FlightFactor A320 Part 1 - EGKK Departure [X-Plane]

Part 1 of the FlightFactor A320 series. Learn to fly the A320 with an A320 pilot.
The aircraft is set up from cold and dark for a flight from Gatwick EGKK to Lisbon LPPT. The procedures used are virtually identical to real life. The aircraft is pushed back using the BetterPushback plugin.
Errors, Omissions, Simplifications, Clarifications :-
1) To be clear about flap retraction and acceleration, when above F speed select Flap 1. When above S speed select Flap 0.
2) In the video I demonstrate the altimeter setting is synchronised between left and right displays. Watching the video back I need to be clear this is a FlightFactor simplification (and a useful feature for a desktop sim) However it is not a real Airbus feature, both pilots set the altimeter setting independently.
Links :-
BetterPushback - virtually essential pushback plugin for very realistic pushback operations. Thanks Saso!
github.com/ski...

[@cobra1010]

There are so many tutorials on youtube created by people who don't have the full knowledge! This is the program and the tutorial I have been waiting for! Thank you Graham! A great pleasure to enjoy and learn!

[@spy2778]

Hands down, the best Sim video/tutorial I've seen. So glad to have stumbled upon this

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for the nice comment. Glad you found the channel.

[@critterstocosmos]

Agreed!

[@andrewlarson7987]

AGREEED

[@jlunddk]

Agree, First time I've seen a video where I actually understand what's going on. Well, I'm off two see part 2 :-) Great job.

[@totoritko]

Thank you, so much fun watching you fly! Also glad you like BetterPushback ;) Suggestions on improvements there are always welcome. Keep in mind though of course that the behavior of the plugin is kinda designed as a "universal" set of ops, as it's really not feasible for me to implement airline- or airport-specific ops procedures. However, you can get the pushback truck attached without planning or starting a push. Just bring the "Pre-plan pushback" and hit the "Connect first" button. That brings the tug out and lifts the aircraft without starting a pushback. Then when you hit "start pushback" it will bring up the planner to let you decide where to go. I implemented this specifically for airports where the assigned runway and pushback direction depends on an ATC clearance. I'm going to implement also bringing the tug ahead of the aircraft without connecting, so you don't have to wait for it to drive up.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks, I really like BetterPushback. I did try the "connect first" as I though that would better suit what I was trying to do, but if I remember correctly the GPU disconnected when the aircraft was lifted. Like I said on the video the pushback procedure seems to be different at every airfield. Bringing the tug without connecting seems useful - on the 320 with a big towbarless tug like the Douglas TBL or Goldhofer the crew often won't position the tug until ground power is disconnected. They would have to move the power cable slightly to get the tug in place and that can cause the power to drop out.

[@jumpnrun3368]

It would be really nice if you could set the volume of the voices. : )

[@DavidAmmerlaan]

great plugin, thx for your efforts

[@kafka8886]

I just found your series, 2 years later. Excellent video and explanations, useful real-world pilot snippets as well, showing the use of managed modes on departure as required - looks like I've been doing it about right :) I would also flick the VORs on as well for reference as they are defaulted off. We're now on a later revision and there's a Cabin Check to do pre-departure, which is done on the tablet new FAP page. Subscribed to watch the rest of your series, thanks.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Graham, yes I saw it had been updated with the FAP, will need to give it a try again. Glad you’re enjoying the videos. My VOR switches are usually left where the last pilot had them! That is unless I’m doing something specific with them, but yes you’re correct it’s a good idea to have the VOR selected if they aid your situational awareness.

[@zephyrzhang]

Hey RRS, I’ve watched a lot x-plane videos that claimed that by real pilot or with real pilot. However none of them nearly approached the level of details, quality and the balance between explanation and procedures. I really enjoy your videos! Specifically FF A320 helped me a lot from a real pilot perspective! Please go on these series

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for your nice comment. As soon as the summer flying season has finished and I've got a bit more time off work I'll be producing some more videos. Before I started flying for real I used Flight Simulator to learn as much as I could about flying, and my channel is simply trying to give some of that back to the sim community.

[@alanjux9915]

Graham, whilst Flight Factor make a truly wonderful and immersive A320, which to me is just about as good as it gets, the thing that really makes this download come alive and allow maximum satisfaction is your superb, clear and easy to understand tuition. You are a master of your profession. Please keep them coming.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for your nice comment!

[@albula642]

What a fantastic tutorial. I have seen many where there are just plain wrong but this one was absolutely perfect. Also interesting to see the small tips like accelerating instead of leveling off. Been simming heavily for years and nobody has show that tips. Top drawer!

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks very much for your nice comment and glide you found something useful!

[@paddyredmond3039]

I'm late to the party - but this is so useful. Thank you very much. I fly the Toliss A319 but within 5 minutes of the start of this video I realised I was on a winner here. Certainly learnt a lot and looking forward to moving onto the other 4 videos in the series. Great work - well explained and easy to follow your cursor to see what you are actually saying and doing.

[@h9Kw7AN]

Thanks for this - nice clear simple instructions for a novice 🙂

[@jacquesmilcendeau538]

I just bought the FFA320, so your videos are very usefull, a big thanks.

[@Nufsed007]

Just found this after buying the ffA320. Great video. Many thanks

[@briandowney7783]

Thank you so much! Just the little trick about the screw lining up with the center line of the aircraft made flying this bird 100x easier let alone all of the other invaluable information I learned in this tutorial series. Hands down best tutorial ever made on the FF A320.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Brian, Glad you're enjoying the video series.

[@signmanbob3834]

Wonderful tutorial, Graham. I think the other comments say it well but thank you so much for taking your time out to put these videos together. It is appreciated so much.

[@Mrdionoz]

What a truly brilliant video/channel, it felt more like what I would imagine real world training to be like for a FO. Gem of the video for me was inputting waypoints only in the box and finding out the Airbus populates the airways automatically. Wonderful stuff, long may this channel continue. Cheers Graham! + 1 happy subscriber.

[@jetnoise6053]

Enjoyable as always, Graham. Looking forward to Part 2.

[@danieldbird]

An absolute joy to watch. Thank you, very informative and descriptive.

[@MrEnglima]

Guy, You are a amazing professor :) This is the best tutorial I've seen so far!

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks!

[@rahalwidanagamage]

Wow. I just finished watching your part 1 Airbus a320. I learned a lot from this. I highly recommend this video for anyone wants to feel about flight simulators as simulators and not as just games. Thanks a lot for your effort. Worthy video.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for your nice comment Rahal. Yes the fidelity on these modern desktop recreational sims is amazing compared to what was available on the late 80s/early 90s PCs.

[@critterstocosmos]

Thank you so much Graham. What a great series on the A320! I was always a Boeing guy but when I switched to X-Plane I decided to give this plane a go as it was getting good reviews. I refer to your videos frequently as a procedures tutorial. You rock!! Thanks again and keep the videos coming :)

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Jason, glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@jc59jc]

It is indeed a pleasure watching your tutorial videos. One can ask no more than being tutored by someone that flies the bird and is detailed as you are throughout the whole process. My only request is that you slow down a little specially when when you program/adjust any of the navigation systems such as "the box" and any dials related to the auto pilot functions. Sometimes I have a tough time following you and have to stop and rerun a section several times. Thank you for the priceless contribution to the X-Plane community. You are indeed one of the best.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for your feedback and I'm glad you're enjoying the content. I'll try and worth through the autopilot operations a little bit slower in the next video.

[@thomastomlinson1607]

Very well presented and informative video Graham. Look forward to part 2.

[@Nicolas-is3gq]

Thanks Graham, this was absolutely brilliant! Please keep the A320 videos coming!

[@henriksmids3134]

Very well done video, this is my A320 "bible" that I can go back to as a convenient tutorial to refresh things and keep me flying. Thnak you for your time and effort :)

[@thenextbest1137]

Glad to see that Flight Factor knew where to go for a Beta Tester - they couldn't have found better - Excellent Video

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks very much.

[@oscardewyldde]

Thank you with being direct and conservative with your explanation. Very good instruction and reasoning.

[@DavidAmmerlaan]

As a beginner , I think this was great! Very informative and I’ll be using these videos as i fly my sim :) thanks very much

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

That's good to hear David - the A320 is a fine aircraft, hope you enjoy flying it.

[@nevshammond8491]

Graham your tutorials are so informative ( ive watched your whole series of vids many times ) the way you explain systematically how procedures are in done in the real world ( as far as sim allows ) is such an insight in to how its done correctly in a calm professional way.( the IXEG tutorial to name just one ... ) but all your vids are of such a high standard plus informative as you give reasons why and what to expect and what the response from the plane will be from inputs one gives it ect ect . Graham your tutorials are so immersive please carry on this great work .. looking forward to the next instalment .

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for your kind feedback, I'm glad you enjoy the videos.

[@lassetapani69]

This is the best one, x-plane Airbus video. Really nice and professional work, 10 points!

[@ola.ljungqvist1966]

Wonderful Graham. Really good tutorial. Thank you for that. I would like to see a standalone video on the FMC, or the box, with a complete run through on all the functions in it, explaining what you can do in the sim compared to the real deal, what real pilots do and so on. If possible.

[@PaulAlford]

Brilliant detail Graham. Thank you for making these vids.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Paul, glad you like the series - it's a older series now so I'm glad they are still proving useful.

[@pdmarsh5466]

Thank you very much for the tutorial videos on the FF A320. I have been struggling a bit with this aircraft and your videos have helped immensely. Sincerely, Paul

[@Husker627]

phenomenal video once again, I look forward to the 2nd part as that is where I have struggled the most with the A320 sim and getting her into a proper landing config and on profile for landing.

[@robinpeel1107]

Thank you for an excellent introduction (as always) to the FF A320. Your explanation of how the un-motored throttle levers & detentes work was simple and clear. I look forward to a discussion on how this model represents the function and feel of the Airbus sidestick controllers. This is definitely an aircraft I will get to compare with the excellent IXEG 737-300.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Robin. The current release of the A320 is flying quite nicely. The stick deflections on the real thing are very similar to a desktop joystick, though I've not used a desktop joystick with as subtle a centering force like the real aircraft. The Airbus flight controls are a perfect target for desktop sim though as there's no force feedback, no centre point pitch trim issue and unpowered thrust levers.

[@XP72official]

Thanks for your detailed tutorial. It has clarified a lot for me. Looking forward the part two.

[@vasily2022]

By far the best video I have seen. I already own this aircraft, otherwise after watching this I definitely would have gotten it.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Vasily. Like the IXEG it's really well implemented, and I'm trying to make sure sim pilots are able to fully enjoy these realistic models.

[@PilotWannabe]

Feel free to go deeper into the weeds... it's not often we have access to a primary source who is also a simmer.

[@DirkBrand34]

Fascinating. Thanks so much for a very well presented video.

[@jankin880]

Always the best tutorials....Looking out for your next videos on the FF A320

[@dingbat19]

What a fantastic channel - it is so amazing to hear from the horse's mouth how to fly this bird. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and I very much hope your channel is a success for you. Could I make some future vid requests for you to consider? (1) how to fly an RNAV approach in the FFa320; (2) how to fly a visual, such as LOWI approach. Many thanks again for sharing your knowledge with the X-Plane community !

[@patrickmaartense7772]

Thank you again for an excellent video. aleays a joy to see (and hear) your videos

[@eheroi]

RESPECT TO YOU SIR. thanks for your videos

[@John-by6jw]

So much better than that "other guy"

[@mcshiggitypilot5901]

Excellent ! Greattutorila Thank you Graham!

[@alanthe6121]

Thank you very much! Really enjoyable and leads to further study! The Scots accent is known to be great in training! Would love to see some videos coping with engine failure etc! My Scots voice would be used to call out famous words of concern, more Begbie than BA !

[@claybwagner]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[@judebrad]

Lovely stuff, l learned a lot more even though I'd been using this model since the beta came out, and using Airbus A/c in the sim since PSS.

[@peterbrazendale5794]

Hi, Many thanks for the video it’s fantastic, I do have a question and I’m surely doing something silly, on takeoff onset throttle to TOGA after successful takeoff I start to climb however the throttles stay in TOGA and I get over speed warnings and AP disables and I go off course. Even pulling the throttles back the the crz or climb indents its stays in TOGA, in your video I notice you click something that changes the mode, what is it you are clicking? Many Thanks in advance it’s driving me mad. Kind Regards

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hello Peter, thanks for your question. As your climbing double check the FMAs. Perhaps you have TOGA LK which is possibly a result of the rotation technique? If you don’t have that please pause the sim during the initial climb and let me know what FMAs are displayed. There is nothing to click to change modes, simply move the levers back to the Climb detent and if Autothrust is available it will engage. You should have had the blue A/THR FMA as TOGA was set to indicate autothurst was armed.

[@peterbrazendale5794]

Hi, I have in fact got TOGA TK, I tried to keep it 15% pitch and got positive rate and gear up, not sure what I may have done wrong? Could keeping the spoilers armed after takeoff cause an issue? Kind Regards

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Peter, it won’t be related to the spoilers being armed. It’s almost certainly the rotation rate is too high. It should take a full 5 seconds to get to 15 degrees. Try counting them aloud as you rotate. Rotate looking at the visual picture and not the PFD. As you get to 4 seconds or when you lose sight of the horizon check the PFD momentarily, and follow the flight director SRS pitch command.

[@Gilles45]

I fly the Toliss A-319 and A-321, but I'm quite sure your FF videos can be easily adapted to the Toliss planes. 👍

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Yes I believe the Toliss aircraft are very good too - I try and make it clear where I show stuff that is “sim specific”, most of what you see in this series is pure Airbus.

[@deskboundaviator7377]

Graham. Forgive me for writing to you in this space about another aircraft in the Airbus family. I recently purchased the FlightFactor A350 and am having considerable difficulty figuring it out. In particular, the supplied "Briefing" manual is sadly lacking specific procedural instructions on starting and flying this aircraft. I was wondering if you might have plans to add this sim model to your repertoire. I know I and many of my flight friends would greatly benefit from your clear and easily understood instructions on this complex aircraft. Hopefully you will consider this and do a series on the A350 soon. Best regards, Steve Haines

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hello Steve, I don't currently have the A350, but it should be quite similar in concept to the other Airbus aircraft. What sort of issues are you having with it?

[@deskboundaviator7377]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations Hi Graham. I'm just getting started so I can't get into specifics other than to say that while the FF "Briefing" document covers the hardware of the airplane exceedingly well, there is really nothing (that I have found) on operational procedures such as cold & dark start, MCDU programming, flight procedures, etc, I agree that many of these procedures are mirrored by other Airbus planes but the A350 includes a number of significant interface differences that complicate the task of performing them without clear instruction. That's where I thought you could make a significant contribution to understanding not only how this aircraft works but how to operate it correctly. I think when you have a look at the 350 you will see what I mean. For example, the new model includes a popup version of the "old" MCDU which is familiar to anyone who has flown ToLiss, JAR or the A320 Ultimate. But it is superseded by a much different, in-panel interface that functions similarly but operates much differently. And there are many such systems within this aircraft that warrant and would greatly benefit from your expertise and clarity. So if you have an opportunity I urge you to take a look at it and consider this request.

[@deskboundaviator7377]

Hi Graham. Just a followup to my earlier note. I did a search for any videos dealing with the A350, specifically cold & dark start, and found just one. In fact the creator mentions that there are currently no usable videos on this subject available, which inspired him to create one. As it turns out this video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJWwYaedgZ6eas0) is remarkably equal in clarity and depth as your work. And to top it off I believe he must be a neighbor of yours. At least the accent suggests that. So for the time being I am relying on this video for guidance. If you decide to add the A350 to your resumé I will certainly watch it and add it to my knowledge base. -SH

[@thegood9]

These are great series! Especially from someone who KNOWS the systems. I'll be using your channel for MONTHS and further! One question: Can you tag the time marker where you raised the gear? I never heard you annunciate it and I never saw you do it, but obviously you did somewhere. (EDIT : NM heard you say it at @35:41). What sort of throttle settings are you using with your controller to replicate the detents? Do you have your throttle set to do the reversers too?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Jason - 35:40 for the gear retraction, just after the positive climb call.

[@pegasus11030]

Super instruction; thank you.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for the nice feedback, glad to see some people are still watching my older content too!

[@malmacdonald9326]

Thanks for your easy to understand videos. Question: have you tried saving a flight in the FF 320 and then loading that situation later so you don’t have to start from scratch? Whenever I do this the flight has lost all Data. Ex: From/To, etc. You’re a wonderful Instructor!

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Really sorry for the delay replying Mal. It’s been a long time since I flew the FF model, but I seem to recall having issues with the save and reload feature too. To be honest I usually expect those sort of issues with X-Plane addons when loading and saving. Only the TBM and ToLiss have performed as expected.

[@malmacdonald9326]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations good to know. This will be my last FF model. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@dabigcat73]

greatest Xplane tutorial ever!!!!

[@2PsychoMantis3]

Thanks for a great video very informative.

[@fulatoro]

Excellent tutorial. Helped me get up to speed with the Toliss A321. Very soothing indeed. Have you considered narrating audiobooks?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hope you’re enjoying the Toliss model, I don’t have that one myself.

[@fulatoro]

Enjoying it indeed. It is more VR ready than the FF. Very enjoyable once you let the bird fly instead of forcing it to fly...

[@RotationFSX]

Top draw as always - thank you

[@aljaz182]

Exceptional video! I really enjoyed it.

[@sledge144]

Thanks for this great guide. I feel so Stupid now, I used to enter the THS value thinking the plane used that data as a setting. I didnt understand at first why you didnt enter it. Like I said, I feel so Stupid now. ;)

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

No need to feel stupid. Airbus put that entry there and I believe some operators still use it.

[@BrandonABC123]

Whenever I take off I put my flaps up and everything my gear then I move the throttle to climb. A/T is engaged and everything is fine until I pass 10k feet. I do all my lights but then the auto throttle still keeps the speed at 250 knots. when I level off. Same thing. Keep in mind I am not a great pilot. I only got this plane a few days ago. I come from GA. Never flown commercial in sims before. This might be a procedure im missing or something but it is really annoying. I see everyone just doesn't have to do anything but I have to keep twisting the knob to adjust my speed during cruise, descent, and landing. And its pretty annoying. any ideas

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Sorry for the delay replying. Could there be a speed restriction on the departure? If there's a 250kt restriction coded on the SID then that could cause what you're seeing. Worth checking the perf page on the MCDU. Also, some countries have the 250kt restriction to higher altitudes, but I can't remember if the sim database supports that. If you find it's not slowing down during the approach then you need to activate the approach phase on the MCDU perf page.

[@BrandonABC123]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations Thank you so much for replying but I found out. It was one of your reason then me being dumb. 1. Activating approach phase and 2. It was just indicated airspeed. I was going .778 mach during cruising. I was new at the time and didn’t really know about indicated airspeed and true airspeed. Thanks though!

[@paulvivaldi8741]

Hi Graham, I just discovered your Channel. Amazing Job! TY, for doing this. In fact it is exactly what I was looking for. Even if the last comments are a bit older, I hope you could give me a suggestion. For now I used my Sim (FSX with RealityXP 430W) is train IFR procedures for proficiency. I plan to take a A320 TR in the US. I heard that the Ground School is very tough for the TR. My idea was to learn in advance and use a A320 Implementation for a Consumer Level Sim like this FF A320 on X-Plane. 1): What do you think? Does this make any sense? Or is there a chance to get bad habits that would have an adverse effect. 2): I see that FF has a deep level of Systems. But is that good enough to practice normal/abnormal procedures for Chair-flying?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hello Paul, a very interesting question. Type ratings are hard work, and to be honest there are better methods for learning about the technical details of the aircraft than the sim. There are a few publications available but the type rating provider should also give you what you need. Where the sim can be useful is getting familiar with the location of everything, and when you get to the sim phase of the type rating you can use the desktop sim to go over each sim detail, try different things and explore the automation at your own pace. I would not recommend doing anything with abnormals though - that’s very much a two crew thing, crew cooperation is very important and you run the risk of developing bad habits there. You’ll notice I never do any abnormals in my videos. Beyond that it depends on you, having familiarity with the aircraft via a recreational sim can be good or bad depending on how you handle it. If you’re able to go into the type rating without any preconceptions from the desktop sim then it can be a good training aid, but not much can prepare you for sitting in the real thing the first time. Hope that makes sense? Good luck with the rating!

[@paulvivaldi8741]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations Yes, this makes completely sense to me. Your Opinion is a Gold Standard, since you know both Worlds: the real and the very advanced Sim world, that is available to everyone. Your help put more elements to my criteria of choosing the right training provider and using the Sim in a good manner. At my current Level it is a "splean" to do the TR, but I need the CTP/ATP anyway and the extra cost of doing the practical exam combined with the TR is not bad. Usually the employer pays that all. In my Case I want to try out, how well it goes before making the final decision to go the path (even if it is delayed now). So, thank you very much for taking the time and answering my (unusual) Question. -- PS: I am a (former) Glider Pilot too and your new Video is a pleasure. I flew less advanced Gliders a long time ago incl. acrobatics on a basic level. I don't know if I can get back to it, but gliding is one of the best ways for a human to enjoy being up in the air. TY again!

[@colbeny]

Hey Graham, I'm just starting my TR for the A320 with a lowcost company in Europe and looking for a decent aircraft to practise (in case I'll have any time left during the training :) ). Of course the aim is a study level sim and I'm hesitating between FF 320 and Toliss 319. The price diff doesn't really matter, I'm happy to pay more for the FF if it's better systemwise. I know that Toliss's support is better and developing quickly (they also received Airbus license recently) but still I'm not sure which one to choose. What is your opinion? Have you tried both? If not, what do you think about the FF 320? Thanks and sorry for being long.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Sorry for the delay replying. I've not used the Toliss model. I'd be cautious about using the FF320 before you've started the type rating. It's good to build familiarity with the flight deck layout, but one of the big things to avoid on an Airbus type rating is having preconceptions! Once you've been in the full flight simulator, I think the FF320 will help consolidate that learning and give you a tool to practice what the instructors teach in the real thing. Hope that makes sense!

[@jayjay0973]

Fantastic tutorials, I leanrned a lot. thank you so much for these :-).

[@edwardwheland9681]

Great video. So glad I found your site.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Edward.

[@chrisdee8199]

As you took off, after advancing the thrust levers to half and releasing the brakes you said, click, click, but what were you clicking ? I could not see your mouse. Something quite important I expect.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hi Chris, I wasn’t clicking anything, the clicks are the audio feedback in the sim of the thrust levers moving through the detents. CLB, FLEX/MCT and TOGA.

[@SmartMoneyReviews]

Thank you so much! Ill get the most out of this plane now.

[@fretei]

Hi Again sir. Had a trip today to Palma, but found out that i was a bit heavy, 68t , planed to do a fuel dump to come down to MLAW, But found that this is not possible in the A320, No Jettison Question, How is this problem handle in real life, whats the procedure ? Lets say you got a TOW at about 70t, takes of and have for some reason to return and land and you cant dump any fuel ??

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hello Tore, yes there is no fuel dump facility on the A320 series. We can perform a landing while over max landing weight, there is a procedure in the QRH that determines whether a Flap 3 or Flap Full approach is required, this is driven by the go around climb performance. For the same reason the Packs would be selected off on the approach. When landing overweight provided the touchdown is less than 360 ft/min then no maintenance action will usually be required.

[@fretei]

Again, thank you for a complete answer..

[@albertchristiankamiyadeoli9899]

At 15:32 the MCDU calculates your fuel, but in my it doesn’t, all the estimates next to ZFW/ZFWCG and BLOCK FUEL still shows only dashes. I did everything exactly like you did, and weird part is that happens only sometimes, which is weird.

[@twinprop8697]

Thanks for making the video, been flying the bus for a while now but still really enjoyed this and still learnt something. I noticed when completing the perf page that you didn’t enter the trim setting is this not necessary? I have always entered this eg 1/DN0.5. Is this for info only and not an operating parameter? Thanks again.

[@stevenhines4211]

Could you explain Standby braking, you mentioned it when doing the brake check after starting to taxi?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hi Steven, sorry for the delay replying. Two braking systems on the Airbus. Normal system on the green hydraulic system, Alternate braking system on the Yellow. On older aircraft the transfer from Altn to normal only happens on the first pedal brake application so the gauge “blips” when you do a brake check - not the case on a newer aircraft. Normal brakes are electronically controlled with anti skid. The gauge only shows Alternate system pressure. Newer aircraft can regulate alternate braking pressure automatically with a ABCU (Alternate Braking Control Unit) where older aircraft are basically hydraulic mechanical.

[@clickaviation2591]

Can you please create series of tutorials for Toliss 321 ? I really like the way of you creating KZbin content . In depth 🙏🏻

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

I don’t have either Toliss model, but very little in the video is Flightfactor specific so you should hopefully be able to use what I show in the Toliss model.

[@clickaviation2591]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations Thank you for your reply. FF does not have some of the features like fixes, holdings and etc. that's why :(

[@ImagenNoReligion]

If the SID has vectors to leave the airport, can you put the A320 in heading mode during take off to keep runway heading when engaging autopilot?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Yes, turn the heading knob to any value when on the ground. The little dot on the display will disappear as well as the blue NAV armed mode FMA disappearing. The aircraft will go into runway track mode after getting airborne.

[@ifhandp2887]

hi ... do you not feel anything wrong with Flight Factor A320 wheater? I often fly and in front of me a lot of clouds or in the clouds. but the weather radar on MFD is not displayed. I have selected all of the options in the weather panel

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

I’ve not flown the model with radar, but IRL the radar will show heavy rain showers and CB cells, light cirrus clouds just don’t show up.

[@mikeabbott-smith5002]

Fantastic so informative , really grateful

[@friedeimherzen]

Perfect explaning! Thanks

[@richardgraham65]

You mention that there is no link between the flight control columns of the pilot and first officer, what would happen if you were flying and the first officer pushed full nose down and the captain pulls full nose up? Is there one stick that has priority or would they essentially be fighting each other? Secondly, in some of the air accident videos where a large aircraft loses control we see that the forces generated on the flight sticks were so large that it took both pilots to overcome them, again, as this aircraft they ate not linked, what would happen here? or does fly by wire negate this anyway. Thanks!

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

If both sticks are operated together the aircraft will announce “Dual Input” and the flight controls will average the input. In your example the output would be neutral. If a pilot holds the autopilot disconnect button their stick will get priority and the aircraft will announce “Priority Left” or “Priority Right”. In a purely hydraulic control system the surface forces are not directly fed back to the controls so “artificial feel” is used. This is quite common on large aircraft and called non-reversible or irreversible flight controls. The flight controls are hydraulic just like most other transport aircraft, but the signalling to the hydraulic actuators is electrical through the computers instead of control cables to the hydraulic valves. Hence the term “fly by wire”.

[@richardgraham65]

Many thanks. Very interesting. Great videos too thanks.

[@Twinflight-2401]

brilliant video Thank you

[@kgnbrisbane]

Very useful videos. Many thanks.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks Kerry. Glad you're still enjoying the videos. More coming soon.

[@21mattypug]

Great video one question @35.43 what did you press when you said nav? I’m learning to fly the bird and I’m using you as guidance

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Nothing pressed. Notice during the setup that the NAV FMA is shown in blue (Armed) and also the dot on the FCU beside the heading indicates managed mode available. Once airborne NAV is the default. You can also get runway track by disarming nav. Hope that helps.

[@21mattypug]

Thanks I took the plunge and got to say I love flying airbus now 😀

[@PapyFlap]

I wondered about the external light to switch on first. Beacon or Strobes ? When we refer to AIM (aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/64/when-to-use-beacon-anti-collision-strobe-logo-and-navigation-lights) It seems to be Beacon first and other component of anti collision lights after when requested, (Strobe) if they not perturb other pilots ...

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Beacon always before engine start until after shutdown. Strobes on usually just before takeoff when entering the runway. On throughout flight but can be switched off if, for example when in cloud at night, it becomes distracting.

[@ericcohen2103]

excellent tutorial. wow! i have one question; to set alt from take off can one only set it once departure on fmc is accessed and set? my airbus a 320 fdeck once started starts at 100 for alt and spd. i can't change either after fmc completed any advice or use your method and one i mentioned above? thank you if you or anyone else replies.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hi Eric, The little dots shown to the right of the speed and heading FCU displays show the aircraft is in "Managed" speed and nav. To select you have to pull the knob first then turn it as required.The altitude can be selected at any point. In normal operation though managed speed is quite normal.

[@TangodownNZ]

Liked, subscribed. Marvellous

[@RippedWookie]

Fantastic!

[@muhammedemad1155]

Great stuff , thanks

[@norbert1636]

Great tutorial and this is the best A320 for XP11 but really expensive. One thing I've noticed - you need better GPU ;) With My GF RTX 2080S I have 25-60fps on max settings

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Thanks for the nice comment. Since that video was recorded I’ve gone from a HD 6850 to a GTX 1060 - has made a big difference!

[@norbert1636]

Not the most powerful but I'm sure it made a great difference. btw. Easyjet told me that I can have t/o from cockpit jump seat when they'll be back in the air but final decision is the capt's one, that would be quite something wound't it? ;)

[@oldsaltypossum5287]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the system and how to fly this aircraft. I noted you entered flaps 1 but did not enter the trim setting into the FMC. Is there a purpose for the information or simply entering additional data about the configuration? Also the flight control display shows trim down to the decimal point. Is the aircraft very sensitive to the trim position; i.e. when would you notice a difference in the trim setting between what is on the sheet to what is actually set on the aircraft. Thanks again for the excellent videos.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

According to the procedures my company uses the THS value is not set. I believe Airbus no longer train the use of the THS setting as the risk of a pilot setting 1.0 Up when 1.0 Down is called for is significant, especially with mixed 319/320 operation - 0.5 up would be common on a 320 and 0.5 down for a 319. Instead the CG% is used as it doesn’t have the up/down problem. For the operators that still use it, the THS field on the Perf page is simply there as a reminder for the crew, it doesn’t have any effect on the aircraft. The aircraft will perform as expected provided the trim is in the green band, but the rotation characteristics may be quite different. Remember in the sim the weight and balance is perfect - in the real world we weigh the hold bags and assume an average weight for passengers - a schoolgroup at the front of the cabin or a sports team at the rear will affect the actual balance so the aircraft has a very wide tolerance for things not being quite right. It's quite normal to adjust the pull on the stick to ensure the correct rotation rate, hence in the video I mention looking out the window and counting the 5 seconds to 15 degrees.

[@oldsaltypossum5287]

I appreciate the verification that it has no affect and agree there are limitations with flight simulators vs estimated weights and CG.

[@fretei]

Hi Sir Just wondering Don't you need to start one of the left hand fuel pumps before starting APU?? Is it custom to start center fuelpumps when no fuel is loaded in fuel tanks ??

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

No you don't need the fuel pumps on to start or run the APU. When there is no fuel pressure available, there is a separate APU Fuel Pump that operates automatically as required. The status of the APU Fuel Pump is not displayed anywhere, but it is AC powered and can be powered by the AC static inverter allowing APU battery start. Older types have DC fuel or start pumps to accomplish this. The 737 has a DC fuel pump as part of the APU system, but it is not designed for continuous use, it is only there to provide start pressure so one of the left system pumps (AC powered) must be run to prevent extended running of the DC pump. The DC pump shuts down with sufficient feed pressure. On the MD-80 there is also a DC start pump though it is manually switched. It also requires a right main pump for continuous operation. The A320 overhead panel works on a dark cockpit principle - lights off for normal operation. The overhead fuel pump switches are switched on for all tanks prior to engine start. The aircraft will go through a centre tank test after the second engine is started, this lasts two minutes. After that test the centre pumps will be switched off automatically for takeoff. There is no need to change the switches on the overhead panel for any normal operation. Note on the A321 and very latest A320s the centre pumps are replaced by centre transfer pumps that feeds the contents of the centre tank to the wing tanks where the main pumps deliver fuel to the engines. The operation of the system is mostly transparent to the pilot.

[@fretei]

Reflected Reality Simulations thank you for a good answer

[@UltimateMTB]

Great video! What Gatwick scenery are you using? I have the freeware one from the org, but there are huge dips in the runways that make them unusable :(

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

That's just the standard X-Plane scenery.

[@UltimateMTB]

Reflected Reality Simulations oh alright, thanks!

[@thegood9]

Hmm, ive done this procedure about 4 times now, since i'm new to the Airbus, but I never get a "Thrust Climb" FMA when I change my ceiling FL like you did at @40:10.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Did you pull the knob in order to get “OPEN CLB”? Turn to change, pull for open mode, push for managed mode. If so, what were all the FMAs saying?

[@thegood9]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations yeah, i did...i figured out i didn't have the Auto Throttle set. I guess i missed that part too, lol! Just set AP1, and missed the A/T...Thanks!

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

The A/T should be armed automatically - part of the takeoff FMA calls by Pilot Monitoring - “Autothrust Blue, Thrust Set”. If that’s not happening you may need to check the perf pages have all been correctly entered.

[@thegood9]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations hmm....good to know, as i never heard you call it. I will double check that again...hmm. Thank you!

[@colinpotter7764]

Excellent tutorial.

[@Psitulskis]

Graham, could you please make a video on landings (including crosswind)? Also, still confused on what’s the role of rudder during the landings? Many thanks

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hello Dainius. I'll have a look to see what is possible, but manual handling in windy conditions is the area where desktop sims are the weakest. Without peripheral vision and sensory feedback it's quite difficult. As far as the rudder goes in the last few feet of the landing we use the rudder to align the fuselage with the runway so we don't touch down with any drift. For example with the wind from the left we'll apply right rudder to align the aircraft with the runway. The secondary effect of that right yaw input is right roll which we don't want, so we'll apply left stick to either keep the wings level or hold some into wind bank angle to help reduce the effect of the wind. The depends on the aircraft type and wing / engine pod clearance. On the A320 we can use wing down. So wind from the left, 15-20ft above runway, right rudder, left stick, slight left wing down. Once on the runway we use the rudder to keep the aircraft tracking straight down the runway. On the A320 the rudder pedals will also apply limited nose wheel steering depending on groundspeed, up to 6 degrees of steering below 40 kts then decreasing to no steering above 130 kts.

[@Psitulskis]

Reflected Reality Simulations That’s very helpful. Thank you.

[@charlesmagrin6260]

Hello! thanks for this great video! just one question: I thought the green circle on the speed scale on the PFD was showing the optimal climb speed, when you say it's the minimum climb speed. Do you confirm it's the minimum climb speed and not the optimal one? thx :) Also, would you show us how would you plan a flight using simbrief and the airports charts please? thx!

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hello Charles, Thanks for the comment and sorry for the delay replying. The green dot on the PFD speed tape is the minimum "clean" speed for the aircraft. That means the lowest speed that should be flown without any flaps selected. Typical climb speed is 250kts below FL100 and between 270 and 290kts above - depending on cost index. Typically for planning I just use the rfinder web site to generate an IFR route and look for the charts online. If I'm doing a flight with a non-FMS aircraft I tend to use SkyVector as I show in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWnKipmsaZWegJo Hope this helps

[@charlesmagrin6260]

Thank you for the clarification!! :)

[@TARS..]

Hey, what are your specs and the fps you get on this? I would love to have this, but am afraid it cant run on my i5-6500 and gtx 1060 6g machine.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

i5-2500K at 3.3GHz, Radeon 6850 1GB. To run the 320 I need to turn off any orthophotos, turn off the weather and turn the texture resolution down, and even then it's a bit limited to be honest. The computer was OK for X-Plane 10, but a bit limited for X-Plane 11 and will hopefully be updated this winter.

[@patrickdunster9067]

Hi Graham. When inputting SIDs or STARs into the box, it asks for 'Transitions', yet is perfectly happy with the answer 'none'. What is the best way to proceed here? Thanks.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hi Patrick. It's a process of trial and error I'm afraid. Different airports will publish arrivals, transitions and approaches differently. Load the STAR, transition or via to produce the routing you want to fly. What part of the world are you flying in?

[@patrickdunster9067]

I fly mainly in Western Europe. I was setting up for Madrid to Ibiza, and I'm now preparing Gatwick to Zurich. Am I right in thinking that the transition has nothing to do with transition altitude? Thanks, Patrick.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

You are correct Patrick, the transition altitude is not related to the arrival transition. The Trans Alt is highest altitude used before moving to the Standard pressure setting of 1013/29.92.

[@YPOC]

Does the real A320 execute attitude changes as slowly as the FF model? Like when you selected managed speed on the new climb instruction to FL380. Coming from the 738 this feels very slow.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

The real thing varies how responsive it is in pitch depending on what is asked of it. At higher altitudes it does have quite a soft pitch response as you’ve observed, it will be more responsive to a VS input. My personal opinion is the model is still a little bit slow to respond in pitch and roll with both with the automatics and manual flying. The problem is it’s very subjective but I’ll continue to feedback information to the FlightFactor team.

[@totoritko]

If this video is how your sim is typically running, I suspect the "slow response" is because of insufficient framerate. X-Plane 11 has implemented a "slow down" feature, where if you dip below ~25 fps, the simulator slows down the passage of time in order to maintain a consistent frame rate for the physics simulation and therefore physics behavior. In fact, that's exactly what the message at your takeoff meant. If you can get your frame rate up to around 30 fps, the aircraft should feel a lot more responsive.

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

I was wondering about that. I wouldn’t say that sim is behaving normally as FPS in the 30s is normal. The A320 does seem quite demanding but I have previously got better frame rates with it. I’m going to adjust some settings and see if I can get better performance, but I think a new PC is the answer.

[@bro977]

Hi will you be able to come up with a pdf similar to what you did with the md-80 showing just the essential steps relevant for the sim? thx Lee

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Hi Lee, That's a good question. I hadn't planned that as the model has a checklist feature on the tablet that seems to cover most of the items. The scan flows on the Airbus are really simple and unlike the MD-80 it doesn't require lots of switch flicking. However if there's a demand for notes I'll put some together once the video series is complete.

[@bro977]

Thanks for your reply. I realize you are doing all this work for free and for our benefit. Do you have a donation link? I would be glad to help compensate you for your time and effort. Regards Lee

[@Bartalosko]

Thank you very much sir !!!

[@chiccoka]

lovely video.Opened up lots of doubts.can you speak more about flex temp.thank you

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Flex is, in simple terms, an assumed temperature. Jet engine output reduces as temperature increases. If the performance charts say the aircraft can get airborne safely at, for example, 55 degrees Celsius air temperature, then at normal cooler temperatures full thrust is not required. We can then use the reduced power setting that would correspond to full thrust at 55 degrees C, hence Flex 55. Hope that makes sense.

[@chiccoka]

@@ReflectedRealitySimulations lovely thx. Keep up the good work.

[@user-zc9zt2vl5s]

How do you know how much fuel you need to load up?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

As a rough guide for an A320 work on 3 tonnes for the first hour and 2.5 tonnes for each additional hour, then add 2.2 tonnes for final reserves and a close alternate airport. Hope that helps.

[@scrabbman9999]

Very Nice video. What do you use for ground textures? Ortho4XP?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Ortho4XP with Bing sources I think. I only have a limited area as I start to run out of GPU memory very quickly.

[@signmanbob3834]

Aside from using Topcat, is there a way for simmers to figure accurate FLX Temp for the Airbus A320?

[@ReflectedRealitySimulations]

Not that I'm aware of. The thing is the flex temp is based on a whole load of factors, and driven by the engine failure and climb gradient. While the A320 model is quite lifelike in how the automation works, the further away from normal operations you get the more likely the model is to differ from the real thing. Even if I used our real world performance at exact simulated weights, temperatures, environmental conditions etc there is no guarantee the sim model will perform a single engine climb or rejected takeoff within those performance limits. For the real pilots testing the model we have thousands of hours of normal operation experience and hopefully very little major abnormal experience outside of our recurrent sim checks. To keep it simple with a runway of more than 2500m and no terrain, Flex 60. 2000-2500m and no terrain, Flex 50, less than 2000m or terrain on departure TOGA. Flap 1 for most cases, Flap 2 or 3 for a short runway with no departure terrain considerations.

[@signmanbob3834]

Thank you so much, Graham. That is good information.