aviation - the past, present and future of flight

ACCEPTANCE FLIGHT

A customer acceptance flight is made on the

second day, subject to the weather, air traffic

control conditions and assuming any snags

identified earlier do not affect the safety of the

aircraft.

This flight is performed to demonstrate

that all aircraft systems are working properly

and have been tested in accordance with an

agreed profile.

Thai’s test pilot will fly the aircraft from the

captain’s left seat and the Airbus test pilot

will be in the right seat. An Airbus flight test

engineer will sit in the first observer seat and

his Thai counterpart in the second.

They have all attended a pre-flight briefing,

at which they determine what tests will be

performed and at what level.

A typical flight test profile will include a

vast array of operations performed at different

altitudes and will include monitoring engine

parameters such as auto thrust and take-off/

go-around mode (TOGA) and operation at

high and low speeds.

The auto pilot, navigation systems and

weather radar will be checked between

FL200 and FL300. Higher up, the APU will

be started and the aircraft will be put through

a series of attitude tests.

All aircraft systems limitations will be

demonstrated, including flight envelope

protection.

The oxygen masks will be deployed to

ensure the aircraft is safe to operate with

passengers on board as part of cabin leakage

and depressurisation tests. However, the

oxygen mask system will have been put into

test mode so only the door to the stowage area

will open, while the masks remain in place.

During the descent, the speed brakes will

be tested at around FL240. When 10,000ft

further down, a low-speed recovery will be

performed, the landing gear is deployed and

the time taken checked; all culminating in a

simulated go-around. The flight finishes with

a full CAT 3 dual autoland and roll-out.

All the time the flight crew is undertaking its

tests, the cabin teams will be working on more

than 450 different checks, even down to the

operation of the ovens and coffee machines.

Fault messages are recorded in a post-

flight report. Any requirement for another

flight will be decided at the post-customer

acceptance flight meeting. This depends on

the status of the aircraft after the first flight,

any fault messages and corrective actions

that might be needed. Day three is taken up

with the search for, and the implementation

of, solutions for any problems detected during

the first two days. Certain non-safety issues

can be made good at the customer’s base, if

required, so as not to delay the whole process.

If all is well at this stage, the fourth day is

about what is termed ‘technical acceptance’,

meaning the creation and acceptance of

official documentation for the aircraft. This

is when the technical teams have to agree

that the aircraft conforms to its definition, that

it is the approved standard design, and that

any optional modifications requested by the

customer, comply with European Aviation

Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. When all

these are in place the aircraft can be awarded

its airworthiness certificate.

The following day, the process of legally

transferring the ownership of the aircraft will

begin. Payment of the final balance is made

in US dollars. Airbus then releases the Bill of

Sale and the aircraft is the customer’s. This

is known as Transfer of Title and in the case

of ’THF, it involves the Civil Aviation Authority

of Thailand. Certificates of Airworthiness and

Registration are also issued.

Once all these are completed, the aircraft

is ready to make the 6,033 mile (9,709km)

trip from Toulouse to Bangkok. The legal

processes for ‘our’ aircraft were completed at

2315hrs on July 13, 2017.

80 Aviation News incorporating Jets January 2018

The Thai Airways delegation headed by Usanee Sangsingkeo (centre, right), Acting President of

Thai Airways, with Andrea Debbane, (centre, left) Executive Director of the Airbus Foundation.

Ready to go: Thai Airways’ fifth A350 XWB awaiting its first passengers at the Henri Ziegler

Delivery Centre’s main parking stand in Toulouse. All photographs by the author, unless stated

There are two dedicated check-in desks in the main foyer of the delivery centre – checking in

for flight THA8907 was a relaxed but efficient affair.

78-82_thaiDC.mfDC.indd 80 01/12/2017 18:49