What does the Airbus A320 PFD show, and how do you read it?
The Airbus A320 primary flight display (PFD) combines attitude, indicated airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, heading/track and flight-guidance modes directly in front of each pilot. In a flight simulator, read the Flight Mode Annunciator first, then scan attitude, speed, altitude and lateral or approach guidance, confirming every automation change against the FMA.
This reading method applies to real A320 operations and credible A320 add-ons in Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX, although detail and mode logic vary. The PFD is not the route map or system display; our guide to the A320 cockpit displays and controls explains how it works alongside the ND and ECAM.
What information does the A320 PFD show?
The PFD answers three immediate questions: what the aircraft is doing, what guidance is commanding, and whether speed and altitude remain within safe limits.
| Display area | What it shows | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Flight Mode Annunciator | Active and armed thrust, vertical and lateral modes |
| Left | Airspeed tape | Indicated speed, target, trend and operating limits |
| Centre | Attitude display | Pitch, bank, horizon and flight-director commands |
| Right | Altitude and vertical speed | Current and target altitude, barometric setting and climb or descent rate |
| Bottom | Heading/track scale | Aircraft heading, track and selected lateral reference |
| Approach overlays | ILS and radio-altitude information | Localiser, glideslope, minima and height above terrain |
The fixed aircraft symbol sits against the blue-and-brown attitude sphere. Conventional flight-director bars command pitch and roll; in TRK/FPA presentation, the flight-path vector or “bird” shows where the aircraft is actually travelling. Wind can therefore produce a visible difference between heading and track.
The speed tape also carries configuration and protection information. Depending on flight phase and simulator fidelity, this can include V1, flap-retraction speeds, green dot, VLS, low-speed protection markings and the overspeed band.
How do you read the A320 PFD during flight?
Read the PFD in a repeatable FMA–attitude–speed–altitude–path loop, returning immediately to the FMA after changing any automation control.
- Read the FMA. Confirm what modes are active and which are merely armed. Check it after moving the thrust levers, adjusting the FCU, selecting APPR or engaging the autopilot. A newly changed annunciation is briefly boxed on a correctly modelled display.
- Check attitude. Verify pitch and bank against the horizon. During manual flight with conventional flight-director bars, use smooth control inputs to centre the green commands on the fixed aircraft reference. With the autopilot engaged, monitor the bars rather than trying to fly them yourself.
- Check speed. Compare indicated airspeed with the target marker, speed trend and limit bands. A stable number alone is not enough if it is approaching VLS or overspeed.
- Check altitude and vertical speed. Compare current altitude with the target marker, then confirm that the climb or descent rate makes sense. Check the displayed barometric reference whenever crossing the transition altitude or level.
- Check heading and track. Confirm that the lower scale agrees with the intended lateral path. The PFD gives immediate guidance; the detailed route remains on the navigation display.
- Cross-check raw approach data. When using an ILS, monitor the localiser and glideslope scales as well as the FMA. Guidance bars can look convincing even when the expected capture mode has not engaged.
The mistake we see most often is following a flight-director command without checking why it appeared. The FMA, not the FCU knob position or magenta route line, is the definitive indication of what the aircraft’s automation is doing.
What do the PFD colours and FMA modes mean?
A320 display colours separate active guidance, armed modes, managed targets and warnings, allowing a pilot to recognise mode changes without reading every symbol from scratch.
| Colour | Typical meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Engaged guidance, flight-director orders or normal active status |
| Blue | Armed modes and selected targets |
| Magenta | FMGS-managed targets and constraints |
| White | Labels, scale information and certain status or manual-thrust messages |
| Amber | Cautions, degraded information or limits requiring attention |
| Red | Warnings and prohibited operating ranges |
The FMA is divided broadly into thrust/autothrust, vertical guidance, lateral guidance, approach capability and autopilot/flight-director/autothrust status. Common vertical indications include CLB, DES, OP CLB, OP DES, V/S, ALT* and ALT. The asterisk marks capture in progress. Lateral indications include NAV, HDG, LOC* and LOC.
How do selected and managed modes appear?
A selected target is chosen directly by the pilot, while a managed target comes from the FMGS flight plan and performance data. Selected targets are generally blue and managed targets magenta, but the FMA still has the final say.
On an A320, pulling an FCU knob normally selects a pilot-defined mode; pushing it normally returns control to managed guidance. Desktop add-ons implement mouse actions differently, so use the cockpit tooltip and then verify the result on the FMA. Our explanation of selected and managed FCU controls covers that interaction in detail.
Why are PFD indications missing or wrong in a simulator?
Missing or implausible PFD indications usually come from aircraft configuration, navigation setup, barometric settings or limited add-on modelling rather than a failed display.
- The PFD is black or flagged: check electrical power and the display-brightness control. In a cold-and-dark aircraft, attitude and heading information also depend on the ADIRS or IRS being switched on and aligned.
- Flight-director bars are absent: confirm the relevant FD is selected and inspect the FMA. Some modes cannot provide valid guidance until navigation data or an active flight-plan leg is available.
- NAV will not engage: look for a discontinuity, missing departure, inactive leg or incomplete initialisation. Correctly setting up the A320 MCDU/FMS supplies the managed route, constraints and performance targets displayed on the PFD.
- ILS scales or diamonds are missing: select the
LSdisplay, verify the correct approach and ensure the aircraft is receiving a valid signal. Some add-ons tune the ILS through the FMGS; others require manual tuning or simplify reception. - Altitude differs from ATC: check QNH against
STD, pressure units and any simulator altimeter-assistance option. A wrong pressure setting can create a substantial altitude error while the tape itself appears normal. - The speed target is unexpected: determine whether speed is selected or managed, then check flight-plan constraints, aircraft weight and flap configuration. Simplified aircraft may not reproduce every Airbus speed marker or protection band.
Compare the captain’s and first officer’s displays when the model provides independent sources. A fault on one side suggests a local display or source selection; identical bad data on both sides usually points to aircraft setup, shared navigation data or simulator modelling.
What should you watch on the PFD during an ILS approach?
On an ILS approach, use the deviation scales for position but use the FMA to confirm that localiser and glideslope guidance has actually armed and captured.
Normally, LOC and G/S first appear armed, then change through capture indications such as LOC* and G/S* before becoming active in green. Monitor speed against VLS, the altitude tape, vertical speed and radio altitude, which normally appears below 2,500 ft.
An annunciation such as CAT 3 DUAL reports the approach capability calculated by the aircraft. It does not guarantee that a particular simulator add-on models autoland, flare and rollout correctly. If the aircraft is not stabilised or the expected modes fail to capture, use the published missed approach and follow the A320 go-around procedure for flight simulators rather than trying to rescue the approach by chasing the PFD bars.