Random Line Check

Position: Over the threshold; KABQ (Albuquerque)
Passengers on board: 87
Time: 0900 hrs local

We hit the deck at o'dark hundred this morning in LAX for an o'dark thirty push. Five legs today and this is leg number two. My co-pilot is not new to the airline, but is new to Fi-Fi. He previously flew Boeings for ten years. He is in a state of shock. His mind is asking, "Who designed this airplane? Why? What have I got myself into?" Fi-Fi can, make that will, be a very bad girl if she knows that you are new to her ways. She will find out quickly by the way you handle her electrons. Oh, yes...

As the captain, I have to draw the line between micro-managing and keeping my mouth shut when I see Fi-Fi about to pull one of her tricks. Usually, unless it is a safety issue or will scare the passengers, it is better to let a new Fi-Fi pilot get bit and learn the hard way. It falls under the category of, "Well, I bet you won't do that again." There are few things more annoying than a captain telling you how to fly when you are really, really busy trying to fly.

During the quick stop in Phoenix, I was on my way to Starbucks when a check airman walked up to me and announced, "Hi Captain, you have been selected for a random line check." I looked at him and thought yeah, right. This is a dream and I will wake up in a few seconds. I keep looking at him... He is still there and not fading away. Uh-oh, this could be real. A random line check is, well, random. I am still good with my annual line check, not due again until February. I decided to try verbal maneuvering with, "Hey, listen, my co-pilot is new on the plane and we are working on a few problems. You know how it goes. Can you pick another crew for a checkride?"

"Sorry, when your name comes up, thats it. I need to see you fly the leg to Albuquerque; the co-pilot flys back." It was worth a try...

Carrying two scalding hot coffees into the flight deck, I told the co-pilot the news. He said, "OK, but you can fly both legs, right?" I had to laugh at that, and then told him not to worry because, "I have a plan. We'll talk about it in Albuquerque while we are getting our green-chili soup. You will be fine."

Seventy-five minutes later, with the engines at idle thrust, I am bringing The Electric Jet down out of the cold blue through the approach gate west of Albuquerque. I am high and fast, as planned, but will use two 45 degree turns to dump excess energy before merging with the final approach path. When I am using gravity for my motive force, I like to carry excess energy for course or altitude corrections.

Albuquerque approach control clears us for the visual approach to runway 8.

Auto-pilot OFF, auto-thrust OFF, flight directors OFF, roll into a 30 degree left bank and deploy the wing spoilers full UP. Yeah, I'm hot dogging a little bit. A good nights sleep and Starbucks will do that to you. The wings are rumbling as the spoilers rise to max extension. After 45 degrees of turn, roll into a right 30 degree bank and turn toward the final approach path. We are shedding altitude rapidly. The sun is low on the eastern horizon and casting moving shadows in the flight deck as we turn and burn toward the airport.

Albuquerque tower, ever friendly controllers, clears us to land, and then asks, "How's your morning going?"

We are approaching the final approach fix at a thirty degree angle, engines still at idle thrust. Three miles from the five mile fix, we start configuring for landing.... Landing gear DOWN, flaps and slats EXTEND, landing checklist COMPLETE. The extra drag from the gear and flaps slows us to approach speed as we pass over the fix in a 20 degree bank fully configured. My right hand moves the thrust levers forward to about 35% thrust to maintain speed. I do not have to look at the engine guages; I can feel 35% in my gut. Little adrenalin spurts are hitting my system making the smile on my face big enough to hurt.

It is a beautiful, clear and calm morning in Albuquerque as we taxi into the gate and shut down. The co-pilot and I hot foot it to the green-chili soup place, a mandatory stop for all air crews. He says,"You make it look so easy." I reply,"Well, you have thirty hours in Fi-Fi; I've got thousands. It will get easier. Don't worry."

We make a plan for the return trip. To keep things going smoothly for the check airman, I will help him along under the guise of a review of the differences between The Electric Jet and the Boeing, sort of like we were talking about it before, but got interrupted by the check ride. If I see a Fi-Fi-ism coming, I will start talking. He likes the idea.


It worked perfectly. The return leg was pretty much problem free until we were approaching the Phoenix airport. All new A319/320 pilots have trouble with the managed engine thrust system for awhile. It took me 1,000 flight hours before I fully understood it. And it is not something easily explained, i.e., you have to see it react to different situations on the Line. Most of the problems come during the descent and approach phases where a lot of things are happening at once, i.e., multi-tasking. So, with a few round about hints from me, the co-pilot was able to perform satisfactorily for the check airman. Leg number three complete; two to go.

Life on the Line continues...