A320 Descent Management Presentation

[@WaitingForTheSubway]

This video is PERFECT. I’ve been flying the airbus for about a year and I still come back to this video when I feel like my energy management skills need refreshing. I would have LOVED to have discovered this in ground school. No one at my airline explained these important concepts during training. Thanks!

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Same with me when I started on the 737. No one was able to explain it properly. Luckily that now has changed.

[@WaitingForTheSubway]

@@a320descentenergymanagemen3 I’ll be training on the 787 in a few months. So I’ll be needing you to make some videos on it please 😂 I’ve never flown a Boeing. Only ERJ, Learjet, airbus. Don’t tell anyone, but my favorite so far was the erj😂

[@tearscandy7295]

Best energy management video presentation so far! As an FO Nobody explained to me this clear, definitely no doubts anymore ! Huge thanks

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Thanks, glad you like it. When I was an FO, nobody explained it to me properly either. So I decided to get to the bottom of it, and this is the result. Hopefully the new cadets I train will one day become instructors who will finally start to explain this properly to their students as well.

[@flyerpower5929]

I am currently doing line training on the A320 after flying turboprops for 9 years. this is helpful thanks.

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Glad you find it helpful. Coming from turboprops is indeed a very different way of doing things.

[@salimb4334]

I requested the book from Amazon, 👍 Thanks from Jeddah, SAUDIA ARABIA.

[@koramkara5142]

Most informative and instructive on this topic! Thanks!

[@adrianlawrenzpesebre6558]

this video is truly educational!!! the best energy management video! just finished my A320 type rating. and these techniques couldve made my type rating better!! thank you sharing this captain!!!!

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Thanks, glad you like it ☺️

[@HienPham-hk9yj]

Bought your book after this video. Many greetings from a fellow of VNA 🎉

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Many thanks 🙏

[@leoarjuncrasto]

Studying as Trainee FO om the A320 will use these techniques in the sim and on training. Thank you sir.

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Glad to help, and good luck with your type rating.

[@Keitan97]

Before I buy your book, I want to know that at 7:07 last question… using your formula I got different answer.. Rounded out figures: 20x3 = 6000ft - 1000ft(greendot) = 5000ft + Airport elev 2000 = 7000ft Please correct me if I’m wrong, thank you

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

17 nm is rounded down to 15 nm. You can't round it up to 20 nm because you already passed that point so you can't do a height check for that. 15*3=4500, then 3500 for green dot speed, then 5500 ft for the airport elevation.

[@biff3183]

would have been helpful to state what you round down to... it was unclear if rounding down to the nearest10 or the nearest 5. Also it was unclear if you multiply first and then round or round down first and then multiply....

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Thank you for your feedback. I will make note and be more clear about that in the future. You have to round down first, then multiply. The reason for this is to reduce workload. It is easier to multiply round numbers (unless you're a a mental math whizz, which I'm not), that is why you have to round down first, then multiply.

[@DungPham-jq3qh]

So glad that i found your vid !! Many thanks to you sir.

[@edgarsvaivars4244]

Thanks , great explanation and quizzes towards end !!!

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Thanks, glad you like it.

[@jg4340]

Thank you very much for your work !

[@rma2277]

Sucha good video, thank you for this; defo purchasing your book to support

[@ro4526]

Sorry I''m unsure of the calculation for the example where we're 33nm at 319 kts and we should be on profile at 6000ft. If I take the rule, shouldn't it be (33*3)_3000 ft= 6900 ft?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Yes, you can do that also. However, in order to reduce workload, you can only use round numbers to calculate with. So calculate for 30 nm and wait for the distance to change from 31 to 30 nm and check if you are at 6000 ft. It depends how fast you are with mental math. If you are good at it and it doesn't cause you additional workload to use exact numbers, by all means go for it. But the added precision isn't worth it from my experience.

[@andrevorona8940]

Another great video ! Thanks for sharing

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Thanks, glad you like it.

[@kevinignatius5142]

Thank you for all the videos sir. Really well explained!

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Glad you like it 👍

[@salimb4334]

Thank you so much 👍

[@itsdelex4902]

I would recommend bugging the speed up all the way up to 300kts and above and put it into OPEN DES. Upon reaching 10,600ft pull VS for 0fpm and bug the speed to 250kts or below using speedbrake if necessary.

[@umutgulmez83]

Very nice presentation, thank you captain

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Glad you like it 😊

[@boahneelassmal]

6:36 I don't understand how do you get from 33*3=99 (assume you want us to multiply by 100 to get the altitude) -> 9900->~10000ft - 3000ft(for 300+kts)=7000 to 6000ft?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

You have to round down the distance. So 33 nm becomes 30 nm. Then multiply that by 3 and you get 9000 ft. At 300 kts (also rounded to the nearest reference), you have to fly 3000 ft lower, so 6000 ft. Rounding before calculating is done for workload management. There is no need for high frequency calculation, so you can calculate at 10 nm or 5 nm intervals.

[@Vufko]

👍👍👍

[@JustMe00257]

Great video 👍🏻

[@saytoga]

I don't understand why you need the speed break when you have head wind when the head wind should technically reduce the speed because it's forcing the opposite side.

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Because you need a sustained 30 kt headwind component for a long time to have the same effect as the speedbrake. That situation is very rare, so in reality you will need to create drag yourself when you are high on energy.

[@balintszij7126]

awesome video Cpt! How do you compensate for HDW or TLW? Thank you!

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

There is no need to calculate for that. You cannot ignore it, but instead of doing a calculation, just keep calculating the profile as usual. When you get high (due to a tailwind or another reason), use speed brake. When you get low (due to a tailwind or another reason), set VS-500. The wind doesn't make much difference unless it's a lot for a long time.

[@balintszij7126]

@@a320descentenergymanagemen3 thank you for the elaboration!

[@John-b7n1w]

A really useful video, thank you so much. Could you also use distance x 3 like this: say you were expecting an approximate 40 mile shortcut from PENT to KREN. If I wanted to be at 4000ft by KREN. Would the correct calculation be 4x3 =12k ft to lose so I know if I want to be at 4k by KREN I need to be no more than 16k ft by PENT. & then once you get that shortcut you can do the total track miles and account for speed in your calculations as you do etc. or would you do it any differently?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

That is not what I teach due to added workload and there is no need for that. Instead, only work with the expected track miles (shortcut taken into account). Then do the profile calculation and figure out if you are above or below profile and deal with that accordingly. If there are altitude restrictions which put you high or low, just fly the VDEV and if you get high on the calculated profile, slow down.

[@John-b7n1w]

@@a320descentenergymanagemen3 ok so expected track miles to the threshold including the shortcut. I understand.

[@KRZYMANIAK]

Can these rules of thumb be used for other types of jets? Of the same class?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Yes it can. It works well for the B737 (I used to fly that) and even bigger aircraft. Not sure about small business jets, but I think it's not that far off.

[@JohnFrusciante319]

good stuff man !

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Thanks, glad you like it.

[@Brandon-pq3is]

I apologise in advance for my stupid comment, but the whole '1500 ft for 5nm' thing, just confirming is that based on 300ft per NM on a standard 3 degree approach. Likewise if I just wanted to eyeball how much height I could lose in 20nm, would I just do 20 x 3 = 6k ft I can potentially lose. I know it is better to work on track miles to run to the threshold and that's what I do, I just like backing it up with a sanity check. Obviously the managed descent profile is slightly shallower (2.5 degrees) so would you just call it a negligible difference? Also in your book you talk about how with distance x 3 it's not accurate further than 50nm away, however a few pages later you say it's more accurate than altitude x 3. Are you comparing it not being accurate to the managed vdev profile or not accurate to alt x 3. I mean it all in a good way just trying to learn :)

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

1500 ft for 5 nm is indeed 300 ft per nm. But if the approach is more than 3 degrees, the same descent calculation applies though. Once you are on the glide slope in that case, the calculation is different, but before that it's the same. Second point, indeed you can always do distance x3 as a sanity check. A managed descent profile is not any different than a selected profile though. The calculation is the same. Distance x 3 is more accurate compared to altitude x 3. As for the 50 nm, because you will be on a mach number when much further than that, any calculation is unstable and you get inaccurate numbers no matter what. Also, at that diatance you are unlikely to get any shortcuts and if you do, it's easier to just update the FMS track and you will have plenty of time to fix any high profile situation.

[@Brandon-pq3is]

@@a320descentenergymanagemen3 Thank you. Lastly, the 500ft rule that open des does to capture the target speed (if it’s slower than actual) is that just an approximate? It’s not something I could find in the FCOM.

[@Brandon-pq3is]

@@a320descentenergymanagemen3 thank you, and you know you talk about op des targeting 500fpm when you set a target speed lower than your actual speed (so we can slow down) is that an official number, or is it just an approximate (couldn’t find it in FCOM)

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Everything I teach are all techniques, almost nothing is from the FCOM. The FCOM is pretty useless concerning descent management as many points they make are missing context and some points are just plain misleading.

[@Eiszenheim]

Would it change any of the calculation if it was an A330-200 or -300?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Good question. Unfortunately I have no idea. The best way to find out is to ask a pilot who flies these aircraft. I don't know any so far.

[@ro4526]

Hi, I have a question on the selected descent mode. I mean once we have estimated when we should descend based on 3:1 rule, adding wind component distance as well if needed, then how do we deal with the fact that our descent rate will no more be the same as we get lower and closer to initial fix or FAF for instance. I mean let's say we initiated initial selected descent at 2300 ft/min ( GS 460 knots), how can we srill assume we'll descend at this rate when we 're lower and that GS will probably be around 350 knots ( 1750 feet/min'). Can the plane still descend at the initial rate we did set in the mcdu?Or does that rule already account for the fact that we'll have a lower GS anyway?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

There is no need to calculate a descent rate. Just fly lower depending on your speed, that will take care of it.

[@sgsandeepk]

Are you a pilot ? Or a trainer ?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

Both

[@henrikolsen5]

When estimating TOD, how do you do it? These instructions seem to go from distance to an altitude. I realise these tips focus on the last 50nm, doing profile/altitude checks along the way. Would be great if you could follow up with info on your TOD techniques. I've seen the altitude delta to drop (in thousands) * 3, and general advice on adding 1 NM per 10 KTS of speed to reduce, possibly combined with same correction for head/tail wind. Is that what you do too, and then use this presentations tips for checks when < 50 NM from runway?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

I understand what you mean, but there is no need to calculate the TOD. In my whole career, not one time did I need to do that. This is only necessary if you fly an airplane which doesn't have an FMS. When you are at cruising level, you don't know yet if you get a shortcut later, so just let the FMS do it's thing. If you do think you get a shortcut somewhere on the arrival when you are still cruising, you an just start to descent early and fly below the VDEV for a certain amount (for example 3000 ft, if that is what you think the effect of the shortcut will be).

[@henrikolsen5]

@@a320descentenergymanagemen3 Currently my simulator (FS2020 with A32NX) doesn't show me a TOD, so I somehow need to know where to start my descent, even if flying on VATSIM or similar, as they might sometimes descent you rather late if you don't ask yourself. I guess in real life you use the TOD indication on your ND/MCDU as a guide, or rely on controllers?

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

@@henrikolsen5 Are you sure you are in CRZ mode? It should show you a TOD (white arrow). If not, it might be a bug/lack of a feature. Are you using the default A320 aircraft? That one is not very good. The upcoming Fenix sim should be a lot better. As for ATC, sometimes they descend you on time, other times you have to ask for it. It's hard for ATC to calculate the TOD because they are missing important parameters, so we can't be too hard on them.

[@henrikolsen5]

@@a320descentenergymanagemen3 I'm using the A320 Neo from Flybywire (called a32nx). In the development version TOD arrow isn't implemented yet. Perhaps in the experimental version. They are doing amazing progress. Following it closely.

[@craigwalecki2210]

I don’t understand your math in the examples. 32nm @ 255kts. according to your formula should be 30nm/3 = 10,000 -2000 = 8000 but your answer is 7000. Same for the 33nm @ 320kts. 30/3 = 10,000 -3000 = 7000 but your answer is 6000. Unless your field elevation is -1000, I don’t follow your math.

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

You have to round down first. So 32 nm becomes 30 nm. Also, you have to multiply your distance by 3, not divide. Then for 250 ft, subtract 2000 ft. So 30x3=9000, minus 2000 becomes 7000 ft.

[@flyboy970]

Surely if you’re 50nm you’re not long before having to reduce to 250kts anyway…..

[@jort93z]

idk if it is different in other places, but in europe you are not allowed to fly above 250kts below FL100, so most of those examples are quite odd.

[@a320descentenergymanagemen3]

250 kts below FL100 is everywhere in the world. However, also everywhere in the world you can ask ATC for a high speed descent (above 250 kts). Sometimes ATC will ask you to do that for sequencing. Therefore, the examples given are relevant.