Test flying the brand new Airbus A-319!

[@Lew747]

I’ve got a few thousand hours on the A319. My favourite of the 320 family to fly. More forgiving to fly in bad weather and easier to make a greaser landing!

[@jcheck6]

Good one Ron. We were the US launch customer (NWA) for Airbus in '89. Love the plane and 319 when light in cold weather was a rocket ship. Planes didn't want to go down and slow down. FOQA results created max speed at arrival points on many of our approaches. My first flight off CA OE had to go around at SNA...."I was high but at least I was fast."

[@ronrogers]

I was on the team at United bringing the A-320s on. We spent some time with NWA since you guys had the experience of being the launch customer. Thanks for everyone's help at NWA.

[@rezamostafid8810]

Instructive and entertaining as always.....Thanks for sharing Captain!

[@ronrogers]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@axelBr1]

Interesting story. Amazed that you're not only hopping between types of aircraft, including turbo-prop to jet, but flying as a test pilot.

[@ronrogers]

Yes, funny to look back on these and especially all the work I put into the evaluations and recommendations.

[@Nickpilot318]

Love the 319, especially the 319S. Fun aircraft, great handling!

[@ronrogers]

Couldn't agree more!

[@kristensorensen2219]

Always fun stories!! Thanks for another cool test pilot view of things!!👍🎉💛

[@ronrogers]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@eddieraffs5909]

A little off subject Ron, but I'm glad you're digressing rather than retrogressing. Keep up the fun stories. :)

[@ronrogers]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@rwalkenhorst]

The test pilot's version of "The dog ate my homework": "The cat ate my sail." 😄

[@rsambrook]

Really enjoyed my time on the A319. Fun to fly and when light weight your Vapp could be 120kts. Tricky on approach to Heathrow when you are required to be 160kts to 4 miles and company requires speed stable (120) by 3 miles. 😊

[@ronrogers]

Totally agree!

[@ronparrish6666]

We still got quite a few of these at Air Canada over on the Rouge division we call it the baby bus

[@bobcfi1306]

Appreciate the insight. Thanks

[@ronrogers]

My pleasure!

[@call2me578]

Great video. Could you possibly make a video about management pilots and what their roles are at the airline? Thanks!

[@ronrogers]

Great suggestion!

[@deanraf]

Interesting insights...Does "Law" mean parameters for different types of flying? Does the plane's software determine these or do the pilots? Thanks!

[@ronrogers]

There are various types of control laws depending upon system status. Everything working ok, for the Airbus, you are in "normal law". IF you start to have system failures you revert to more basic flight control laws they label as Alternate, Direct and Manual.

[@ShadesOClarity]

My cousin is flying Airbuses. I am not sure which model. My uncle flew the A-300. Is UPS still flying those or have they changed models? I haven't checked, maybe the 380? Interesting video. That's a nice-looking pilot standing in front of the aircraft - proper mustache.

[@ryanlittleton5615]

To answer your question, yep UPS still has the A300s. They're even getting new retrofitted avionics as well.

[@ShadesOClarity]

@@ryanlittleton5615 Thanks for the reply.

[@gandalf87264]

Man, kitty didn't like that thing sticking out of the tip of that 319 wing, so kitty decided to remodel it as a 732 wing instead.

[@zlm001]

Thanks

[@ronrogers]

Welcome

[@onkelfabs6408]

What was the second alternative to the A319 other than the MD90? Extending the service life of the 737-300?

[@ronrogers]

Probably, but the -600 was coming out so they may have been pushing that one.

[@alexmelia8873]

Ron, did you ever fly the 737-500s?

[@ronrogers]

No I didn’t

[@GlutenEruption]

Hey, that episode was twilight zone not outer limits! 😁

[@ronrogers]

I always mix those up!🤣🤣🤣👍

[@tomwilson1006]

Now we just need your “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” presentation. The John Lithgow version!

[@ronrogers]

That must be why people keep their window shades down!

[@tomwilson1006]

That version scared the you know what out of me as a child!

[@fjp3305]

And what did you think of the MD-90? Did you like it?

[@ronrogers]

Would you let this motley crew test fly your new MD-90? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX-xnGOkitRkhtU

[@fjp3305]

@@ronrogers Now I remember. Thanks.

[@Wannes_]

What's the real benefit of these shorter variants over the original 320 ? Less fuel burned/mile due to lower empty weight ? Cost would be about the same as the rest of the plane, including the more expensive parts, is the same.

[@ronrogers]

Yes, supposedly more fuel efficient for lighter loads.

[@EstorilEm]

Shorter but similar wings = greater range as well, making them somewhat of a higher performance version of the A32X family. Honestly, shortening an established model (similar engines, drag, etc) gives you a HIGHER cost per seat mile - this is why the A321XLR is such a hot ticket right now, as it’s the opposite of the baby bus. So yeah, hot/high ops, low-density long-range routes, etc. Unfortunately there aren’t really too many cases for the 319 anymore, hence why you never see the “baby bus” very much. Great plane though. Also another advantage is that this has a common type rating with the rest of the A32X fleet, so airlines could save a lot of money on training, maintenance, etc.. gives them great flexibility (that was probably the ultimate sales pitch for the shortened version honestly.)

[@Wannes_]

​@@EstorilEm There's 4000 lbs or 1800kg extra empty weight on the 320 over the 319. Apparently there must be enough reduced fuel burn when not hauling that extra weight around to offset the downsides like scheduling; only 4 instead of 7 LD3 containers; inability to take more pax on occasion; ... otherwise it wouldn't make sense. Airlines of course must also be able to fill the extra 30 odd seats - or the cargo holds. The 319neo struggles due to competition from the 220. There is no 318neo at all, as the original was already a tough sell. With direct routes getting more common, the 321 is popular

[@tonymcflattie2450]

I am somewhat of an Airbus pilot myself.

[@francoisfletcher8405]

👍🌹💙😇💙🌹

[@rlsmith6904]

I was on 5 747s before we actually departed the gate, in the 5th, from Charles de Gaulle. The yaw vibration was so bad that multiple overhead baggage compartments flopped open, spilling the contents on passengers. The flight attendants were running up and down the aisles with 4 inch wide masking tape, no doubt intended to tape up the wide decorative trim that was also falling off, taping the baggage compartments shut, on climb out. I made the required fox hole prayer and survived. This was before 1971, before Boeing incorporated the remedy.

[@BobbyGeneric145]

This post makes no sense