What is the normal Airbus A320 checklist flow?

The normal Airbus A320 checklist flow in Aviation & Real-World Flying and flight simulation runs from cockpit preparation and power-up through FMGS/MCDU setup, before start, engine start, after start, taxi, take-off, climb, cruise, descent, approach, landing, after landing, parking and securing. Perform the cockpit flow first, then use the checklist to catch omissions.

That is the standard phase order, not universal checklist wording. Airlines, training organisations and simulator add-ons differ in callouts, engine-start order and when individual switches are moved. In an actual aircraft, the approved operator manuals and trained crew procedures are the authority; a generic simulator checklist is not an operational substitute.

Airbus A320 normal checklist flow, phase by phase

The A320 normal flow follows the aircraft's operating phases, although cruise, line-up and descent actions may not appear as separate spoken checklists.

1. Cockpit preparation and power-up: Establish electrical power using external power or the APU, check the battery and electrical indications, initialise the ADIRS or IRS equipment if modelled, and scan the overhead panel for an appropriate starting configuration. Alignment can take time in detailed aircraft, so begin it before programming the route. For a deeper startup explanation, use our cold-and-dark power-up procedure for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
2. FMGS setup through the MCDU: Enter and verify the route, cruise level, runway and departure, weights, fuel data and take-off performance required by the aircraft. Resolve flight-plan discontinuities only when they are genuinely unwanted; deleting a deliberate vector or manual leg can damage the arrival. Our normal FMGS data-entry sequence through the MCDU covers INIT, F-PLN and PERF work without duplicating it here.
3. Before start: Finish the departure briefing and confirm the runway, SID, initial cleared altitude, take-off speeds and thrust data. Close doors, remove or clear ground equipment, configure fuel pumps and pneumatic systems as required, switch on the beacon before engine movement, and obtain pushback or start clearance where applicable. This is the best point to catch a wrong runway or incomplete PERF page.
4. Engine start: Select IGN/START on the engine mode selector and use the engine master switches in the order required by the aircraft or procedure. Engine 2 is commonly started first during pushback, but that is not a universal rule. Watch the ECAM for normal rotation, fuel flow, EGT rise, oil pressure and stable idle rather than assuming the FADEC has completed a healthy start.
5. After start: Return the engine mode selector to NORM once both engines are stable, then configure the APU, bleeds and anti-ice for the conditions. Set take-off flaps and trim, arm the ground spoilers, select the planned take-off autobrake mode if the simulation models it, and check ECAM status. Do not shut down the APU prematurely if the aircraft or procedure still requires it.
6. Taxi: Check the brakes soon after moving, complete the flight-control check at the point specified by the procedure, and verify the flight instruments and steering response. Run the take-off configuration test only after the final flap, trim and performance setup is complete. Avoid heads-down MCDU programming while the aircraft is moving.
7. Before take-off and line-up: Confirm the correct runway, initial FCU altitude, lateral and vertical guidance, transponder or TCAS mode, cabin status and take-off configuration. The ECAM should show T.O CONFIG NORMAL when tested, with no unresolved warning. Strobes and landing lights are normally included in a line-up flow, which may be separate or form the below-the-line portion of the Before Take-off checklist.
8. Take-off and after take-off: Set the calculated FLEX or TOGA thrust and confirm the expected Flight Mode Annunciator indications. After lift-off, select gear up following a positive climb indication, retract flaps and slats on schedule, and complete the after-take-off flow once the aircraft is clean and stable. The checklist verifies configuration; it should not compete with aircraft control during the busiest part of the departure.
9. Cruise and descent preparation: Monitor fuel, systems, route progress and weather, then prepare the arrival before top of descent. Enter the approach data, calculate landing performance, set or record minima, review the missed approach and brief the arrival. Do not set a missed-approach altitude early merely because it appears on the chart; the FCU altitude must continue to reflect the clearance and applicable procedure.
10. Approach and landing: Set the barometric reference at the appropriate transition point, reduce speed and extend flaps in sequence, then select the gear, landing flaps, spoilers and autobrake as planned. By the landing checklist, the ECAM landing memo should show the required items complete. If substantial MCDU programming remains at this stage, discontinue or delay the approach rather than rushing it.
11. After landing: Wait until clear of the runway before beginning the full cleanup. Disarm the spoilers, retract the flaps, adjust exterior lights, set the transponder or TCAS for ground operation, turn off systems no longer required and start the APU if it will supply power at the stand. Check that the speedbrake lever is actually disarmed rather than relying only on spoiler retraction.
12. Parking and securing: Use the parking brake or chocks according to the procedure, establish APU or external electrical power, then shut down the engines. Switch off the beacon after the engines have stopped and the area is safe, followed by fuel pumps, hydraulics, lights and other systems as appropriate. If leaving the aircraft, complete the separate securing flow rather than stopping at engine shutdown.

For a compact prompt beside the simulator, our downloadable A319/A320/A321 manual and checklist reference follows the normal phase-by-phase sequence.

Do you complete the cockpit flow or checklist first?

For normal operations, complete the memorised cockpit flow first and then read the checklist to verify the safety-critical items.

A checklist is not intended to introduce every switch one line at a time. That read-and-do method is useful while learning an unfamiliar cockpit, but it becomes slow and distracting during taxi or approach. A practised single pilot can perform the flow, pause aircraft movement when necessary, and then read each checklist item aloud while verifying the indication.

The distinction matters: the flow performs the work, while the checklist traps omissions. Abnormal procedures are different and should be handled through ECAM and the documentation supplied with the simulated aircraft, not improvised from a normal flow.

How does the checklist change with the aircraft's starting state?

Begin at the phase represented by the loaded aircraft, then verify that everything inherited from the preset is sensible before continuing.

Checklist or AI assistance can also move switches behind your back. If a setting repeatedly changes by itself, disable the relevant automated assistance or copilot system before diagnosing the aircraft as faulty.

Does ECAM replace the normal A320 checklist?

ECAM supports the normal checklist but does not replace it.

The take-off and landing memos provide valuable configuration cues, while ECAM warning pages guide the crew through many abnormal conditions. The T.O CONFIG test can detect several unsafe configuration states, but it cannot prove that the selected runway, route, fuel load or calculated performance data are correct. Our explanation of ECAM memos, system pages and abnormal actions shows how those functions fit around the normal flow.

Why does an A320 checklist flow go wrong in the simulator?

Most A320 checklist problems come from starting in the wrong phase, incomplete FMGS data or skipping the verification after a cockpit flow.

• ADIRS alignment never completes: Keep a suitable electrical source connected, ensure the selectors and initial position are set correctly, and avoid moving the aircraft during alignment if the add-on models that restriction.
• Take-off speeds are missing: Complete and verify the take-off PERF page before pushback. Do not invent V-speeds or copy them from a previous flight with different weight, runway or weather.
• The engine mode selector remains at IGN/START: Return it to NORM during the after-start flow unless continuous ignition is required by the modelled conditions or procedure.
• T.O CONFIG produces a warning: Read the ECAM message and correct the actual cause. Typical checks include flap selection, pitch trim, ground spoilers, parking brake state and take-off data; bypassing the warning defeats one of the aircraft's strongest safeguards.
• The aircraft follows the wrong mode: Confirm the Flight Mode Annunciator after every FCU selection. On an Airbus, the FMA shows what the automation is doing; knob position or an illuminated flight director button alone is not enough.
• Approach preparation starts too late: Enter and cross-check arrival, approach, minima and landing data before descent becomes workload-intensive. The landing checklist should be a short confirmation, not an MCDU programming session.
• A checklist from another add-on is followed literally: Engine option, software modelling, operator SOP and A320-family variant can change individual actions. Retain the phase order, but use the documentation supplied with the aircraft for switch-level detail.