What do the main A320 cockpit controls and displays do?

The main Airbus A320 cockpit controls are the sidesticks, rudder pedals, thrust levers, flap and speed-brake levers, FCU, MCDUs and overhead pushbuttons. Its key screens are the PFDs, NDs and two ECAM displays. Together they control the aircraft, automation, route and systems; the FMA confirms what the automation is actually doing.

In our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, this applies to the familiar A320 layout reproduced in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and MSFS 2024, X-Plane and Prepar3D. The layout and basic Airbus logic remain recognisable across them, but switch functionality, failure modelling and mouse interaction depend on the aircraft package.

A320 cockpit controls and screens at a glance

The cockpit is easier to understand when divided into manual control, automation, flight management and aircraft systems.

Which Airbus A320 cockpit controls matter most?

Learn the sidestick, thrust detents, FCU, MCDU and configuration levers first because they affect almost every phase of an A320 simulator flight.

Sidesticks, rudder pedals and steering

The sidestick commands pitch and roll through the A320 fly-by-wire system rather than moving the control surfaces through a direct mechanical connection.

Under Normal Law, the computers interpret sidestick input as a demand and provide functions such as automatic pitch trim and flight-envelope protections. Simplified simulator aircraft may reproduce only part of this behaviour, so two A320 models can feel noticeably different with the same controller settings.

The captain's and first officer's sidesticks are not mechanically linked. If both are moved, their inputs can be combined unless one pilot uses the priority takeover function. This rarely matters when flying alone, but duplicate joystick assignments can create the same effect unintentionally.

Rudder pedals control yaw and, with suitable hardware, differential toe braking. A separate tiller is the best choice for precise taxiing when the aircraft supports one; otherwise most simulators can couple nosewheel steering to the rudder axis. In normal flight, large rudder inputs are rarely required.

Thrust levers and auto-thrust

A320 thrust levers are designed around fixed detents rather than continuous lever movement during normal auto-thrust operation.

The main positions are IDLE, CL, FLX/MCT and TOGA, with reverse thrust behind idle. FLX/MCT or TOGA is selected for take-off as appropriate. At thrust-reduction altitude, the levers normally move to CL, where they remain while auto-thrust varies engine power without physically moving the levers.

After an engine failure, MCT has a separate role as maximum continuous thrust. During landing, the levers are moved to idle when required; leaving them in CL prevents the expected reduction in thrust.

A common Airbus simulator control problem is a hardware throttle that sits between virtual detents. If the display reports manual thrust when you expected CL, calibrate each throttle axis using the aircraft's own calibration facility when one is provided. Also check for reversed axes, noise and duplicate bindings.

Flaps, speed brakes, landing gear and wheel brakes

The configuration levers prepare the A320 for low-speed flight, descent and landing.

• Flap lever: Has positions 0, 1, 2, 3 and FULL. Position 1 can produce a configuration shown as 1 or 1+F depending on the flight phase and aircraft logic, so confirm the actual state on ECAM.
• Speed-brake lever: Commands airborne speed brakes and arms the ground spoilers. Ground-spoiler deployment also depends on conditions such as wheel contact and thrust-lever position.
• Landing-gear lever: Commands gear extension or retraction. Confirm the resulting indication rather than relying only on the lever position.
• Autobrake and toe brakes: Autobrake provides a selected deceleration after landing or during a rejected take-off when its conditions are met. Toe brakes provide manual braking and normally disarm autobrake when applied.

FCU and EFIS controls

The Flight Control Unit on the glareshield tells the automation which speed, lateral path, altitude and vertical mode to use.

The FCU contains the speed, heading or track, altitude and vertical-speed or flight-path-angle selectors, together with autopilot, auto-thrust, LOC and APPR controls. The neighbouring EFIS panels set barometric pressure, Navigation Display mode and range, flight directors, ILS indications and display overlays.

Airbus uses an important push-versus-pull convention. Pulling generally selects a value commanded directly by the pilot, while pushing generally asks the aircraft to use a managed target from the flight-management system. There are details and exceptions: pushing the vertical-speed knob commands an immediate level-off, for example.

The selected altitude remains a clearance limit even in managed flight. The A320 will not continue a managed descent below the altitude set on the FCU. Our detailed explanation of A320 FCU modes covers selected and managed speed, NAV, heading, climb, descent and approach logic.

MCDU

The Multipurpose Control and Display Unit is the pilot's interface with the A320 flight-management and guidance computers.

It is used to enter or review the route, departure and arrival procedures, cruise level, cost index, radio-navigation data and take-off, descent and approach performance. Loading a route through a simulator's flight-planning screen does not guarantee that every procedure, constraint or performance field has been transferred correctly.

Check the active leg and any flight-plan discontinuities before relying on managed NAV. Do not remove every discontinuity automatically: one may represent an intentional radar-vector segment. For the complete entry sequence, use our step-by-step A320 MCDU programming instructions.

Overhead panel and centre pedestal

The overhead panel controls aircraft systems, while the centre pedestal groups engine, communication and configuration controls.

Overhead sections cover electrical power, batteries, external power, APU, fuel pumps, hydraulics, pneumatics, air conditioning, pressurisation, anti-ice, fire protection, ADIRS, lighting and signs. Airbus uses a dark-cockpit philosophy: in a normal established configuration, relatively few overhead annunciators remain illuminated. That does not mean every unlit button is on; read its label and system indication.

The pedestal contains the thrust levers, engine masters, flap and speed-brake levers, MCDUs, radio panels, transponder, parking brake and manual pitch-trim wheels. Automatic trim handles normal pitch trimming under the appropriate fly-by-wire law, so repeatedly operating a mapped trim control can create unwanted inputs.

What do the Airbus A320 screens show?

The standard A320 arrangement has six main flight and system display units: a PFD and ND for each pilot, plus an upper and lower ECAM display in the centre.

The two MCDUs have their own screens but are not counted among those six display units. A separate standby instrument provides essential attitude, airspeed and altitude information if the main displays are unavailable.

PFD: Primary Flight Display

The PFD is the main screen for controlling and monitoring the aircraft's flight path.

It shows attitude, indicated airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, heading or track, flight-director commands and approach guidance. The most important area is the Flight Mode Annunciator at the top. It reports the active and armed auto-thrust, vertical, lateral, autopilot and flight-director modes.

The FMA is more authoritative than the number visible in an FCU window. A mistake we see constantly is setting a heading or altitude and assuming the intended mode engaged without checking the FMA. Active modes are normally shown in green and armed modes in blue, although exact presentation can vary with the simulated aircraft.

ND: Navigation Display

The ND shows where the A320 is going and how its present track relates to the programmed route.

Depending on the selected EFIS mode and the depth of the simulation, it can show the active flight plan, waypoints, constraints, tuned navaids, bearing pointers, airports, terrain, traffic and weather-radar information. Use range and mode controls to suit the task: a short range is useful for a complex departure or approach, while a longer range shows the route ahead during cruise.

If the map is empty or the aircraft turns unexpectedly, check the ND mode, range, active MCDU leg and FMA before blaming the autopilot.

ECAM: engine, warning and system displays

ECAM reports engine condition, aircraft configuration, system status and abnormal conditions.

The upper screen is the Engine/Warning Display, commonly shortened to E/WD. It presents engine indications, fuel on board, flap and slat position, memos, warnings and cautions. The lower System Display shows pages for systems such as electrical power, hydraulics, fuel, air conditioning, pressurisation, flight controls, APU and wheels.

Higher-fidelity aircraft can automatically call up the relevant page and display action lines after a fault. Pressing CLR advances or clears displayed information; it does not repair the underlying problem. Our practical guide to reading and using A320 ECAM explains normal pages, warnings, status messages and action sequences.

How do the A320 push, pull and cockpit buttons work?

On the FCU, push usually requests managed guidance and pull usually requests a selected pilot command; elsewhere, illuminated labels show a pushbutton's commanded state or a fault.

For example, pulling the heading knob normally commands a selected heading, while pushing it requests NAV guidance from the flight plan. Pulling the speed knob selects the displayed speed; pushing it returns speed control to a managed target when available. Always confirm the result on the FMA.

Overhead pushbuttons can display labels such as ON, OFF or FAULT. Their meaning is system-specific: an ON light shows a selected command on many controls, an OFF light shows a system deliberately deselected, and FAULT indicates that the commanded or expected condition has not been achieved.

Mouse gestures for pushing, pulling and rotating knobs differ between simulators, cockpit-interaction settings and aircraft packages. If a knob appears to rotate but the mode never changes, make sure you used the push or pull hotspot rather than only turning it.

How are the controls used during a normal A320 simulator flight?

A normal A320 flight repeatedly follows the same pattern: command with the overhead, MCDU or FCU, then verify the result on the PFD, ND and ECAM.

1. Power the aircraft. Establish battery, external or APU power as required, align the inertial-reference system if modelled, and confirm that the displays and ECAM pages are available.
2. Prepare the flight-management system. Enter or verify the route, procedures and performance data in the MCDU. Resolve only those discontinuities that should genuinely be connected.
3. Set the initial guidance. Enter the cleared altitude and any required speed or heading on the FCU. Set QNH, flight directors, ND mode and range on the EFIS panels.
4. Configure for take-off. Use the flap, speed-brake, autobrake and engine controls, then confirm the actual configuration on ECAM.
5. Take off and confirm the modes. Place the thrust levers in FLX/MCT or TOGA as appropriate, fly from the PFD and read the FMA after every mode change.
6. Manage climb and cruise. Move the thrust levers to CL when prompted, engage an autopilot when appropriate, and monitor the FMA and ND rather than assuming managed guidance is following the route.
7. Configure the descent and approach. Set the cleared altitude, use managed or selected modes deliberately, update approach data, and extend speed brakes, flaps and gear as required.
8. Land and stop. Reduce the thrust levers to idle at the correct point, use reverse thrust and braking as needed, then retract spoilers and flaps during the after-landing flow.

To see these controls used in context, follow our complete gate-to-gate A320 simulator flight sequence.

How should I map Airbus simulator controls in MSFS 2024 and other sims?

Use analogue axes for continuously variable A320 controls and buttons or switches for discrete commands.

• Sidestick: Bind separate pitch and roll axes. Start with modest dead zones and remove duplicate joystick or gamepad assignments before changing sensitivity.
• Rudder and brakes: Bind a rudder axis plus separate left and right brake axes when pedals support them. A twist grip can provide rudder control if pedals are unavailable.
• Nosewheel steering: Choose a separate tiller axis for precise ground handling when supported; choose rudder-linked steering for a simpler single-controller setup.
• Throttles: One axis can operate both engines, while two axes are better for engine-out practice. Calibrate the Airbus detents inside the aircraft when that function exists.
• Flaps and spoilers: Use an axis only when its hardware positions align reliably. Increment and decrement buttons are often easier for flaps, while a dedicated arm command can be more dependable than a noisy spoiler axis.
• Assistance settings: Disable flight-assistance features that move controls or manage take-off and landing if they conflict with manual inputs.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, MSFS 2024, X-Plane and Prepar3D use different control names and interaction systems, and individual A320 packages may add their own calibration pages. The cockpit indications are the final check: a hardware lever is not correctly mapped unless the virtual control reaches the intended detent.

Why is the A320 not responding as expected?

Most apparent A320 control failures come from the wrong active mode, an uncalibrated axis, incomplete MCDU data or missing electrical power.

Do you need to learn every A320 cockpit button?

No; competent simulator flying does not require memorising every A320 switch before the first flight.

Start with the sidestick and pedals, thrust detents, configuration levers, FCU, FMA, MCDU, PFD, ND and ECAM. Then learn the overhead in functional groups—power, APU, fuel, air, hydraulics and anti-ice—rather than as a wall of unrelated buttons.