Q330 From Australia, joined Dec 2003, 1460 posts, RR: 24 Posted (9 years 1 month 6 hours ago) and read 5059 times:
Does anyone know what the small object is on the centre beam of the windscreen in the A330's cockpit? It appears to be two red LEDs with a little white thing in between, but I'm not sure what it's for. These photos show it clearly:
Fritzi From United Arab Emirates, joined Jun 2001, 2762 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (9 years 1 month 6 hours ago) and read 4931 times:
They are not LEDs. They are visual cues that help the pilots adjust their seats properly.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think that you should be able to see the white ball a bit above the red one. If you can, then your seat is correctly adjusted.
the three "balls" form a triangle, with the center white ball sitting a few centimeters in front of the others.
The correct position is obtained by adjusting your seat, so that the red ball covers the white ball ( or the other way around, depending on what ball comes first).
the resulting eye level should be appr. in the center of the forward windshield.
or you just adjust your seat, so you sit comfortable...
hope that helps,
Denis
That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!
Sabenapilot From Belgium, joined Feb 2000, 2697 posts, RR: 49 Reply 3, posted (9 years 1 month 6 hours ago) and read 4925 times:
It is a visual aid to help you to take the correct seating position.
The trick is to adjust your seat in such a way that the white ball completely covers the read ball when you look at it, just like the moon covers the sun during an eclipse.
That way your eye height is perfect to allow both a good scan of the instruments as well as an optimal look on the outside world, which is especially important during low visibility landings and taxiing when longer distance visibility is reduced.
Right on the center column between the Capt and F/O's windscreens...those little red balls you see there. Just keep adjusting the seat until you have the balls lined up.
Q330 From Australia, joined Dec 2003, 1460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 5, posted (9 years 1 month 3 hours ago) and read 4813 times:
Ah, ok. Thanks for the answers everyone!
But here's another question: how come the 777 doesn't have a similar seat adjustment aid in the same place? I assume it does have something like that but where is it?
DC-10tech From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 298 posts, RR: 3 Reply 8, posted (9 years 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 4405 times:
Look in front of the yoke. You'll see it. He's talking about the pedal adjustment crank (handle is stowed). Used by short guys like myself to bring the pedals up closer to your feet.
Airplay From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (9 years 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 4253 times:
The balls are commonly referred to as "ERP" balls or Eye Reference Point balls. They give the flightcrew a means to position their eyes (not their assess) to the "design eye position" or DEP. The DEP is the established optimum point at which the pilot(s) must have his/her eyes to meet various landing criteria.
Heads-up guidance systems must be referenced to the DEP. So must other devices that the pilot must have in view while looking forward out the windscreen.
I don't know about the 777, but it seems unlikely they would chose to install the ERP balls in a place that you won't see while you are looking out the windscreen during an approach....
Is there a chance the answers regarding the 777 are wrong?
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15868 posts, RR: 66 Reply 12, posted (9 years 4 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 4063 times:
The placement lower than the windscreen will not affect how high your chair needs to go in order to get the correct "eye altitude". As I understand it, the ERPs are just there for initial adjustment, when you sit down, so they don't need to be conspicuously in your line of sight. Or maybe I'm wrong here...
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
Airplay From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (9 years 3 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 3943 times:
The placement lower than the windscreen will not affect how high your chair needs to go in order to get the correct "eye altitude".
The placement of your seat should not (and is not) dependant on the design eye position. The pilot’s seat position is based primarily on optimum reach of controls. (Rudder, control column etc.) The design eye position is associated with the placement of the pilot’s head. How can a pilot pivot his head down to reference his eyes to a cue in the panel, and then look up out of the windscreen and expect to maintain any sort of meaningful reference?
ERP balls are positioned where they are for a reason. The pilot should be able to monitor the ERP balls during an approach as he looks out the forward windscreen.
Toni_ From Cape Verde, joined Apr 2002, 70 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 3725 times:
Hi guys.
Now I've never been inside a 777 cockpit before, but I expected to find those reference points balls located on same spot as on the 744.
As shown here:
DAirbus From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 587 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 3615 times:
Here is an excerpt from a 777 operations manual. I was not able to copy the attached diagram but the text gives you a good idea on how the adjustment procedure works.
.
Pilot Seat Adjustment
1. Adjust the seat to the upright position; sitting up straight, looking straight
ahead.
2. The control column must be in the neutral position.
3. Adjust the seat until:
the top of the glareshield appears as the edge of a plane, and
the crosshairs on the top of the rudder pedal adjustment crank housing line up with the top of the control column.
Regards
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