Landing A320 in cockpit view

Good morning,
Anyone know what I can do to help land the A320 bus in Cockpit view, I always have to use outside view for landing?

What issue are you having with landing in cockpit view? When the aircraft is configured and established correctly on the GS you should have a perfect view of the runway ahead throughout the entire approach (weather permitting of course).

EDIT: Are you using the stock A320 or the FBW version?

Using the stock A320 bus no FBW. I try inside and end up bouncing around on the runway for some reason.

First, I really recommend downloading the FBW A32NX. It is truly a gem! They have put soooo much hard work into making it fly properly. Their custom fly by wire flight model and even their early access LNAV, which works infinitely better than Asobo’s autopilot actually make it easier to handle than the default plane.

Next, it will just take practice. With FBW, you can configure a full autoland and watch what autopilot does. After a few times, just take off autopilot, and try hand flying it down. After a few more times, you will start to get the hang of how everything should look and you will be greasing landings in no time. Just be sure to not rush your approach and landings. Brief everything out and you will not have any surprises you won’t be able to handle.

Best of luck to you!! :grinning:

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Yep, I also concur re the FBW version. (Use the “Development” version for the latest updates). It’s also free!

This sounds more like a technique issue. The FBW version of the A320 certainly does have far more realistic handling than the default A320, so I highly recommend it.

A couple of approach tips…

  • Personally, I use a CAT3 ILS approach, and disable it at around 1000ft to complete the approach and land manually. You can keep it on for longer, or enable AP2 aswell for a Autoland sequence (only avail. on CAT 3 runways).
  • Ensure you have a correct approach/landing speed (usually somewhere in the region of 128-135knots).
  • Keep your eyes on and ‘aim’ for the start of the runway/touch down zone (roughly where the four white/red PAPI lights are).
  • Listen for the GPWS callouts. At 100ft, look toward the end of the runway, but still maintain the constant descent rate (resist the urge to pitch up at this point!)
  • Keep looking towards the end of the runway, and at around 20ft, begin to flare gently whilst applying rudder if there’s a crosswind.
  • Retard throttles when commanded to by the system. Land. Continue with rollout/touch and go.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to look toward the end of the runway during flare/touchdown, as this is the only real way to get a proper sense of how much you’re flare reduces the descent rate, resulting in a consistently smooth landing. If you keep looking at the touchdown zone during touchdown you will get unstable landings (it’s harder to focus on a moving target afterall).

It will take practice, but you will begin to nail it fairly quickly (and it’s very satisfying!). Hope this helps!

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Easyjetsimpilot’s guide is good.

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Try to learn how to fly smaller aircraft in Cockpit view first. Take a GA aircraft and fly traffic patterns until you get the hang of how to land an aircraft. That will make it a lot easier for you in the big birds.

It’s quite interesting, I ask people how they manage to land in external view because I just can’t get my head around not seeing the runway from a pilot’s perspective.

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Probably difficult to explain without showing you an example of what a good cockpit landing in A320 looks like. This is just some footage I took on my weekend practice. It’s a circuit flown entirely by hand. I might do a version with some commentary soon. But pay close attention to the speed of the approach, bank angle used during the turn and rate of descent. (In other words, use your instruments.) Speed is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of landing, it’s extremely important to get it nailed down on the approach. And I’d also echo the other members here, download the FBW A320. It flies better.

Also consider joining the official discord and ask around. I sometimes help people out with their flying there.

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Use the ↑ key to slightly elevate your viewpoint and keep an eye on the airport lights, two reds two whites is the ideal glideslope

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Firstly, forget the default A320 provided with Flight Sim and download the development version of the very excellent FlyByWire A32nx aircraft - it’s free! Get the installer here: https://flybywiresim.com.

Next, check out this video - it will explain all… Real Airbus Pilot A320 NEO Landing Tutorial in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 - YouTube

Hope that helps!

Awesomely, half of the stuff he talks about in that video as being “not yet implemented” or “not quite as it should be” (especially the flight model) have been fixed or implemented by the FBW team over the 12 months since that video was made, so you should get an even better experience with the latest builds! And there’s still more to come :slight_smile:

This is a more recent video. It’s a VOR approach (and a tricky one at that - definitely not one for a first-timer!) but just check the difference on the stability and flyability of the aircraft on final:

This is a fair point - I hadn’t watched this video in some time - but I’ve learned SO MUCH from 320 Sim Pilot about flying the A32nx…Not sure how I’d have done it without him to be honest! :slight_smile:

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Or the spacebar. In fact, IMHO the spacebar’s better as it’s just a quick tap, and it’s also a toggle.

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Absolutely - always my first port of call when a new piece of functionality is released, or I want to learn something new. He explains with such clarity, that I almost feel like I could do it myself.

(Sadly, Ryanair escorted me from the flight deck last time I tried, so I guess I’ll need to stick to MSFS)

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Landing an aircraft is very dependent on where you are looking.

On approach you’re looking at the start of the runway, the PAPIs (red and white lights on the side of the runway) and the large touchdown markers.

As you approach the runway, say around 100’, you shift that focus to the 2nd set of markers after the threshold (piano keys) and fly there.

At 30’, close the thrust levers to idle. This will disengage the autothrust automatically. At the same time look up along the centreline to the trees on the horizon and keep looking there.

At 20’ raise the nose slightly to arrest the sink, but not too much or you’ll climb again. (If this happens you should go around - full power, positive climb confirm, gear up and then retract the flaps as you increase speed).

The aim is to touch the main wheels on the large touchdown markers.

If your sink rate is too high, that’s when you’ll bounce all over the place, so try to raise the nose a little more if this is regularly happening.

Make sure you’ve armed your spoilers - they’ll dump the lift from your wings helping you to stick to the runway. The landing items should not show any blue and should all be actioned above 1000’.

Watch some videos and just practice. That’s what a sim is for!

Here’s my cockpit view landing into Shanghai yesterday during Typhoon Chanthu.

Try to practice landing using smaller aircraft first. e.g. Cessna 172 or 208 caravan.

BTW. I suggest you to take the MSFS flight training first.

If you can’t see enough, it could be because you are not sitting in the elevated position. Just press space to get there.

If you are bouncing down the runway, you need to ensure your rate of descent is good.
Try this guide to setup a flight and use ILS for landing :

To practice landings: