Learn how to land an Airbus A320 in MSFS, from ILS setup and flap speeds to flare, reverse thrust, autoland and common landing fixes.
To land an Airbus A320 in Microsoft Flight Simulator, enter the approach data, slow on profile, capture the localiser and glideslope, then select gear down and landing flap before 1,000 feet. Stabilise at VAPP, flare gently near 30 feet, retard at the callout, touch down on the main gear and use reverse thrust and braking.
The basic technique is the same in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. Exact MCDU functions, callouts, flight-control behaviour and autoland capability depend on the A320 package being flown, so treat the Flight Mode Annunciator and the aircraft's calculated speeds as authoritative.
How should I configure the A320 for landing?
A good A320 landing begins with the runway, approach, weather and landing performance entered before the aircraft reaches final approach.
- Load and verify the approach. Select the correct runway, STAR and approach, then inspect the flight plan for discontinuities, impossible turns or duplicate waypoints. Our guide to loading runway and approach data into the A320 MCDU covers this preparation in detail.
- Complete the approach performance page. Enter the QNH, temperature, wind and decision altitude or minimum descent altitude. Select the intended landing configuration and use the resulting VAPP rather than copying a generic speed from another flight.
- Lose energy early. Descend and reduce speed before the final intercept. On a three-degree path, height above the runway is roughly 300 feet for each nautical mile remaining, so an aircraft 3,000 feet above the threshold should be near 10 NM, excluding the flare.
- Arm the ILS correctly. Display the ILS information and select APPR when established on a sensible intercept, preferably from below the glideslope. Check the Flight Mode Annunciator: blue modes are armed, while green LOC and G/S indications confirm capture. See our detailed A320 ILS capture sequence if the localiser or glideslope is unfamiliar.
- Configure in stages. Select Flaps 1 and 2 only below the displayed limits, lower the landing gear, then select Flaps 3 or FULL. Arm the ground spoilers and choose an appropriate autobrake setting. LOW suits a long dry runway and smoother deceleration; MED provides more positive braking when runway length or conditions require it.
- Apply a stable-approach gate. By 1,000 feet above the runway, we recommend having the gear down, landing flap selected, speed near VAPP, landing checklist complete and the aircraft settled on the correct path. Where modelled, the ECAM landing memo should have no unresolved blue items.
What speed and flap setting should I use?
Use the VAPP calculated by the aircraft for that flight, not a fixed A320 landing speed. Weight, wind correction, flap configuration and system status all change the correct target; many normal approaches fall into a familiar airliner speed range, but memorising one number is a mistake we see constantly.
- CONF FULL is the straightforward choice for a normal landing and generally gives the lowest approach speed.
- CONF 3 uses less flap and a higher VAPP. Choose it only when it has been entered in the performance calculation and the available runway comfortably supports it.
- PFD speed markers show when each flap selection is safe. Do not extend the next stage above its displayed limit merely to force the aircraft to slow down.
If the A320 is high and fast, selected speed alone cannot remove the excess energy. Reduce the descent rate temporarily, use speed brakes within their limits, or extend the gear earlier. Trying to recover everything during the last few miles usually produces an unstable approach.
How do I flare and touch down manually?
For a manual A320 landing, disconnect the autopilot with enough height to settle on the flight path, keep autothrust engaged, and make small sidestick corrections rather than chasing every movement.
- Disconnect and stabilise. For practice, disconnecting between about 1,000 and 500 feet gives time to trim your sight picture and confirm that the controls are responding normally. Use the proper autopilot-disconnect control so that the warning can be cancelled cleanly.
- Hold the approach. Keep the aiming point stationary in the windscreen, maintain VAPP and avoid large pitch or thrust corrections. A normal three-degree approach commonly produces a descent rate around 700–800 feet per minute, with wind and groundspeed causing variation.
- Flare near 30 feet. Apply a small, smooth aft input, raising the nose only a few degrees from the approach attitude. Do not pull into a prolonged hold-off as if landing a light aircraft.
- Retard at the callout. At the RETARD call, normally around 20 feet in a correctly modelled A320, move both thrust levers to idle. Closing them much earlier can create a hard arrival; leaving them above idle causes floating or unwanted thrust after touchdown.
- Complete the rollout. Let the main gear touch first, lower the nosewheel smoothly and confirm ground-spoiler deployment. Select reverse thrust, monitor the autobrake, then reduce reverse around 70 knots and stow it before taxi speed. Use rudder or nosewheel steering to remain on the centreline.
In a crosswind, maintain the crab through most of final, then use rudder near touchdown to align the fuselage while applying enough into-wind sidestick to stop drift. Large, late rudder inputs often create the very sideways touchdown they were meant to prevent.
Can the Airbus A320 land automatically in MSFS?
An A320 can autoland in Microsoft Flight Simulator only when the aircraft package, ILS, runway and approach conditions support a dual-channel automatic landing.
Normally this means selecting APPR, engaging both autopilots and confirming the expected FMA sequence, including indications such as CAT 3 DUAL, LAND, FLARE and ROLLOUT where modelled. Do not assume that leaving one autopilot engaged on any ILS will produce an autoland. Our explanation of A320 FCU modes and autoland logic covers the required automation in more depth.
Monitor the approach throughout and disconnect if capture, alignment or flare behaviour is wrong. Even during an autoland, the pilot normally moves the thrust levers to idle at the RETARD call and takes over the rollout when required.
Why does my A320 landing keep going wrong?
Most failed A320 landings come from excess energy, incorrect ILS capture, poor throttle-detent calibration or an attempt to rescue an approach that was already unstable.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Localiser or glideslope will not capture | Wrong approach data, poor intercept angle, arrival above the glideslope or APPR not armed | Verify the ILS and runway, intercept from below and use the FMA to confirm LOC and G/S capture |
| Aircraft will not slow down | Descent started late, tailwind or flap delayed too long | Plan deceleration earlier, use speed brakes appropriately and extend the gear before final if necessary |
| Aircraft floats over the runway | Excess speed, early flare, too much pitch or thrust not at idle | Fly the calculated VAPP, use a small flare and move both levers to idle at RETARD |
| Thrust remains after touchdown | Levers never reached the idle detent, or conflicting throttle-axis assignments | Calibrate the throttle detents and remove duplicate bindings before the next flight |
| Aircraft veers during rollout | Overcorrecting, unwanted auto-rudder, reversed brake axes or duplicate steering controls | Check assistance settings and bindings, then use small rudder or steering inputs |
When should I go around?
Go around whenever the A320 is not stable, correctly configured and under control by the chosen approach gate, or when a safe touchdown in the touchdown zone is no longer likely.
- The localiser or glideslope has not captured correctly.
- The aircraft is still high, fast or not in landing configuration near 1,000 feet.
- Required visual references are unavailable at minimums.
- Sink rate, bank angle or control inputs become excessive.
- The aircraft floats beyond the intended touchdown zone or makes a significant bounce.
- The runway is occupied or an unsafe situation develops ahead.
Apply TOGA, confirm the go-around modes, retract one flap step, raise the gear after establishing a positive climb and follow the missed approach. The complete A320 go-around sequence explains the mode changes and clean-up. Do not attempt a go-around after deploying reverse thrust.