I would use the synoptic if I have it, as a re-assurance. It's for free anyway, right? It's a FBW aircraft so I think it makes sense to use it.

 

I checked my Continental manual and saw this in the Before Start flow:

 

 

If you buy FS2Crew this is simulated where the FO puts up the FCTL page on the Captains MFD so you can run through the Control Checks and see the rudder, yoke movements.  I personally find it a great too in Flight Sim because I can be sure my assignments in FSUIPC are working correctly....we have all had cases of control inputs not working correctly and don't find out until disaster strikes.

Not on the MD-80 it won't. The control surface will move the control tabs. For lateral control it will move the roll spoilers when you rotate past a certain control wheel angle. For the elevators, you will get hydraulically assisted full down elevator power when the difference between control tab and elevator passes 10 degrees. Both these have annunciators.

In which case I must have misunderstood the MD-80 control force plots I have used to correct simulator tests. If the roll spoilers start to move at part wheel angle then that would explain the wheel force increase you see, which I had been led to believe was due to aileron movement. You learn something new every day. Thanks for correcting my error.