation and will get experienced
sim-pilots up and flying quickly.
If you want to dig further into the complete manual and check lists,
then please read the “normal procedures” manual or do the tutorial
flight, and check out the panel orientation manual, which are also
included in the SimCheck A300B4-200 package.

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STARTING THE
AIRCRAFT FOR THE
FIRST TIME
Before you start-up FSX make sure you have the most recent version of
FSUIPC installed (the panel has been tested with version 4.581). The
panel will not run properly without it!
To download FSUIPC go to http://www.schiratti.com/dowson, note
that you do NOT need to buy a license for FSUIPC for the panel to
work properly!
After installing FSUIPC, start-up FSX. Load a flight using one of the
default FSX aircraft (preferably the C172) and make sure the avionics
and master switch are turned on. Then switch to the SimCheck
A300B4-200. Now save the flight and use this saved situation next
time you want to load the SimCheck A300B4-200.
The SimCheck A300 is a complicated simulation and FSX doesn’t
always like complicated add-ons. To avoid any problems during
loading we strongly advice to first load the default Cessna 172
after starting up FSX and then load the SimCheck A300.

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

2D PANEL OVERVIEW
AND LIMITATIONS
We have tried to make this panel as real as it gets, some (but not
many) compromises had to be made however to make the panel
usable for single pilot operations. All the systems have been simulated
but some parts of the Flight Engineer (F/E) panel where not recreated.
Note: This panel does not work properly with FSX Shared Cockpit.
In order to get so many gauges and systems integrated into the panel
we have created 9 sub-panels, all the sub-panels can be reached with
the panel switcher that is located in the top left corner of the 2D
panel. If the panel switcher is hidden behind the menu bar, the press
and hold the <alt-gr> button for a few seconds this will hide the FSX
menu bar. Pressing <alt-gr> again will reload the menu bar.
Note: In some non-English version of FSX pressing the <alt> key will
also work.

Figure 1: Panel-switcher

The following key-shortcuts can be used:

Shift-1 or 1: main captains panel
Shift-2 or 2: FO panel
Shift-3 or 3: hydraulics, brake temperature gauge and F/E engine
instruments
Shift-4 or 4: electrics panel
Shift-5 or 5: overhead panel
Shift-6 or 6: throttle quadrant
Shift-7 or 7: fuel panel (with fuel dump), APU control panel and pitot
heat switches
Shift-8 or 8: pneumatics panel with packs controls, cabin pressurization
system and temperature control
Shift-9 or 9: communications panel
Extra window: re-fuel/de-fuel gauge
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FLIGHT PREPARATION
Before every flight you have to make sure you have enough fuel on
board! To calculate the correct flight time, fuel needed and optimum
flight level, the SimCheck A300B4-200 package includes the A300B4-
configurator. A few things to keep in mind when loading fuel into the
SimCheck A300B4-200:
• fuel must be loaded from outside to inside. So first the outer
tanks (external 1 and 2), then the main wing tanks and finally
the centre tank (will be done automatically with the fuel loader)
• the first hour of the flight (including the climb) will consume
approximately 19 000 lbs of fuel, the following hours, fuel
consumption will be around 14 000 lbs. So for a 2 hour flight,
with 30 minute diversion time, 30 minutes holding fuel and 15
minutes contingency fuel you will need to load:
1x 19000 lbs
2,25x 14000 lbs
= 50500 lbs Treibstoff
This is a slight exaggeration of the fuel consumption because during
descent less fuel will be used. Better to have some extra fuel onboard
however than to be a few pounds short!
• normal cruising speed for the A300 is M.78 or approximately
450kts TAS
• if you can, use a flight planner that takes the current weather
into account. Upper winds can have a very significant effect on
the time of the flight and you shouldn’t simply extrapolate the
ground distance to time of flight
For more information about using the “A300B4 Configurator”,
please read the manual that is included with the installation.

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LOADING FUEL
Re-fuelling and de-fuelling can be done directly from the panel or by
calling a fuel truck. Re/de-fuelling can only be performed: while on the
ground with the engines switched off !
On the main fuel panel (shift-7) click on the REFUEL/DEFUEL zone to open
or close the refuel gauge.
Power up the re/de-fuel gauge with the ON/OFF switch.

Figure 2: Fuel-loader

The yellow number (2) shows the current amount of fuel in all tanks,
the red number (1) is the requested amount. You can increase/
decrease the requested amount by right/left clicking the left or right
section of the red number.
Once the desired amount has been set, select fast or slow to set the
speed at which the fuelling is done and press “START”. Norm loading
more or less reflects loading speed as one would encounter in real life,
Fast loading is double the normal speed.
The fuel will now be added or drained using the optimal filling process
(outside tanks first), this can take some time as a lot of fuel needs to
be drained or added !

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ESTABLISHING ELECTRICAL POWER
AND PNEUMATIC (FOR ENGINE START)
There are a number of ways to establish electrical power and air
without actually starting the engines:
• DC power can be provided by the batteries; AC by using the
DC/AC inverters. Battery power alone will give you approxi-
mately 30 minutes of power. No pneumatic pressure will be
available though: You need an air source for that
• external power and air
• APU power and bleed air

External power and air

Using the batteries is pretty straightforward so let’s skip that and look
at how you can connect external power and air.
Note: To be able to connect external power the aircraft has to be on the
ground.
• Open the set-up subpanel and click on the button next to
“GROUND MENU”

Figure 3: Set-up main menu

• Click on the button next to CONN.EXT.PWR/AIR to connect both

external power (electrics) and air and close the set-up panel

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

Figure 4: Connect external power and air

In der Außensicht ist die GPU jetzt zu sehen.

• Now open the electrics panel and turn on the external power
switch, note that the EXT PWR AVAILBLE light should be on,
the EXT PWR ON light will only come one after external power
is established. Engine and APU power take precedence over
external power so when either of these is available the EXT
PWR ON will not come on.

Figure 5: External power switch

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APU Power
To start the APU you need: Electrical power (can be provided by the
batteries) and fuel in the left wing tanks or the right wing tanks but
then you have to make sure that fuel is cross fed from the right tanks
to the left tanks.
• Open the fuel panel (<Shift-7>), on the top right hand side you
see the APU panel.

Figure 6: APU section on fuel panel

• To start the APU, first move the MASTER SWITCH to the ON

position
• Next press the START button. The button will light up bright
blue and the APU start-up sequence will be completed
automatically

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

Figure 7: APU start sequence

• Once the APU is up and running, close the fuel panel and open
the electrics panel (<Shift-4>)
• Turn on the electrical power from the APU by moving the
switch to the ON position

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Figure 8: Connect the APU generator

• On the bleed panel (<Shift-8>) make sure the APU bleed air
switch is in the AUTO or OPEN position

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

Figure 9: APU bleed switch in „AUTO“

• Once electrical power and bleed air are available you can start
the engines (see below). If you have many electrical users on,
you might get a generator overload error, to avoid this turn the
load shed switch to SHED

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SPEED BUGS
Once the fuel and cargo or passengers are loaded you can either enter
the current gross weight manually or via a hidden click zone into the
gross weight gauge.

Bild 10: Gross Weight Gauge mit verborgenem Klickspot

Once the correct weight has been loaded into the gauge, a second
hidden click zone can be pressed to automatically calculate and set the
V-bugs on the airspeed indicator (ASI).

Bild 11: Verborgener Klickspot um die Speed Bugs zu setzen

Clicking this hidden zone while on the ground will set the V-bugs to the
following speeds:

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

• White: V1
Speed up to which the pilot can decide to abort the take-off
following critical failure (e.g. engine fire): Either to continue the
take-off run within the limits of available takeoff runway length,
or to stop the aircraft within the limits of available runway
length. After V1 the pilot has to continue with the takeoff. Note:
The gauge makes the calculations based on a 8500 feet runway.
• Orange speed bug: V2
Takeoff safety speed reached before the altitude of 35 feet
with one engine failed
• Green: V3
Equal to 1.2x Vs (stall speed) with slats extended/flaps 0°. It
is the minimum speed at which the flaps may be raised to 0°
during the level acceleration at safety height after an engine
failure after V1
• Yellow: V4
Equal to 1.25x Vs of slats 0°/flaps 0°. It is the minimum speed
at which the slats may be retracted to 0° in the same situation
as V3 on one engine
• Red: VFTO
Final take-off speed to be reached on one engine at the end of
the level acceleration and allowing best climb. On the A300B4 this
is equal to 1.45x Vs in clean configuration. De facto this should be
used as the minimum clean speed when requested by ATC
When airborne, clicking the hidden click zone on the ASI will set the
bugs to the following speeds:
• Red: VFTO
• Yellow: V4
• Green: V3
• Orange: not set automatically, has to be set via the auto-
throttle speed window
• White: Vapp (approach speed). Minimum landing speed using
in full flaps/slats configuration and in zero-wind conditions

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You can also manually drag the speed bugs to the desired position. To
do so, left click on the location of the speed bug you want to drag and
move the bug while pressing down the left mouse button.

Figure 12: Click and drag speedbugs

MAXIMUM SPEEDS
The A300 is quite sensitive to overspeed situations with flaps extended.
• Maximum slat speed: 250 kts
• Maximum speed flap 8: 215 kts
• Maximum speed flap 15: 200 kts
• Maximum speed flap 25: 180 kts
• Overspeed will result in a clacker sound warning.

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PARKING BRAKES
The parking brakes in the A300B4-200 are fed by a subsystem of the
YELLOW hydraulic system. The yellow system is pressurized by the
right engine (engine number 2) and a minimum pressure is required
before the parking brakes will work. Off course it wouldn’t make
sense if you had to start the engines before the parking brakes could
be set, therefore an AC driven electrical pump was installed to
pressurize the brake accumulator (the same system is used in many
aircraft like the Bae146).

Figure 13: Yellow accu pressure indicator and button

If the Yellow accu pressure is below 1500 psi, establish AC power and
keep the ELEC PUMP push button depressed until the pressure reaches
about 3000 psi. In the actual aircraft this should give you approximately
10 hours of parking brake action. In the panel I have reduced this to
about 1 hour. The yellow accu pressure is passed from one flight to the
next so when you save a flight and come back your aircraft a few days
later the yellow accu pressure will be where it was at the end of the
last session.

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ENGINE START
Once all the pre-start preparations have been finished (load cargo/PAX,
fuel, created a flight plan, programmed the INS, etc…) and you have
received start-up clearance, you can start the engines !
Open the overhead panel (shift-5), the engine start gauge is located
more or less in the middle of the panel
Move the ENG START rotating switch to start system A or B.
Moving the ARM switch to ARM will initiate the start sequence. This
will automatically close the packs valves and the start pushbuttons are
lit for about 3 seconds.
Once the start lights are extinguished they can be pressed. We will
start engine 2 first because this will provide pressure to the yellow
hydraulic system (parking brake again), make sure the cross bleed
rotating switch on the air bleed panel is set to any setting but CLOSED.
Pressing the start button will admit air to the starter by the start valve.
At approximately 20% N2 (main panel), open the fuel supply to the
respective engine (pedestal panel Shift-6) and engine start will be
completed.
Opening fuel at 20% should result in a smooth engine start. The
starter will automatically close at 45% N2.
Now engine 1 can be started using the same procedure. In fact the
APU or the external air source can now be turned off as bleed air can
be used from engine 2 for starting engine 1.

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

MAXIMUM AND OPTIMUM

CRUISE LEVEL
The “Status” page of the set-up panel shows the optimum and
maximum cruising level for the current gross weight and selected
Mach cruising speed.

Figure 14: Set-up panel „Status“ page

The top line of the status page shows the current gross weight (in
pounds), the optimum and maximum cruising levels for either M.78,
M.80 and M.82 cruising speed, the current hydraulic fluid levels for
the Green, the Blue and the Yellow system and the present cabin
altitude.

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Autoflight System: Auto-
pilot and Autothrottle

Figure 15: Automatic flight control system

Finally a word on the autoflight system. This system is somewhat

different from the standard Boeing and Airbus autopilots that you are
probably used to.
The A300 has 2 autopilots (AP) and two flight directors (FD’s). In fact
the FD’s are the primary instruments that provide information to the
autopilots. The active autopilot mode can only be read from the failure
and performance indicator (FPI).

Figure 16: FPI

GENERAL
The AP cannot be engaged while on the ground, the FD’s can be
however, and the FD bars will already show on the ground. Since the
AP uses electricity, the automatic pitch trim system, the yaw dampers
and the hydraulic systems, you have to make sure all of these are
available (at least 1 yaw damper and 1 pitch trim needs to be enga-
ged) before you can engage the AP.
To engage the auto-throttle (A/T) for take-off, the N1 computer has to
be selected to Take Off (TO) or Flex Take Off (FLX TO) mode.

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SimCheck Airbus A300B4-200

Figure 17: N1 Computer with TO and FLX TO mode selected

On the ground only N1 A/T mode is available, once airborne both N1

and Speed mode are available.
Note: The Master warning panel includes a hidden click zone to turn
off the THR OFF warning lights.

Figure 18: Click zone to turn off THR OFF warning

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HIDDEN CLICK ZONES ON AFCS PANEL
The autopilot can be controlled by the mouse and each settings can be
changed by clicking either the left or the right mouse button changing
the selected field by either +/- 1/100 or +/- 10/1000.

Figure 19: AFCS click zones

NORMAL PROCEDURES –
AUTOPILOT OPERATION
Take-off, climb and cruise
Before take-off
AT SPD Set speed to V2 (automatic when clicking
hidden zone on ASI)
N1 limit computer FLX TO or TO
FD bars switch Select ON
HDG knob RWY heading selected
HDG sel SELECT
ALT selector FIRST CLEARED ALT
ALT ACQ SELECT
Ready for T/O
ATS lever ARM
TOGA button Press
(bottom of main panel)
Initial climb (gear up)
AP OFF

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Acceleration height
N1 limit computer CL (or CR)
AT SPD SELECT CLIMB SPEED (250kt typically)
(Decrease pitch to about 10° or slightly less to accelerate)
When the required climb speed is reached (trim)
AP CMD
IAS mode SELECT
When ALT ACQ in green illuminates on the FPI
AT SPD SELECT DESIRED SPEED
AT SPD mode SELECT
Climb from 5000-6000 feet at 250 kts (typical path)
ALT selector SELECT 6000
ALT ACQ SELECT
(At 6000 feet ALT ACQ green extinguishes and ALT mode engages
automatically)
Climb to FL80 at 250 kts
ALT selector SELECT 8000
AT N1 mode SELECT
IAS (after trim) SELECT
ALT ACQ SELECT
(ALT ACQ will unselect when IAS mode is engaged and needs
re-engagement each time)
When ALT ACQ green illuminates
AT SPD SELECT
Recleared FL310 commencing climb whilst increasing speed to 300kts
AT SPD counter SELECT 300kts
ALT selector SELECT 31000
ALT ACQ SELECT
A/T N1 mode SELECT
Set pitch manually or using VSPD mode to a climb at about 1000 fpm
until speed reaches 300 kts, once established at 300 kts:

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IAS mode SELECT
Again, this action disengages ALT ACQ…
ALT ACQ SELECT.
At the transition IAS/Mach (for M.78 FL290)
IAS PUSH (OFF)
The correct Mach speed is maintained by using manual trimming or by
using VSPD mode (the latter method has to be used in RVSM airspace)
Cruise
During climb
AT SPD SELECT CRUISE SPD
When ALT ACQ green illuminates:
AT SPD mode SELECT
When FL310 is reached, ALT mode engages automatically:
N1 Limit Computer SELECT CR.

Lateral modes
HDG SEL mode
HDG SEL knob PRESELECT HDG
HDG SEL SELECT
Bank angle is about 23° (+/- 2°), never select more than 160° heading
change at a time or the autopilot will have difficulty knowing which
way to turn.
VOR/LOC mode
NAV Panel VOR frequency SELECT
CRS knob CRS SELECT
HDG SEL SELECT
V/L SELECT
NAV mode
The NAV mode works with the CIVA INS and will follow the HDG
guidance given by the INS. The HSI will show distance, time and off
track information.

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Capture and tracking of localizer

NAV Panel ILS frequency SELECT
CRS knob CRS select
HDG SEL SELECT
V/L SELECT
(intercept course should be 30° or less different from the localizer front
course for a smooth intercept of the LOC, Backcourse approaches are
not possible in this panel configuration and are in fact forbidden in
many airlines)

Descent / holding
Descent from FL350
We are at such a level that we will have to start descent at constant
Mach number:
ALT selector SELECT CLEARED LEVEL
ALT DISENGAGE
ALT ACQ SELECT
AT SPD SELECT OFF
Descent from approx FL290 (slowly decrease throttle when IAS
mode is selected)
SPD knob SELECT DESCENT SPD
IAS SELECT
When green ALT ACQ illuminates on FPI
AT SPD SELECT
Descent to FL140 with 2500 fpm or more
ALT selector SELECT 14000
IAS SELECT
ALT ACQ SELECT
AT disconnect SELECT

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Then reduce throttle slowly to initiate descent (to approx 60-65 N1)
the lower the N1 the greater the descent rate…
When ALT ACQ green illuminates on FPI
AT SPD SELECT
When FL140 is reached ALT ACQ extinguishes and ALT illuminates
Descent to FL120 and speed reduction to 250 kts
ALT SELECT 12000
Alt ACQ SELECT
AT SPD SELECT 250
Descent FL120 to 4000 feet
Same as normal descent using IAS of VSPD mode

Approach and landing

Holding
Aircraft configuration: clean
AP (1 or 2) CMD
ALT SELECT
HDG SEL SELECT
AT SPD ARM/SELECT
Vorbereitung Endanflug
NAV Panel ILS frequency SELECT
CRS knob RUNWAY HDG SELECT
DECISION HEIGHT SELECT
N1 limit computer SELECT GA
FLAPS 8° CONFIGURATION ESTABLISH
AT SPD knob SELECT 180kts
In order to reach 2 dots with Flaps 8° - 180kts
Base leg, cleared to intercept
HDG knob SELECT INTERCEPT HEADING
APPR SELECT
(The APPR mode must be selected before interception of the LOC)

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LOC Capture (V/L green)

HDG knob RUNWAY HDG SELECT
1 dot below the GLIDE
FLAPS 15° Configuration ESTABLISH
LANDING GEAR DOWN
(Landing gear selection may be delayed down to 1200 feet AGL, in
such cases flaps 15°/V3 has to be maintained down to landing gear
selection)
ALWAYS capture the glideslope from BELOW !!!
AT SPD knob SELECT FINAL TARGET SPEED
Glide capture (G/S green)
SECOND FD ENGAGE
When crossing V3:
FLAPS 25° Configuration ESTABLISH
FINAL CHECKLIST PERFORM
You can now make an autoland (CAT 2 or CAT 3a) or at 200 feet AGL
(latest) disengage the AP and land manually (CAT 1), the second FD or
AP has to be selected before reaching 1500 feet AGL.
When you follow these standard autopilot and auto-throttle opera-
tions you will be able to perfectly control the A300B4-200 in auto-
flight !

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