Airbus "Retard" Alert: Meaning & Controversy Explained

Have you ever been flying on an Airbus and heard the word "retard" blaring through the cockpit speakers just before landing? It might sound alarming, but it's a perfectly normal, albeit potentially jarring, part of the aircraft's automated systems. The "retard" callout is a crucial safety feature, a carefully calibrated alert designed to ensure a smooth and safe touchdown.

The use of the word "retard" in this context often raises eyebrows, especially given its offensive connotations in everyday language. However, within the realm of aviation, it carries a very specific and technical meaning. It's an instruction, a directive, not a derogatory term. The "retard" aural alert is triggered in Airbus aircraft at a specific altitude during the landing sequence, typically around 20 feet above the runway. This isn't about insulting the pilot or anyone else on board; it's about reminding them to take a critical action: reducing the thrust levers to idle. This action, crucial for preventing the aircraft from "floating" or bouncing upon landing, ensures a controlled and gentle descent onto the tarmac.

Aviation Term	Retard
Context	Airbus Aircraft Landing
Meaning	Instructs pilot to reduce thrust levers to idle
Purpose	Prevent floating, ensure smooth touchdown
Trigger Altitude	20 feet above runway (typically)
Aircraft	Primarily Airbus (A320, etc.)
Exception	Autoland systems handle thrust automatically
Additional Notes	The A380 might have a longer flare and slightly different timing.
Reference: Airbus Official Website

In essence, the "retard" alert serves as a vital reminder within a complex and demanding environment. Imagine the cockpit during those final moments before landing: the pilots are managing airspeed, descent rate, flap settings, and a multitude of other parameters. The aural alert acts as a final checkpoint, a safeguard against potential errors or oversights. According to the A320 flight crew training manual, the purpose of the "retard" aural alert is a reminder. It is to pull the thrust levers to idle on landing. Without this critical action, the aircraft might not settle onto the runway as intended, potentially leading to a hard landing or even a missed approach.

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The linguistic oddity of using the word "retard" in this context has led to various attempts to reframe or replace it. Some have suggested alternative terms that might be less prone to misinterpretation or offense. However, the aviation industry is often resistant to change, particularly when it comes to established procedures and terminology. The rationale behind this reluctance is simple: consistency is paramount. Pilots are trained to respond to specific cues and commands, and changing those cues could potentially lead to confusion and errors, especially in high-pressure situations.

The Airbus itself offers a helpful mnemonic to understand the function: "The first one is a verb the second is a noun." This highlights the action-oriented nature of the command, emphasizing that "retard" in this instance is an instruction to slow down the engines, rather than a descriptor of any person or thing.

To fully grasp the technical significance, it's crucial to understand the physics of landing an aircraft. As the plane approaches the runway, it's flying at a relatively high speed. The goal is to gradually reduce that speed while maintaining lift, allowing for a smooth transition from flight to ground. This is achieved through a combination of factors, including adjusting the angle of attack (the angle between the wing and the oncoming airflow) and reducing engine thrust. The "flare" maneuver, executed just before touchdown, involves gently raising the nose of the aircraft, which increases the angle of attack and further slows the descent.

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Reducing engine thrust is a critical part of this process. If the engines are still producing significant thrust at the moment of touchdown, the aircraft will tend to "float" that is, it will continue flying just above the runway, making it difficult to establish firm contact with the ground. This can lead to a variety of problems, including increased landing distance, uneven tire wear, and even loss of control.

The "retard" alert, therefore, is a precisely timed reminder to cut the engine thrust and allow gravity to do its work. By bringing the thrust levers to idle, the pilots effectively remove the forward propulsion, allowing the aircraft to settle gently onto the runway. This action, combined with the flare maneuver, ensures a controlled and predictable landing.

It's important to note that the "retard" alert is not a feature of all aircraft. It's primarily associated with Airbus models, although even within the Airbus family, there may be variations. For example, the A380, with its larger size and different aerodynamic characteristics, might have a slightly different flare profile and timing for the "retard" callout. In other aircraft types, different aural alerts or visual cues may be used to achieve the same objective.

Furthermore, in some aircraft equipped with sophisticated autoland systems, the "retard" function may be automated. In these cases, the aircraft's computers will automatically reduce engine thrust at the appropriate moment, without requiring any manual intervention from the pilots. However, even in these highly automated systems, the "retard" alert may still be present as a backup, providing an additional layer of redundancy and ensuring that the pilots are fully aware of the aircraft's actions.

The use of aural alerts in the cockpit is a well-established practice in aviation. These alerts are designed to capture the pilots' attention and provide critical information about the aircraft's status or the environment around it. They can range from simple tones and chimes to more complex synthesized speech messages. The key is to ensure that the alerts are clear, unambiguous, and easily distinguishable from one another. A proliferation of alerts, or alerts that are too similar, can lead to sensory overload and potentially degrade the pilots' performance.

For example, aircraft with retractable landing gear typically use an aural warning system to alert the crew to an unsafe condition. A bell might sound if the throttle is retarded (i.e., reduced) and the landing gear is not in a down and locked condition. This prevents the potentially disastrous scenario of attempting to land with the gear still retracted. Similarly, other alerts might be used to warn of excessive airspeed, stall conditions, or proximity to terrain.

The selection and design of aural alerts are carefully considered, taking into account factors such as loudness, frequency, and duration. The goal is to create alerts that are both noticeable and informative, without being overly intrusive or distracting. The "retard" alert, with its distinctive pronunciation and clear association with the thrust levers, meets these criteria.

Despite its technical appropriateness, the use of the word "retard" remains a source of discomfort for some. The term has a long and troubled history, and its use as a derogatory slur has caused significant pain and offense. This is why it is crucial to understand the very specific and limited context in which it is used in aviation. It is not intended to be, and should never be interpreted as, a personal insult or a reflection on anyone's abilities.

The evolution of language is a constant process, and words that were once considered innocuous can acquire negative connotations over time. This is particularly true of terms related to mental or physical disabilities. Words like "idiot," "moron," and "cretin," once used as clinical terms to describe levels of intellectual disability, are now widely recognized as offensive and hurtful. The same is true of "retarded," which has increasingly been replaced by more respectful and accurate language.

The ongoing debate surrounding the use of the word "retard" in aviation highlights the complex relationship between language, technology, and social sensitivity. While the term may have a clear and unambiguous meaning within the technical context of aircraft landing procedures, its potential to cause offense cannot be ignored. As the aviation industry continues to evolve, it's possible that alternative terms will be explored, but any such change would need to be carefully considered to avoid compromising safety and consistency.

In the meantime, understanding the context and intent behind the "retard" alert can help to dispel any confusion or unease. It's a reminder to reduce engine thrust, not a reflection on anyone's intelligence or abilities. It's a technical term, used within a highly specialized field, with a very specific and important purpose: to ensure a safe and smooth landing. In aviation, "retard" means put the throttle to idle to prevent floating so the plane is not insulting you at all its just a reminder to put the throttle at idle for a smooth touchdown without a go around.

So, the next time you hear that word during the final moments of your flight, remember that it's not a cause for alarm. It's simply a sign that the pilots are taking the necessary steps to bring you safely to the ground. Various tones and phrases sound in the cockpit to alert the crew when certain conditions exist.

The incident in the South Park episode where Mrs. Garrison calls Stan a "retard" and puts him in the dunce chair, is a reminder of how the word can be used offensively and the impact it can have. Retarded described someone mentally, socially or physically less advanced than their chronological age. We know these terms now primarily as pejoratives.

In conclusion, while the word "retard" carries a heavy weight due to its historical misuse as a derogatory term, its use in the aviation context as a callout during landing is purely technical. It is a reminder to the pilot to reduce thrust and ensure a smooth touchdown. Understanding the distinction between the technical usage and the offensive connotation is crucial to avoid misinterpretations and unnecessary offense. As the airplane reached 86 kias, the automated retard aural alert sounded and continued until the end of the cvr recording. According to airbus, the retard alert is designed to occur at 20 ft radio altitude on landing and advise the pilot to reduce the thrust levers to idle.

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