Learn how to use an Airbus A380 checklist in Microsoft Flight Simulator, from cold-and-dark setup through take-off, landing and shutdown.
Use the checklist supplied for your exact A380 add-on, complete each cockpit flow first, then read and verify the corresponding checklist before moving on. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, work through cockpit preparation, engine start, taxi, take-off, climb, approach, landing and shutdown; never substitute an A320 checklist because A380 systems and four-engine procedures differ.
Which A380 checklist should I use?
The correct checklist is the one written for your installed A380 package and simulator version. Different A380 add-ons model different cockpit systems, so first confirm which A380 model is available for your MSFS version.
| Checklist type | When to use it | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft electronic checklist or EFB checklist | Best default when included with the add-on; it should match the modelled systems. | Not every item is necessarily sensed automatically. |
| MSFS Checklist panel | Use when the aircraft developer has populated it properly. | Third-party aircraft support may be partial or absent. |
| Aircraft-specific reference checklist | Useful when the electronic checklist is incomplete or when learning the full cockpit flows. | It must match the exact aircraft package and build. |
An electronic checklist does not replace the cockpit flow. Complete the relevant controls from memory or a detailed procedure, then use the checklist to catch omissions. Our explanation of read-and-do versus flow-and-check procedures covers the difference.
How do I run an A380 checklist from cold and dark?
Start at a parking stand with the aircraft cold and dark, then complete one flight phase at a time without skipping unresolved items.
- Confirm the starting state. Select the cold-and-dark checklist only when the aircraft is actually unpowered. A runway start normally loads the A380 with engines and major systems running, so begin with the taxi or before-take-off section instead.
- Prepare the controls. Check all four throttle levers, thrust detents, reversers, rudder, brakes, spoilers and flap controls before starting. Incorrect engine assignments or duplicated bindings can prevent checklist detection; use our A380 control and throttle setup guidance if the levers do not move together correctly.
- Complete the cockpit preparation flow. Establish electrical power, prepare the navigation systems, load fuel and payload, enter the route and initialise take-off performance according to the aircraft documentation. The MCDU stages are covered separately in our MSFS airliner FMC setup guide.
- Open the first relevant checklist. Depending on the add-on, this may be in an EFB, an integrated electronic checklist display or the simulator’s Checklist panel.
- Read and verify every response. Inspect the actual switch, lever or display indication. Auto-sensed items may change state by themselves; manual items require you to confirm them only after checking the cockpit.
- Advance by flight phase. Finish before start before beginning pushback, after start before taxi, and before take-off before entering the runway. Use the same discipline during approach, landing and shutdown.
- Resume carefully after interruptions. If ATC, pushback or a warning interrupts the flow, return to the last confirmed item rather than guessing where you stopped.
The precise order and wording supplied with the aircraft always take priority, but a normal A380 flight usually covers these groups:
| Flight phase | Typical items to verify |
|---|---|
| Cockpit preparation and before start | Electrical power, navigation alignment, fuel and payload, route, performance data, doors and pushback readiness. |
| After start and taxi | All four engines available, anti-ice as required, flight controls checked, flaps and trim set, brakes checked. |
| Before take-off | Cabin ready, take-off configuration valid, thrust data checked, transponder or traffic system set and take-off memo clear. |
| Climb and cruise | Landing gear and flaps retracted, altimeters changed at the applicable transition and aircraft systems monitored. |
| Approach and landing | Arrival and approach entered, landing performance reviewed, minima set, autobrake selected, spoilers armed, gear down and landing configuration established. |
| After landing and parking | Flaps and spoilers reset, external power or APU established as needed, engines shut down, fuel systems secured and batteries switched off last. |
This table is a phase guide, not a substitute for the switch-by-switch procedure supplied with the aircraft. Configuration choices such as FULL versus CONF 3 landing flaps also change some responses.
A normal checklist is not an abnormal procedure. If an ECAM warning appears, pause the normal checklist at a safe point, follow the displayed ECAM actions and system status, then return to the interrupted checklist.
Why will an A380 checklist item not turn green?
An item usually remains incomplete because the aircraft state, control binding or checklist sensing does not match the expected value.
- Wrong starting state: a saved flight or runway spawn can produce a mixture of running and cold-and-dark settings. Reload from a clean parking-stand state.
- Manual checklist item: some controls are not connected to automatic detection. Verify the cockpit indication, then confirm the item manually if the checklist permits it.
- Duplicate bindings: a keyboard, controller and throttle quadrant may all be commanding the same axis or switch. Remove the unwanted assignment.
- Four-engine assignment error: confirm that engines 1–4 respond and that no throttle axis has been assigned only to one engine pair.
- Incorrect detent: visually matching the lever is not enough if the add-on reads a different IDLE, CL, FLX/MCT or TOGA position. Recalibrate the detents.
- System delay: navigation alignment, engine availability and electrical changes may take time to register. Wait for the cockpit indication rather than repeatedly toggling the switch.
- Checklist mismatch: a reference written for another A380 package may name controls or functions that your aircraft does not model.
Do not force-complete an item merely to remove it from the list. First confirm that the aircraft itself shows the required state; a green tick is useful, but the cockpit indication is the better evidence.
Does the A380 checklist change between MSFS 2020 and 2024?
The underlying A380 flow is determined mainly by the aircraft add-on, while checklist placement, assistance features and add-on compatibility can differ between Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024.
Use the checklist distributed with the installed aircraft build rather than an older copy retained from another installation. After changing simulator versions or aircraft builds, recheck throttle calibration, control assignments, saved panel states and automatic checklist sensing before attempting a full flight.