Denti: Unbox a freshly delivered A/C, power up and all the 6 altitudes are set 1500. What you say is true but that's the next step.
Alternatively, you train at Airbus Training Centre in TLS, and all the sims are like that (2005 experience).
reference:
A320 Flight Management System Pilot’s Guide, Honeywell, 1993
- Figure 3.2-51 TAKEOFF Page
Airbus A319/320/321 Pegasus Flight Management System Pilot's Guide, Honeywell, 2002
- PERF TAKEOFF Page Figure 4--61
"These altitudes are displayed in blue and default to departure field elevation plus 1500 ft AGL (or as defined in the AMI database). They can only be changed in the PREFLIGHT phase."
New FM rev1 Pilot's Guide A32s, Smiths & THALES, 2004
- FLIGHT PHASES: PREFLIGHT - Complete PERF page (p96)
SA - Honeywell Release 1A FMS Standard, Airbus SAS Ref. X22PR0816632, 2010
- TAKE OFF PERF page, slide 28
- noteworthy:
"THR RED can now be higher than ACC"