Airbus A320 pilots??

[Orbitson]

Had a nice RT..as a passenger ..DTW>JAX this week. On the outbound climb out heard an unusual/scary sound I would associate with flap deployment/retraction but flaps were in cruise position already.  I'm guessing they were pumping fuel between tanks.   

[FTJR]

Slat retraction perhaps? Definately not fuel transfer. Not being there I cant tell you much more than that.

[flight17]

Had a nice RT..as a passenger ..DTW>JAX this week. On the outbound climb out heard an unusual/scary sound I would associate with flap deployment/retraction but flaps were in cruise position already.  I'm guessing they were pumping fuel between tanks.   

Could have been slats but i doubt it. How long after the takeoff was this? A better place to ask this would be airliners.net...

From that site, I have read that the A320 series is known for having abnormal sounding sounds during flight, but that it's all normal for the A320.

[nrshida]

It's the coffee machine 

[Wildcat1]

Hyde, I know what you're talking about. I heard the same noises during a recent flight of mine, and I was told it was normal. The flight attendants call it "the dogs". Apparently, it has something to do with the APU, or the generator, before they turn the engines on.

[cpxxx]

Not an Bus pilot but this question comes up regularly, wondered myself at one point having flown in an A320 a few times. Actually your guess is on the right track, not fuel though. Most likely it was the PTU, Power Transfer Unit, in operation. It transfers hydraulic power between hydraulic systems. If one system is lower than the other it automatically kicks in. If it was a hacking, sawing sound that's what it was. Routine stuff.

[Tupac]

It's bowling balls rolling around under the floor.

[Ripsnort]

It's a warning to fly strictly Boeing aircraft.   

[SEraider]

There is a A320 that fly's above us every 2 saturdays.  It's Malaysa air.  Beautiful aircraft.

[SEraider]

It's a warning to fly strictly Boeing aircraft.   

Boeing aircraft are aged and uncomfortable.  Embraer of Brazil is da cheeit.  Now, that's an aircraft.

[Shuffler]

Snakes?

[Orbitson]

Not an Bus pilot but this question comes up regularly, wondered myself at one point having flown in an A320 a few times. Actually your guess is on the right track, not fuel though. Most likely it was the PTU, Power Transfer Unit, in operation. It transfers hydraulic power between hydraulic systems. If one system is lower than the other it automatically kicks in. If it was a hacking, sawing sound that's what it was. Routine stuff.

That's it...and Wildcat jogged my memory with his post.  It was during taxi with the flaps full out so the sound was definitely not related to flap deployment.

[Babalonian]

Not an Bus pilot but this question comes up regularly, wondered myself at one point having flown in an A320 a few times. Actually your guess is on the right track, not fuel though. Most likely it was the PTU, Power Transfer Unit, in operation. It transfers hydraulic power between hydraulic systems. If one system is lower than the other it automatically kicks in. If it was a hacking, sawing sound that's what it was. Routine stuff.

This is likely what it was if you're certain all the flaps and slats were already retracted. 

It's a warning to fly strictly Boeing aircraft.   

Also, applicable. 

[Wildcat1]

That's it...and Wildcat jogged my memory with his post.  It was during taxi with the flaps full out so the sound was definitely not related to flap deployment.

yeah, i remember hearing it, looking out the window to see the flaps at 5, not moving, and thinking "man, that's weird"

[nrshida]

It's a warning to fly strictly Boeing aircraft.   

Don't make me Coombz you. 

The noise is the hydraulic Power Transfer Unit, like cpxxx said.