Study Level Study

This has probably been asked before so my apologies in advance. Does anyone have a good approach to learning a study level aircraft? As an example, I’m new to the Fenix A320 but I really want to learn it as much as I can without actually being type certified. If anyone has literature or an approach they use to learn these high fidelity planes I would be most grateful.

Here’s what I do, dont read any of the pdf’s that come with it and try to fly it from black … lol no don’t do this.

However the MadDog interface is pretty sweet for pudding heads like myself that allows you to set up the plane ready for takeoff and all you need to do is gear flaps and throttle.

The MD-80 is absolutely brilliant for ham handed idiots.

Seek out and watch videos of real 320 pilots(there are some excellent ones on YT), seek out manuals and data on how the 320 operates, and most importantly, practice. The learning curve on study-level items is quite steep when you first start working with them, but once you get it, you’ll be very satisfied with the experience and journey.

Would you recommend finding a copy of the FCOM?

Yes, most FCOMs are easily found with a quick Google search. Reading them takes a bit of getting used to, since they aren’t really intended for laypersons, but it’s not that big a deal.

YouTube + FCOM + Chucks’ Guides are pretty much all you need.

Chuck’s Guide for the A320 - Chuck’s Guides – FSX FSLabs A320 | Mudspike

Yes, it’s for the FSLabs plane, but 99% of it applies to the Fenix since it’s the same plane.

I had never heard of Chuck’s guide. Thanks much!

I would go through a comprehensive checklist line by line and understand why we do each step we do and understand how to do it. You read the do list first. Then you develop your flows that make you do this faster then back it up with a checklist. Then you should be proficient in operating the aircraft for the most part.

If you want to know how the hydraulic system works or the elec or any other system you’ll probably have to seek that out but a lot of it isn’t entirely necessary to the enjoyment.

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I started learning by checking youtube videos at the same time i had the same flight going on in the sim. Then when i was ready with the things they did on the youtube video i paused the sim and looked at the video again.

I also made an own checklist from that video to easier remember the things in the video next time i was flying and tried to make all the things by my self until i needed to check on the video again.

I remember catching glideslope and localiser was the thing i had big problems with at first but trial and error makes us learn and remember for next flight.

And there is always something new to learn all the time.

Checklist are a good starting point. This is what I do as well and it’s the best to understand the core systems in my opinion and know when you need to use them and what they do.

One recent easy example I remember are the electric hydraulic pumps in the BA 146: without them you can’t operate stairs and cargo doors before you turned on engines, when the engines hydraulic pumps can be used. You can also see that control surfaces are not moving until there´s hydraulic pressure.

Cheers

This is all you need - Real A320 Captain

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