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Meet the aircraft
The A300 established Airbus in the airline market during the 1970s. Its broad fuselage and two underwing engines offered a new alternative among large transports. Later developments changed the cockpit, wing details and systems, with the A300-600 becoming a major branch. Early A300s had a three-person flight deck; later versions used two pilots. The family also became important in freight service.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗The satisfaction of a carefully flown parabola
Delesalle became involved with the A300 Zero G while leading flight testing at Sogerma, which converted the former Airbus prototype for its new research role. Familiarity with the aircraft brought him and flight-test engineer Serge Granereau into the operating crews. He continued flying it after moving to ATR.
December 2012 interview by Stéphane Sebile; modified A300B Zero G, not an airline A300-600. Full interview read.
Space Quotes / Souvenirs d’espace · Read more ↗Trim and hydraulics in the A300 cockpit
The iniBuilds A300 guide identifies paired pitch-trim wheels, rudder-trim controls and hydraulic controls, and describes the flight-phase use of the autopilot.
Airbus A300-600R · iniBuilds · iniBuilds · MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
iniBuilds · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Mehrad Watson · 1 min ·
A Day on Iran Air Airbus A300-600R Cockpit
Flight-deck footage from an Iran Air A300-600R journey to Vienna.
Real aircraft · A300-600R
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Airbus A300-600R
The A300 established Airbus in the airline market during the 1970s. Its broad fuselage and two underwing engines offered a new alternative among large transports. Later developments changed the cockpit, wing details and systems, with the A300-600 becoming a major branch.
Early A300s had a three-person flight deck; later versions used two pilots. The family also became important in freight service. Simulator manuals describe the flight deck and systems of their named A300 variant.
Airbus A300-600R
Airbus → · Explore the family →
Airbus A300-600R
Wikipedia contributors · Airbus A300 ↗iniBuilds · MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020 →Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
A300-600 passenger and freighter models
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designators ↗Checked 2026-09-14History & design
The aircraft that brought the Airbus partners together
The A300 grew from European studies for a shared short-to-medium-haul airliner. Its design changed as prospective customers shaped the requirement: the A300B became smaller than the original proposal, with an eight-abreast cabin and space for two LD3 containers side by side below the floor. The project also required manufacturers in different countries to agree how to divide design, equipment and production responsibilities.
On 28 October 1972, the first A300B1 flew from Toulouse, a day later than planned because of fog. Max Fischl and Bernard Ziegler were at the controls, supported by the flight-test team. The return brought gusty winds and a crosswind landing. Airbus's anniversary history traces the later family development into the A310, A300-600 and freighters, while the original fuselage concept also contributed to the A330 and A340.
Airbus · 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Airbus A300 ↗Airbus retrospective, 28 October 2022
Development milestones
First flight: 28 October 1972 ( 1972-10-28 )
Wikipedia contributors · Airbus A300 ↗Airbus A300 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1372527615
Pilot accounts
The satisfaction of a carefully flown parabola
Delesalle became involved with the A300 Zero G while leading flight testing at Sogerma, which converted the former Airbus prototype for its new research role. Familiarity with the aircraft brought him and flight-test engineer Serge Granereau into the operating crews. He continued flying it after moving to ATR. In his December 2012 interview, he describes the attraction of a task in which attitude and speed continually change and the crew must work with exceptional precision.
The specialised manoeuvre divides pitch, lateral control and thrust among crew members. Delesalle says the pleasure comes from holding the acceleration indication close to zero, even while tightly strapped into his seat. Time off duty in the cabin lets him share the passengers' weightlessness and understand what the scientists need. In particular, he values those visits for showing why smooth transitions matter to the people conducting experiments.
December 2012 interview by Stéphane Sebile; modified A300B Zero G, not an airline A300-600. Full interview read.
Read the full account · Space Quotes / Souvenirs d’espace ↗Every parabola is a fresh challenge
Le Barzic tells DLR how parabolic flying followed a long career testing military aircraft. As demanding fighter trials became less appealing, the French flight-test centre needed an experienced pilot for its weightlessness programme. He became captain of the A300 Zero G in 2000. His broad experience made conversion manageable, but he emphasises that each parabola remained difficult and different, even after thousands of repetitions.
Much of his account concerns the work surrounding the manoeuvres. Before flying, the crew reviews weather, agrees the route and manoeuvre periods with air traffic control, and determines the fuel requirement. A familiar, well-established team helps. Afterwards, he debriefs with engineers, discusses the quality of the weightlessness with scientists and prepares the next day's flight. The unusual aircraft still requires an ordinary pilot's planning discipline, followed by a demanding day of flying and coordination.
DLR brochure, August 2009 imprint; PDF pp.16–17 / printed pp.30–33. A300 Zero G research operations; complete interview read.
Read the full account · German Aerospace Center (DLR) ↗Straight from flight school to a classic freight cockpit
Brown describes joining a European parcel carrier on the A300 after completing flight training in the United States and converting his qualifications in Europe. Speaking in 2023, he says the widebody was his first airline type, so his personal handling comparisons were limited to training aircraft. The opportunity to begin his airline career on it still felt special as he approached five years with the company.
He enjoyed the A300's conventional control column and the visible cables, rods and pulleys in its avionics compartment. His aircraft was the A300-600, with two pilots rather than the earlier three-person flight deck. He describes nights carrying parcels across Europe and Africa, with fewer annual flying hours than many passenger operations. Despite other fleets at his company, he was in no hurry to change aircraft. This is a working pilot's affectionate account of his own freight operation.
2023 AvTalk 222 transcript; 37:35–41:26, PDF pp.19–21. A300-600 freight pilot; relevant interview segment read in full.
Read the full account · Flightradar24 / AvTalk ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020Airbus A300-600R · iniBuilds
iniBuilds · Released
Airbus A300-600R · iniBuilds
iniBuilds · Released
Manuals & resources
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Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Trim and hydraulics in the A300 cockpitAirbus A300-600R · iniBuilds · iniBuilds · MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
The iniBuilds A300 guide identifies paired pitch-trim wheels, rudder-trim controls and hydraulic controls, and describes the flight-phase use of the autopilot.
document snapshot; exact installed package not observed · PDF pp14-15,39; pedestal, overhead, climb checklist
iniBuilds · Read the source ↗Pilot account
The satisfaction of a carefully flown parabolaDecember 2012 interview by Stéphane Sebile; modified A300B Zero G, not an airline A300-600. Full interview read.
Delesalle became involved with the A300 Zero G while leading flight testing at Sogerma, which converted the former Airbus prototype for its new research role. Familiarity with the aircraft brought him and flight-test engineer Serge Granereau into the operating crews. He continued flying it after moving to ATR. In his December 2012 interview, he describes the attraction of a task in which attitude and speed continually change and the crew must work with exceptional precision.
Eric Delesalle
Space Quotes / Souvenirs d’espace · Read the source ↗Every parabola is a fresh challengeDLR brochure, August 2009 imprint; PDF pp.16–17 / printed pp.30–33. A300 Zero G research operations; complete interview read.
Le Barzic tells DLR how parabolic flying followed a long career testing military aircraft. As demanding fighter trials became less appealing, the French flight-test centre needed an experienced pilot for its weightlessness programme. He became captain of the A300 Zero G in 2000. His broad experience made conversion manageable, but he emphasises that each parabola remained difficult and different, even after thousands of repetitions.
Gilles Le Barzic
German Aerospace Center (DLR) · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
A300 aircraft manualiniBuilds A300 aircraft manual postiniBuilds Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Airbus A300Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1372527615 · retrieved 2026-09-12Product
A300-600R Airliner for MSFS-2024iniBuilds · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 A300-600R Airliner for MSFSiniBuilds · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 A300B4 ProfessionalJust Flight · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12History
50th anniversary of the first flight of the Airbus A300Airbus · 28 October 2022 · programme historyType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 3 profile choices
iniBuilds A300-600R
iniBuilds · Free and Pro · Revision 4 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
iniBuilds A300-600R: The conventional yoke uses a powered-control approximation with artificial centering; A320-style passive sidestick assumptions are not applied.
iniBuilds A300-600RF
iniBuilds · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
iniBuilds A300-600RF: The conventional yoke uses a powered-control approximation with artificial centering; A320-style passive sidestick assumptions are not applied.
Airbus A300-600R
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
Airbus A300-600R: The conventional yoke uses a powered-control approximation with artificial centering; A320-style passive sidestick assumptions are not applied.
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