Thread: 73 vs. 320
View Single Post
Old 11-29-2016, 04:35 AM
  #9  
swaayze
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: DFW A320 FO
Posts: 586
Default

Brand new on the 320 (<50 hrs). Flew the old steam gauge 73 nearly 20 years ago, so I can't exactly direct-compare but I do have opinions on the flying characteristics. And fwiw, I'm coming off the 80, so I guess I'm a dinosaur at heart.

So far, I'm not wild about the 320, but then I haven't flown consistently in the two months I've been on it (vacation and luck on short call reserve) so I'm not particularly comfortable with it yet. Totally different "hand flying" machine and takes a bit of brainpower going between "managed" and "selected" and such.

Heard along the way that the 320 will make a bad pilot mediocre and it will make a good pilot mediocre; I used to consider myself a good pilot but I'm feeling quite mediocre now (hopefully I've regressed?). I'm sure once I get used to it I'll like it ok, but right now I'm kinda wishing I had bid the 73. I loved the 73, though admittedly it was my first jet.

More importantly, It's looking like the 320 will be a larger status in DFW and therefore probably offer more variety and opportunities. The cockpit is reasonably comfy and quiet. But, the bottom line is as others say: take whichever gets you to DFW first.
swaayze is offline