Originally Posted by
Wycombe
....wouldn't there would be some sort of config warning if you did attempt to depart without some flap?
There certainly would... actually there are two traps to make sure you don't depart with no flaps set - the first is by pushing the 'TO Config Test' button, which does exactly as it says on the tin. The second is physically setting the thrust levers to TOGA or FLEX/MCT.
Edited to add: our Before Takeoff checklist has the line "ECAM memo", to which the response should be "Take off, no blue" If you haven't pressed the TO Config check button at that point, there will be a blue TEST alongside that line on the upper ECAM display. So there's another step to catch the omission error. All in, you would do very well to get onto the runway and set take off power without having set the flaps. But it probably has happened...
At either point, if you are not suitably configured, the Master Warning will go off and scare the bejesus out of you because you won't be expecting it (it happened to me once when we didn't set the flaps, and then pressed the button!) And then you have to do a lot of paperwork.
So, the scrap of paper is a reasonable solution...