A319 REQUIRED AN ABNORMALLY ABRUPT CONTROL STICK INPUT TO INCREASE PITCH AND ACHIEVE A LNDG ATTITUDE IN THE FLARE.

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AFTER BLOCKING OUT; WE RECEIVED ACARS MESSAGE FROM LOAD PLANNING STATING ACFT WAS OUT OF BAL AND TO STAND BY FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. WE HAD 24.6 FERRY FUEL. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS; THEY CAME BACK AND SAID TO BLOCK OFF ROWS 5 AND 6. WE ALSO HAD A FORWARD CTR OF GRAVITY. WE COMPLIED AND TOOK OFF. TKOF CLB; CRUISE; AND DSCNT INTO SFO; ALL NORMAL. WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 28R. I TOOK AUTOPLT OFF AND LEFT AUTOTHROTTLES ON. VREF WAS 131 KTS. WX BEAUTIFUL/10 KT HEADWIND. AS I WENT TO FLARE; I GENTLY MOVED STICK AFT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. NOSE WAS FALLING FAST. I MOVED IT A LITTLE MORE; NOTHING HAPPENED. I THEN TOOK A 'HANDFUL' AND LANDED ACFT. I AM THANKFUL I KEPT THE PWR UP. LNDG WAS GOOD. I HAVE NEVER TAKEN THAT ABRUPT PULL ON A GENTLE VFR DAY. IT GOT MY ATTN. ALSO; I HAVE NEVER HAD THAT FEELING OF NOSE FALLING FAST. ROLLOUT UNEVENTFUL. AS I GOT OFF ACFT; CALLED A FLT MGR AND ASSUMED IT MAY BE A WT AND BAL ISSUE. WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN 'OUT OF BAL' AGAIN DURING THE CRUISE DOWN. FUEL BURN 8.8. LEFT WITH 39.0. HE SUGGESTED I CALL MAINT AND GET THE CTLS CHKED ALSO. I DID IMMEDIATELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THE DEGREE OF NOSE UP STICK THAT WAS REQUIRED WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED. SINCE TRIM INPUTS ARE UNNECESSARY ON THE A319; THE PLT HAS NO ADVANCED WARNING OF AN IMPENDING OUT OF BALANCE CONDITION. NO RESPONSE HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM MAINT TO INDICATE A FLT CONTROL PROBLEM.