Airbus A320 for pilots
The systems and procedures of the Airbus A320 family, written for type rating and airline interview preparation and checked against the sources of the v1prep A320 bank.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 ADIRS and Standby Instruments
The A320 Air Data and Inertial Reference System: ADR and IR functions, IR alignment and mode selection, air data and attitude source switching, the standby instruments and the unreliable-airspeed aids.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Air Conditioning
The A320 air conditioning system, its packs and controllers, pack flow selection, the mixing unit, zone temperature control with trim air, ram air and emergency ventilation, and the COND page.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 APU
The A320 auxiliary power unit: the ECB, fuel supply, start and shutdown sequences, operating envelope, emergency shutdown and the ECAM APU page.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Auto Flight: Approach, Landing and Go-Around
A320 approach guidance and automatic landing: the APPR pushbutton, ILS, FINAL APP and FLS approach modes, the decelerated approach and stabilization, landing capability and autoland, the LAND, FLARE and ROLL OUT sequence, and go-around.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Auto Flight: FCU and AP/FD Modes
A320 autopilot and flight director operation: the FCU, managed versus selected guidance, FMA layout, AP engagement and disconnection, takeoff, lateral, climb, descent and altitude modes, mode reversions and the TCAS mode.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Autothrust and Thrust Levers
The A320 non-back-driven thrust levers and their detents, thrust limits and flexible takeoff thrust, autothrust arming, modes and disconnection, thrust lock, and the alpha floor and low energy protections.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Bleed Air and Ice Protection
The A320 pneumatic system (engine bleed, precooler, bleed monitoring computers and the BLEED page) and the ice and rain protection it and the electrical system supply: wing and nacelle anti-ice, probe and window heat.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Cabin Systems and CIDS
The A320 Cabin Intercommunication Data System and forward attendant panel, cockpit and cabin calls and chimes, passenger system controls, cabin connectivity and in-seat power.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Characteristic Speeds
The characteristic speeds the A320 computes and displays on the PFD speed scale (VLS, VSW, green dot, S, F, VFE NEXT) and how managed approach speed uses ground speed mini.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Communications and Datalink
A320 radio communication equipment: radio management panels and their navigation backup, audio control panels and the AMU, transmit and interphone switching, VHF 3 and the DCDU for datalink messages.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Doors and Emergency Equipment
A320 passenger and cargo doors, door and slide monitoring, the cockpit door locking system, cockpit windows and escape ropes, evacuation signaling and emergency lighting power.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 ECAM and Warning System
The A320 ECAM: E/WD and SD displays, FWC and SDAC architecture, alert levels, aural and visual attention-getters, color coding, memos, flight phases and inhibition, the ECAM control panel and the takeoff configuration test.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 ECAM System Display Pages
The system pages shown on the A320 lower ECAM display, from ENG, BLEED and CAB PRESS to WHEEL, F/CTL, CRUISE and STATUS, what each shows and when it is called automatically.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 EGPWS and Weather Radar
The A320's terrain and weather detection: EGPWS basic modes and enhanced functions, the terrain display and GPWS panel, the autotilt weather radar, predictive and reactive windshear, alerts and crew response.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 EIS Displays and EFIS Controls
The A320 Electronic Instrument System: DMCs and display units, PFD and ND symbology, EFIS control panel options, display transfer and reconfiguration, and the switching panel.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Electrical System
The A320 electrical generation and distribution system, from IDGs, APU and external power through the AC and DC bus network to the emergency generator, batteries and emergency electrical configuration.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Emergency Electrical Configuration
What happens on the A320 when all main generators are lost: RAT deployment, the emergency generator, batteries only, what remains powered and the crew procedure.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Engines and FADEC
The A320 family engines (CEO and NEO), FADEC and EIU control, engine start controls, automatic and manual start sequences, start protections, thrust reversers and engine monitoring.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Fire and Smoke Protection
A320 engine and APU fire detection loops and extinguishing, the fire panel and tests, and smoke detection in the cargo, lavatory and avionics compartments.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Flight Controls: Architecture and Computers
The A320 fly-by-wire flight control architecture: the ELAC, SEC and FAC computers, pitch, roll and yaw control surfaces, the THS and trim, spoilers and speedbrakes, and sidestick priority logic.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Flight Controls: Laws and Protections
The A320 flight control laws (normal, alternate, direct, abnormal attitude) with their ground, flight and flare modes, the normal-law envelope protections, and the stabilities and stall warning that replace them in degraded laws.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Flight Deck Design Philosophy
How the Airbus A320 flight deck is designed and operated: dark cockpit and need-to-see principles, pushbutton and color conventions, crew roles, cockpit preparation and the operational documentation that supports it.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA)
Reading the A320 FMA column by column: autothrust, vertical and lateral modes, approach capability, engagement status, colors and boxes, and the callouts that go with it.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 FMGS and MCDU
The A320 Flight Management and Guidance System: FM and FG functions, FMGC operating modes, the MCDU and its key pages, flight plans, position computation and navigation accuracy, radio navaid tuning, flight phases and pseudo-waypoints.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Fuel Abnormals: Leaks, Imbalance and Gravity Feed
Fuel leak detection, imbalance limits and crossfeed correction, low level and outer tank transfer, gravity feeding, pump failures, fuel penalty factors and refueling faults on the A320.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Fuel System
The A320 fuel tanks, engine feed and pump sequencing, center and outer tank transfers, fuel recirculation, quantity indication and level sensing, refueling and low-level alerts.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Hydraulic System
The A320's three independent hydraulic systems (Green, Blue, Yellow), their pumps, the PTU and RAT, the controls and HYD page, and how single and dual hydraulic failures affect the aircraft.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Landing Gear, Brakes and Steering
The A320 landing gear, LGCIU and gravity extension, nosewheel steering, normal and alternate braking with anti-skid, autobrake, brake temperature management and the loss-of-braking procedure.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Lighting
The A320 exterior, flight deck, cabin and emergency lighting: switches, logic, the annunciator light test and the cabin signs.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Limitations
The A320 operating limitations a type-rating candidate must know: speeds, weights, wind, runway, systems and autoflight minimum heights.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Normal Procedures: Cockpit Preparation to Engine Start
The A320 standard operating procedures from the safety exterior inspection and the preliminary cockpit preparation through IRS alignment, FMGS setup, before start and engine start.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Normal Procedures: Descent, Approach and Landing
The A320 standard operating procedures from descent preparation through the approach, landing, go-around, after landing and parking.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Normal Procedures: Taxi, Takeoff and Climb
The A320 standard operating procedures from after start through taxi, the before takeoff checks, the takeoff roll and callouts, thrust reduction, acceleration and climb.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Oxygen System
The A320 flight crew and passenger oxygen systems: crew masks and their selectors, mask tests, crew supply limits, passenger mask deployment and the HI ALT LANDING function.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Pressurization
The A320 cabin pressurization system: cabin pressure controllers and outflow valve, automatic modes by flight phase, landing elevation and manual control, safety valves, ditching and the CAB PRESS page.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Recording and Maintenance Systems
The A320 centralized fault display system, maintenance indications and the flight data recording system, including the FDIMU and the recorder ground control function.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Slats and Flaps
The A320 high-lift system, its SFCC control and flap lever configurations, the alpha/speed lock and automatic retraction functions, and the wing tip brakes and failure detection that protect it.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Transponder and TCAS
The A320 ATC transponder and TCAS installation: the ATC/TCAS panel, modes and altitude reporting, Mode S data and ADS-B Out, the traffic display on the ND, TA and RA logic, inhibitions and TA ONLY, and the crew procedures.
ATPL · Type rating
A320 Ventilation and Cargo Heating
A320 avionics ventilation (AEVC, skin heat exchanger, blower and extract fans and their configurations), lavatory and galley extraction, and cargo compartment ventilation and heating.
ATPL · Type rating
A320neo and A320ceo Differences
What changed from the A320ceo to the A320neo, engines, sharklets, systems, limitations and the training needed to fly both.
Test yourself on Airbus A320
The v1prep banks cover this topic in the A320 type-rating bank, with a worked explanation for every answer.
Start practicing →