How do you flare and land the Airbus A320 in MSFS?
To flare and land an Airbus A320 in Microsoft Flight Simulator, fly a stable final at VAPP, start easing the thrust levers back around 30 ft, and add a small flare at about 20 to 15 ft. Expect a slight nose-down tendency from 50 ft and let the aircraft settle.
What flare technique works in the A320?
The A320 needs a small, deliberate flare rather than a big pitch-up, and that catches many simmers out.
- Be stable before short final. By about 1,000 ft AGL you want landing configuration set, speed under control at VAPP, and only small corrections needed to stay on the centreline and glidepath. If you are still chasing the localiser, descent rate or flap schedule, the landing is already behind you.
- Disconnect the autopilot with time to settle. For a manual landing, many simmers do best disconnecting somewhere between 500 and 1,000 ft AGL, once the approach is built but before the flare starts. Keep the inputs tiny; the A320 does not reward constant stirring.
- Expect the change at 50 ft. In Airbus flare mode, the aircraft starts to introduce a slight nose-down tendency from about 50 ft radio altitude. That is normal. The mistake we see constantly is reacting with a big pull, which leads straight to a balloon.
- Start reducing thrust around 30 ft. In Airbus-style operation, ease the levers back so they reach idle by about 20 ft. If your add-on models the RETARD callout, that is your cue to be at idle, not to leave the power in until after touchdown.
- At 20 to 15 ft, make a small flare. Think in terms of a gentle 2 to 3 degree pitch increase, not a dramatic rotation. Shift your eyes towards the far end of the runway, hold the centreline with rudder, and let the main gear touch first.
- After touchdown, keep it straight and do not slam the nose down. Hold a touch of back-pressure so the nose settles naturally, then use reverse and braking as planned. If spoilers are armed, they should help pin the aircraft onto the runway.
Bad A320 landings usually begin miles earlier, so if your arrival is not set up properly, our guide to setting up the Airbus A320 MCDU/FMS for the arrival and approach will save you work in the flare. If you want the whole sequence rather than just the last 30 feet, we also cover the complete Airbus A320 flight and landing flow in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
How do you judge the flare visually?
The best visual cue is to look further down the runway as you pass roughly 30 ft, because staring at the aiming point makes most people flare late and too hard.
If you keep looking just over the nose, the runway seems to rush up at you and you will tend to yank. Looking long helps you judge sink rate, hold-off and centreline more naturally. For more on runway sight picture, our article on judging a visual approach and landing in a flight simulator fills in that part.
What speed should the A320 be at over the threshold?
The right threshold speed is the aircraft's calculated VAPP, not a fixed number copied from another aircraft or video.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, most A320 variants will land somewhere in the low-130s to mid-140s depending on weight, flap and wind correction, but memorising one speed is how people end up floating. For most simmers, CONF FULL is the easiest landing setup when the aircraft's performance data calls for it, because the lower speed and extra drag make the flare less slippery than CONF 3.
If you fly the Fenix, our page on finding the correct landing weight and approach speed explains how to get VAPP right. The exact displays differ between the stock A320 and higher-fidelity add-ons, but the rule does not: on-speed aircraft, small flare, idle in time.
Why does the A320 float or balloon in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
If the A320 floats or balloons, the cause is usually speed, thrust timing or over-controlling rather than some hidden bug.
| Problem | Likely cause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Long float | Crossing the threshold fast, or leaving thrust in too long | Fly VAPP accurately, begin the retard around 30 ft, and use a smaller flare |
| Balloon after flare | Pulling too much at 20 ft when flare mode starts | Stop increasing back-pressure; if it keeps climbing or the runway is running away, go around |
| Firm touchdown | Closing the thrust too early or arriving below VAPP | Carry the right energy to the threshold and flare gently instead of trying to rescue a sink |
| Bounce or porpoise | Forcing it onto the runway, then pushing the nose down | Hold attitude after main-gear contact; after a significant bounce, go around rather than salvaging it |
| Side-load or drift | Not de-crabbing properly in crosswind | Use rudder to align with the runway before touchdown and keep only a small into-wind bank |
The stock Airbus and third-party A320s do not all feel identical in the flare, but they all punish the same habit: carrying extra speed because it feels safer. In an A320 it usually does the opposite and turns a normal landing into a long float.
When should you go around instead of trying to save it?
You should go around whenever the A320 is no longer going to touch down from a stable approach in the touchdown zone.
- Still unstable below 500 ft AGL: speed wandering, large bank changes, or constant thrust chasing.
- Fast over the threshold: if you already know it will float halfway down the runway, do not wait for proof.
- Big balloon: if the flare turns into a climb, add TOGA and go around.
- Significant bounce: one light skip can settle; a proper bounce in an A320 is a go-around.
- Crosswind not under control: if you cannot align with the runway without big last-second inputs, abandon the landing.
That is the habit we would rather see in Microsoft Flight Simulator than a forced landing. A320 landings look smooth when the approach is quiet, the thrust comes out on time, and the flare is smaller than most people expect.