What do the main controls and displays in an Airbus A320 cockpit do in flight simulators?
In Airbus A320 flight simulator cockpits, the main controls and screens are there to manage flight path, power, navigation, systems and warnings. The key ones to learn first are the sidestick, thrust levers, FCU autopilot panel, MCDU flight computer, PFD, ND and the two ECAM system displays.
What are the main parts of an A320 cockpit?
The A320 cockpit is laid out in a very Airbus way. Instead of a yoke, you get a sidestick. Instead of lots of separate round gauges, most of the important information sits on electronic displays. The workload is built around automation, so understanding what the aircraft is doing matters as much as knowing where the switches are.
In most flight simulators, especially detailed A320 add-ons, the cockpit is split into a few core areas. If you know what each area is for, the aircraft gets much less intimidating.
| Area | What it does | Why it matters in a simulator |
|---|---|---|
| Sidestick and pedals | Manual pitch, roll and yaw control | You hand-fly take-off, approach, landing and any time automation is off |
| FCU | Autopilot, flight director, heading, speed, altitude and vertical mode control | This is where you tell the aircraft what to do |
| MCDU | Route, performance and flight management computer input | You enter the flight plan and key performance data here |
| PFD | Main flying display with attitude, speed, altitude and flight mode annunciations | This is your primary scan when flying |
| ND | Navigation map and route display | Shows where you are going and what the aircraft is tracking |
| ECAM | Engines, systems status, cautions and warnings | Lets you monitor aircraft health and system configuration |
| Overhead panel | Electrical, fuel, hydraulics, lights, anti-ice, air systems and more | Used for setup, normal procedures and abnormal situations |
| Pedestal | Thrust levers, speed brake, flaps, radio and engine controls | Important during take-off, descent, approach and landing |
Which A320 controls matter most in flight simulators?
Sidestick
The sidestick replaces the conventional control column. In the sim, it controls pitch and roll, usually through the A320's fly-by-wire logic if the aircraft model supports it properly.
That means the aircraft often feels more stable and protected than a light aircraft. In a simpler simulator model, some of those protections may be reduced or missing, so the handling can feel less authentic.
Rudder pedals and brakes
The pedals control rudder in flight and steering help on the ground. Toe brakes handle wheel braking. Taxi steering may be done through rudder input in many sims, though more advanced models can separate tiller steering from rudder.
On take-off and landing, we mainly use pedals to keep the aircraft straight. In the air, rudder input is usually small unless dealing with crosswind or an engine failure scenario.
Thrust levers
The A320 thrust levers work differently from what many sim pilots expect. They have fixed detents such as idle, climb, flex or MCT, and TOGA rather than being moved constantly through the whole range.
In normal flight, we often leave the levers in the climb detent and let auto-thrust manage power. That catches out a lot of people coming from Boeing aircraft or general aviation types. If your hardware throttles are not calibrated properly, the detents can be one of the biggest frustrations in A320 simulation.
FCU: the autopilot and mode control panel
The FCU, on the glareshield in front of the pilots, is one of the most important panels in the aircraft. It sets target speed, heading or track, altitude and vertical modes, and it controls the autopilot and flight director.
The Airbus-specific trick is push versus pull. In broad terms, pulling a knob usually gives you a selected value, such as a chosen heading or vertical speed. Pushing it usually tells the aircraft to manage that mode itself from the flight plan or onboard logic. Different simulators present this with varying depth, but that philosophy is central to the A320.
EFIS controls
Near the FCU, each pilot has EFIS controls for the displays. These usually adjust ND range and mode, barometric setting, and overlays such as ILS, VOR or other navaid information.
In practical sim use, these controls help us declutter the navigation display and prepare for departure or approach. If you cannot see what you expect on the map, the EFIS settings are often the reason.
MCDU
The MCDU is the A320's flight management computer interface. This is where we enter the route, departure, arrival, performance figures, cruise level and often radio or navigation data depending on the simulation depth.
In a basic A320 for casual flying, the MCDU may be simplified. In a study-level aircraft, it is central to almost everything the automation does. If the MCDU route or performance setup is wrong, the autopilot and managed modes will not behave as expected.
What do the main A320 screens show?
PFD: Primary Flight Display
The PFD is the screen we fly off. It shows attitude, airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, heading information and flight director guidance.
The most important strip on the PFD is often the FMA, or Flight Mode Annunciator, at the top. It tells you exactly what the autopilot, flight director and auto-thrust are doing. In A320 simulation, if something unexpected happens, the FMA is usually the first place we check.
ND: Navigation Display
The ND is your map and situational awareness screen. It can show the route, waypoints, heading or track, tuned navaids and approach information. Depending on the simulator and aircraft, it may also support terrain, traffic or weather radar-style overlays.
We use it to confirm that the aircraft is turning the right way, tracking the flight plan and sequencing waypoints correctly. It is especially useful during SIDs, STARs and instrument approaches.
ECAM: Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor
The ECAM is split between upper and lower display areas. The upper part usually shows engine indications, status lines and caution or warning messages. The lower part shows system pages such as hydraulics, fuel, electrical, flight controls, wheels or pressurisation.
This is the A320's systems monitor. During normal operations, it confirms that the aircraft is configured correctly. During abnormal situations, it guides the crew through what has failed or what needs attention. In simpler sim aircraft, ECAM pages may be partly decorative or only loosely modelled, so depth varies a lot.
What does the overhead panel do?
The overhead is where many of the aircraft systems live. Electrical power, batteries, external power, APU, fuel pumps, hydraulics, air conditioning, pressurisation, anti-ice, lights and signs are typically controlled here.
For simulator flying, the overhead matters most during startup, before take-off, after landing and when handling failures. Not every A320 simulation models every switch in full detail, so it helps to learn which ones are functional in your specific aircraft.
How do you use these controls during a normal sim flight?
- Set up the aircraft. Power the cockpit, align any required systems if your aircraft models that, and use the MCDU to enter the route, weights and basic performance data.
- Check the displays. Make sure the PFD, ND and ECAM are showing sensible information, and set your EFIS range, barometric reference and navigation display mode.
- Prepare the automation. Use the FCU to set any initial altitude, heading or speed constraints you need for departure, and verify the flight directors and autopilot settings.
- Taxi and line up. Use pedals, nosewheel steering input if available, brakes, and the pedestal controls such as flaps and speed brake to get the aircraft configured.
- Take off. Advance the thrust levers into the appropriate detent, monitor the PFD for speed and guidance, and confirm the FMA shows the expected auto-thrust and lateral or vertical modes.
- Climb and cruise. Engage the autopilot when appropriate, use the FCU for selected or managed modes, and keep checking the ND route and ECAM status rather than assuming the aircraft is doing the right thing.
- Descend and approach. Reconfigure the FCU and MCDU as needed, use the ND to monitor the arrival and approach path, then bring in flaps, gear and speed changes from the pedestal while watching the PFD and ECAM.
- Land and clean up. Hand-fly or use autopilot depending on the approach type, then after landing retract and reset items on the pedestal and overhead as required by your aircraft's procedures.
Why does the A320 feel different from other simulator aircraft?
The A320 is designed around fly-by-wire and automation. In practice, that means we often command outcomes rather than directly control every pitch and power change ourselves.
The big mindset shift is this: in the A320, you are not just flying the aeroplane, you are also managing what mode it is in. A heading bug, altitude selection or throttle position only makes sense when you also know what the FMA is telling you.
Common A320 simulator mistakes
- Ignoring the FMA and wondering why the aircraft climbed, levelled off or turned unexpectedly.
- Misunderstanding push versus pull on the FCU.
- Moving the thrust levers constantly instead of using the correct detents.
- Leaving hardware throttles badly calibrated so climb, idle or TOGA detents do not match the sim.
- Loading a route into the simulator but not properly setting it up in the MCDU.
- Assuming every overhead switch and ECAM page works the same way across all A320 add-ons.
Do you need to learn every switch?
No. For most sim pilots, the best starting point is the sidestick, thrust levers, FCU, MCDU, PFD, ND and ECAM. Those are the controls and displays that directly affect whether the aircraft flies the route, holds the right speed and altitude, and stays properly configured.
Once those make sense, the rest of the cockpit stops feeling like a wall of buttons. The A320 is complex, but its logic is consistent, and in flight simulators that consistency is what makes it rewarding to learn.