EBT Aligned A320 Recurrent Training Checklist: Four Pillars

EBT Aligned A320 Recurrent Training Checklist: Four Pillars

A complete A320 recurrent training checklist covers four pillars: technical knowledge, CRM and LOFT performance, manual and upset or stall handling, and emergency or non-normal flows. Preparation belongs in CBT and question banks before you ever touch the simulator, which should be reserved for scenario and CRM practice. Checks run under an EBT framework and ideally use a Level D device.

TL;DR:

• Pilots should review systems, limits, and operator-specific procedures at least 72 hours before the session to spend simulator time on scenarios instead of knowledge checks.
• Confirm your licenses, medical, recency, and callout discipline, and log debrief actions consistently, as these are crucial for effective learning and assessment.
• Simulator qualification levels and device standards are critical, especially for upset recovery and stall maneuvers, to avoid practicing in improperly certified environments.
• Emphasize CRM communication, workload sharing, and decision-making during LOFT scenarios, since evaluation focuses more on crew coordination than technical flying alone.
• Most recurrent training failures stem from poor pre-sim preparation, treating the simulator like a test, and inadequate debriefing practice, all of which can be addressed proactively.

Table of Contents

• Quick Reference Checklist for Your Next Sim Session
• How to Prepare Before the Simulator
• Manual Flight, Upset Recovery, and Crosswind Handling Standards
• Demonstrating CRM and LOFT Competencies
• Emergency and Non-Normal Flows Under Evaluation
• The Regulatory Backbone Behind Every Recurrent Check
• A Checklist-Driven Recurrency Session in Practice
• Where Recurrent Training Goes Wrong
• Train the Full Checklist on a Level D A320 Simulator
• FAQ
• Sources

Quick Reference Checklist for Your Next Sim Session

Before you walk into the briefing room, run through this list. It takes less than 10 minutes and catches the small administrative gaps that derail an otherwise strong session.

• Licenses and medical: confirm your medical certificate, license, and English proficiency endorsement have not lapsed.
• Recency: check your last landing currency and any outstanding training deviations from a prior session.
• Systems refresh: bookmark the FCOM chapters you tend to forget, plus the performance tables for your base airport’s runway length and weather.
• Callout discipline: rehearse standard callouts out loud so they come automatically under workload.
• CRM prompts: plan which phrases you will use to invite input from the other seat during a non-normal.
• Debrief prep: bring a notebook or app to log what worked, what did not, and one action item per event.

The debrief step matters more than most pilots treat it. Airbus training guidance treats debriefing as the point where most of the actual learning happens, not the maneuver itself. Log it the same way every time so patterns across sessions become visible instead of forgotten.

How to Prepare Before the Simulator

Study time outside the device is where recurrent training is won or lost. The goal is to walk in already fluent in systems and limits so the simulator can be spent on scenarios instead of knowledge checks.

1. Review FCOM and FCTM high-yield sections: limitations, abnormal procedures summary, and the systems chapters tied to your airline’s most common deferred items.
2. Run timed question-bank blocks: 20 to 30 minutes at a time, flagging anything you miss twice for spaced review later in the week.
3. Confirm operator SOP variances: callouts, automation philosophy, and any recent bulletin changes that differ from the generic FCOM.
4. Sequence your final 72 hours: broad systems review at 72 hours out, targeted question-bank review at 48 hours, and a light limitations and memory-items pass at 24 hours before the session.

Pro Tip: Keep a running list of every question-bank item you miss and review that list alone the morning of your session instead of starting from zero.

Manual Flight, Upset Recovery, and Crosswind Handling Standards

Evaluators are not grading whether you can fly the airplane. They are watching whether your control inputs, recognition speed, and recovery sequencing hold up once automation drops away.

• Manual flight: expect scrutiny on attitude control, energy management through the approach, and a stabilized profile by 1,000 feet.
• Upset recovery: recognition of the upset, correct application of the recovery sequence, and respect for the limits the device is qualified to simulate.
• Approach-to-stall handling: clean recognition cues and a recovery that prioritizes angle of attack reduction over altitude protection.
• Crosswind landings: correct crab-to-de-crab timing in the flight law active at touchdown, since A320 flight control laws change how the airplane responds near the ground.

One of the more consequential regulatory shifts in recent years is that FAA rules now require expanded training on upset recovery, manual slow flight, and stall recovery, with specific device and instructor qualification requirements attached to that content. That is a meaningful change from older recurrent cycles that treated these as occasional add-ons.

A common negative-training pitfall is practicing post-stall maneuvers in a device not qualified for that regime. The EASA guidance on FSTD qualification warns that an improperly qualified simulator can teach incorrect control responses, so confirm your device’s qualification level before assuming full-stall work is representative.

Demonstrating CRM and LOFT Competencies

Line-Oriented Flight Training scenarios exist to test how you operate as a crew, not just how you fly. Realism matters: ATC coordination, dispatch inputs, and cabin crew cues should all feel like a normal operational day rather than a scripted test.

• Communication: verbalize your plan and invite disagreement rather than narrating decisions after the fact.
• Workload sharing: hand off tasks explicitly instead of assuming the other pilot will pick up slack.
• Decision-making: state the threat, the options, and your chosen path out loud so the evaluator can follow your reasoning.

EASA’s EBT framework shifts the assessment weight toward these core competencies rather than a checklist of isolated maneuvers, which is why a technically clean flight with poor coordination can still draw a weak debrief.

Debriefs should follow a simple structure: the facts of what happened, an honest assessment of the decision points, the root-cause behavior, and exactly one corrective action to carry into the next session. Our LOFT training guide walks through scenario design in more depth if you want to study the objectives before you fly.

Pro Tip: Write your one corrective action down before you leave the debrief room, not after, when memory of the nuance has already faded.

Emergency and Non-Normal Flows Under Evaluation

Recurrent checks typically cycle through a predictable set of high-priority events: engine failure at various phases of flight, smoke or fire, rejected takeoff, and loss of reliable airspeed. What evaluators score is not whether you catch the failure, but how you work the problem.

• QRH and ECAM discipline: confirm the memory items first, then work the ECAM actions methodically rather than jumping ahead.
• Sterile cockpit: maintain it through the initial recognition and memory-item phase before resuming normal crew chatter.
• Recovery sequencing: evaluators watch whether you stabilize the aircraft before troubleshooting, not the reverse.
• Threat mitigation: verbalize the follow-on risks, such as a diversion decision or fuel consideration, rather than fixating only on the immediate failure.

Document any deviations and follow-up items in your training log the same session day, since operator-specific recordkeeping often ties directly into your next recurrent cycle’s focus areas.

The Regulatory Backbone Behind Every Recurrent Check

Most of what gets checked traces back to a handful of documents. EASA’s EBT guidance frames assessment around competencies observed across a full scenario rather than isolated maneuvers, and many operators now run a mixed EBT and traditional OPC or LPC model that keeps maneuver validation alongside scenario-based phases.

FAA Advisory Circular 121-42 lays out PIC leadership and command training content and ties recurrent CRM topics to a multi-year cycle, so the specific CRM theme in your check may differ from last year’s.

Confirm your operator’s own SOP manual for any variance from these baselines, particularly around CRM topic cycles and device qualification notes, before assuming the generic standard applies to your check.

A Checklist-Driven Recurrency Session in Practice

Our Level D A320 sessions follow the same four-pillar structure outlined above: a pre-brief covering the day’s objectives, maneuver validation for manual flight and upset recovery, a LOFT scenario built around CRM demonstration, and a structured debrief with one tracked action item per pilot.

Instructors are current or former airline pilots and examiners, which keeps the debrief grounded in line operations rather than abstract theory. Pilots can map each checklist item in this article directly to a session component, from pre-sim question-bank work through the final debrief log. Before booking, confirm the device level and instructor qualification for your specific course, since fidelity requirements differ between maneuver validation and full LOFT scenarios.

Where Recurrent Training Goes Wrong

Most weak recurrent sessions share the same three failure points, and all three are fixable before you ever step into the briefing room.

• Inadequate pre-sim knowledge: pilots arrive planning to “relearn” systems in the simulator, which wastes expensive device time on material a question bank could have covered in an hour.
• Treating the sim as a test instead of a rehearsal: this produces stiff, defensive flying rather than the natural coordination evaluators are actually scoring under EBT.
• Weak debrief capture: a vague mental note of “that went okay” teaches nothing; a one-line corrective action tied to a specific behavior is what actually changes the next session.

— Jake

Train the Full Checklist on a Level D A320 Simulator

Full-motion A320 recurrency and type rating sessions typically cover every pillar in this checklist: technical review, CRM-driven LOFT, manual and upset handling, and emergency flow practice, guided by experienced airline instructors and examiners. Structured debriefs are built into every session so the learning does not stop when the device shuts down. Review our A320 Simulator Training program and book a session that matches your recurrent cycle.

FAQ

How often is A320 recurrent training required?

Recurrent training cycles are set by your operator and civil aviation authority rather than a single universal interval, and CRM topics within those cycles often rotate on a multi-year basis under guidance such as AC 121-42. Check your operator’s training department for the exact interval that applies to your contract and authority.

Where can I find official A320 checklists?

Official normal, abnormal, and emergency checklists live in your operator’s FCOM and QRH, which take precedence over any third-party study aid. Our A320 simulator training guide covers how to use those documents efficiently during pre-sim study.

What are the 5 P’s of SRM?

The P’s are a single-pilot resource management framework used mainly in general aviation risk assessment rather than a formal A320 recurrent training requirement. In multi-crew airline operations, the equivalent focus areas are folded into CRM core competencies such as communication, workload management, and decision-making.

What are the 5 C’s in aviation?

Definitions of the C’s vary by context and training provider, so there is no single regulatory standard tied to that phrase for A320 recurrent checks. Pilots preparing for recurrent training are better served focusing on the documented EBT core competencies and the four-pillar checklist structure covered above.

Does Simulator Center offer A320 recurrent training?

Yes, our A320 program includes Level D simulator sessions built around the same checklist structure covered in this article, with instruction from airline-experienced captains and examiners. Details and booking are available on our A320 type rating and simulator training page.

Sources

• EASA — Evidence-Based Training (EBT)
• Airbus — Training pilots for resilience
• FAA — Final rule: Qualification, service, and use of crewmembers and aircraft

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