FSX Keyboard Shortcuts & Controls
Last updated: July 2026. The complete default keyboard controls and shortcuts for Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) — identical in FSX: Steam Edition and FSX: Acceleration. Search and filter the full list below, or toggle “Show Our Favorites Only” for the keys most pilots use.
These are FSX’s out-of-the-box defaults. You can reassign any of them in Options > Settings > Controls > Buttons/Keys.
Categories:
| Action | Keyboard Command | Category | Sub-Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pause | P | General | |
| Full Screen Mode (toggle) | ALT + RETURN | General | |
| Menus (display/hide) | ALT | General | |
| Sound (on/off) | Q | General | |
| Time Compression (sim rate) | R | General | |
| Reset Current Flight | CTRL + ; | General | |
| Save Flight | ; | General | |
| Exit Flight Simulator | CTRL + C | General | |
| Exit Flight Simulator Immediately | CTRL + BREAK | General | |
| End Flight (return to menu) | ESC | General | |
| Joystick (on/off) | CTRL + K | General | |
| Cycle Coordinates / Frame Rate Display | SHIFT + Z | General | |
| Capture Screenshot | V | General | |
| Kneeboard (display/hide) | SHIFT + F10 | General | |
| Aircraft Labels (display/hide) | CTRL + SHIFT + L | General | |
| Flying Tips (display/hide) | CTRL + SHIFT + X | General | |
| Drop Objects | SHIFT + D | General | |
| Select Item 1 | 1 | General | Menu Selection |
| Select Item 2 | 2 | General | Menu Selection |
| Select Item 3 | 3 | General | Menu Selection |
| Select Item 4 | 4 | General | Menu Selection |
| Increase Selection | = | General | Value Adjust |
| Increase Selection Slightly | SHIFT + = | General | Value Adjust |
| Decrease Selection Slightly | SHIFT + - | General | Value Adjust |
| Decrease Selection | - | General | Value Adjust |
| Select Engine (then 1-4) | E | Engines | |
| Select All Engines | E + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 | Engines | |
| Engine Autostart | CTRL + E | Engines | |
| Throttle (cut / idle) | F1 | Engines | |
| Throttle (decrease) | F2 | Engines | |
| Throttle (increase) | F3 | Engines | |
| Throttle (full) | F4 | Engines | |
| Reverse Thrust (jets / turboprops, hold) | F2 | Engines | |
| Propeller (low RPM) | CTRL + F1 | Engines | |
| Propeller (decrease RPM) | CTRL + F2 | Engines | |
| Propeller (increase RPM) | CTRL + F3 | Engines | |
| Propeller (high RPM) | CTRL + F4 | Engines | |
| Mixture (idle cutoff) | CTRL + SHIFT + F1 | Engines | |
| Mixture (lean quickly) | CTRL + SHIFT + F2 | Engines | |
| Mixture (enrich) | CTRL + SHIFT + F3 | Engines | |
| Mixture (full rich) | CTRL + SHIFT + F4 | Engines | |
| Carb Heat / Engine Anti-ice (on/off) | H | Engines | |
| Magnetos (select) | M | Engines | |
| Master Battery / Alternator (select) | SHIFT + M | Engines | |
| Jet Starter (select) | J | Engines | |
| Ailerons (bank left) | NUM 4 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Ailerons (bank right) | NUM 6 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Aileron Trim (left) | CTRL + NUM 4 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Aileron Trim (right) | CTRL + NUM 6 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Rudder (yaw left) | NUM 0 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Rudder (yaw right) | NUM RETURN | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Rudder Trim (left) | CTRL + NUM 0 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Rudder Trim (right) | CTRL + NUM RETURN | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Center Ailerons and Rudder | NUM 5 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Elevator (pitch down) | NUM 8 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Elevator (pitch up) | NUM 2 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Elevator Trim (nose down) | NUM 7 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Elevator Trim (nose up) | NUM 1 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Flaps (retract fully) | F5 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Flaps (retract incrementally) | F6 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Flaps (extend incrementally) | F7 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Flaps (extend fully) | F8 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Spoilers / Airbrakes (extend/retract) | / | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Arm Spoilers | SHIFT + / | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Brakes (apply/release) | . | Brakes | |
| Brakes (apply left) | NUM + | Brakes | |
| Brakes (apply right) | NUM - | Brakes | |
| Parking Brake (set/release) | CTRL + . | Brakes | |
| Landing Gear (extend/retract) | G | Landing Gear | |
| Tail Wheel (lock/unlock) | SHIFT + G | Landing Gear | |
| Landing Gear (extend manually) | CTRL + G | Landing Gear | |
| Autopilot Master (on/off) | Z | Autopilot | |
| Flight Director (on/off) | CTRL + F | Autopilot | |
| Wing Leveler (on/off) | CTRL + V | Autopilot | |
| Yaw Damper (on/off) | CTRL + D | Autopilot | |
| Altitude Hold (on/off) | CTRL + Z | Autopilot | |
| Altitude Bug (select) | CTRL + SHIFT + Z | Autopilot | |
| Heading Hold (on/off) | CTRL + H | Autopilot | |
| Heading Bug (select) | CTRL + SHIFT + H | Autopilot | |
| Airspeed Hold (on/off) | CTRL + R | Autopilot | |
| Mach Hold (on/off) | CTRL + M | Autopilot | |
| Autothrottle (arm) | SHIFT + R | Autopilot | |
| Autothrottle Engage (TO/GA) | CTRL + SHIFT + G | Autopilot | |
| NAV 1 Hold (on/off) | CTRL + N | Autopilot | |
| Approach Mode (on/off) | CTRL + A | Autopilot | |
| Back Course Mode (on/off) | CTRL + B | Autopilot | |
| Localizer Hold (on/off) | CTRL + O | Autopilot | |
| Attitude Hold (on/off) | CTRL + T | Autopilot | |
| Heading Indicator (reset to compass) | D | Instruments | |
| Altimeter (reset to pressure) | B | Instruments | |
| Pitot Heat (on/off) | SHIFT + H | Instruments | |
| Lights - all (on/off) | L | Lights | |
| Strobe Lights (on/off) | O | Lights | |
| Panel Lights (on/off) | SHIFT + L | Lights | |
| Landing Lights (on/off) | CTRL + L | Lights | |
| Landing Light (tilt up) | CTRL + SHIFT + NUM 8 | Lights | |
| Landing Light (tilt down) | CTRL + SHIFT + NUM 2 | Lights | |
| Landing Light (tilt left) | CTRL + SHIFT + NUM 4 | Lights | |
| Landing Light (tilt right) | CTRL + SHIFT + NUM 6 | Lights | |
| Landing Light (center) | CTRL + SHIFT + NUM 5 | Lights | |
| COM Radio (select) | C | Communications | |
| NAV Radio (select) | N | Communications | |
| DME (select) | F | Communications | |
| ADF (select) | CTRL + SHIFT + A | Communications | |
| Transponder (select) | T | Communications | |
| OBS Indicator (select) | SHIFT + V | Communications | |
| Standby Frequency (swap) | X | Communications | |
| VOR 1 Ident (on/off) | CTRL + 1 | Communications | |
| VOR 2 Ident (on/off) | CTRL + 2 | Communications | |
| Marker (MKR) Ident (on/off) | CTRL + 3 | Communications | |
| DME Ident (on/off) | CTRL + 4 | Communications | |
| ADF Ident (on/off) | CTRL + 5 | Communications | |
| ATC Menu / Window (display/hide) | ` | ATC | |
| View (next category) | S | Views | View Cycling |
| View (previous category) | SHIFT + S | Views | View Cycling |
| View (next view in category) | A | Views | View Cycling |
| View (previous view in category) | SHIFT + A | Views | View Cycling |
| View (previous view toggle) | CTRL + S | Views | View Cycling |
| Virtual Cockpit | F9 | Views | Cockpit |
| 2-D Cockpit | F10 | Views | Cockpit |
| 2-D Cockpit (cycle panels) | W | Views | Cockpit |
| Snap to Panel View | SHIFT + NUM 0 | Views | Cockpit |
| 2-D Panel Transparency (then +/-) | CTRL + SHIFT + T | Views | Cockpit |
| Locked Spot View | F11 | Views | External |
| Top-Down View | F12 | Views | External |
| Zoom In | = | Views | Zoom/Look |
| Zoom Out | - | Views | Zoom/Look |
| View (default zoom) | BACKSPACE | Views | Zoom/Look |
| Look Using Mouse (hold) | SPACE | Views | Zoom/Look |
| Look Using Mouse (on/off) | SHIFT + O | Views | Zoom/Look |
| Look (reset to forward view) | SHIFT + NUM DEL | Views | Zoom/Look |
| View (open new window) | [ | Views | Windows |
| View (close selected window) | ] | Views | Windows |
| View (open new top-down window) | SHIFT + ] | Views | Windows |
| Window (bring selected to front) | ' | Views | Windows |
| View (next window) | CTRL + TAB | Views | Windows |
| View (previous window) | CTRL + SHIFT + TAB | Views | Windows |
| Eyepoint (move forward) | CTRL + BACKSPACE | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move back) | CTRL + RETURN | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move up) | SHIFT + RETURN | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move down) | SHIFT + BACKSPACE | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move left) | CTRL + SHIFT + BACKSPACE | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move right) | CTRL + SHIFT + RETURN | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (reset) | CTRL + SPACE | Views | Eyepoint |
| Slew Mode (on/off) | Y | Slew Mode | |
| Heading North / Attitude Level | CTRL + SPACE | Slew Mode | |
| Freeze All Movement | NUM 5 | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Forward | NUM 8 | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Backward | NUM 2 | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Left | NUM 4 | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Right | NUM 6 | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Up (slowly) | F3 | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Up (quickly) | F4 | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Down (slowly) | A | Slew Mode | |
| Slew Down (quickly) | F1 | Slew Mode | |
| Freeze Vertical Movement | F2 | Slew Mode | |
| Rotate Left (heading) | NUM 1 | Slew Mode | |
| Rotate Right (heading) | NUM 3 | Slew Mode | |
| Bank Left | NUM 7 | Slew Mode | |
| Bank Right | NUM 9 | Slew Mode | |
| Pitch Nose Up (quickly) | F5 | Slew Mode | |
| Pitch Nose Down (quickly) | F8 | Slew Mode | |
| Freeze Pitch | F6 | Slew Mode | |
| Smoke System (on/off) | I | Aircraft Systems | |
| Cowl Flaps (open incrementally) | CTRL + SHIFT + V | Aircraft Systems | |
| Cowl Flaps (close incrementally) | CTRL + SHIFT + C | Aircraft Systems | |
| Water Rudder (up/down) | CTRL + W | Aircraft Systems | |
| Doors (select) | SHIFT + E | Aircraft Systems | |
| Fuel Dump (on/off) | CTRL + SHIFT + D | Aircraft Systems | Fuel & Payload |
| Subpanels (display/hide) | SHIFT + 1 (through 9) | Aircraft Systems | |
| Helicopter Rotor Clutch (on/off) | SHIFT + . | Aircraft Systems | Helicopter |
| Helicopter Rotor Governor (on/off) | SHIFT + , | Aircraft Systems | Helicopter |
| Helicopter Rotor Brake (on/off) | SHIFT + B | Aircraft Systems | Helicopter |
| Fuel Truck (request) | SHIFT + F | Ground Operations | |
| Jetway (attach/detach) | CTRL + J | Ground Operations | |
| Pushback (start/stop; then 1 or 2 to steer) | SHIFT + P | Ground Operations | |
| Tow Plane (call) | CTRL + SHIFT + Y | Ground Operations | |
| Tow Rope (release) | SHIFT + Y | Ground Operations | |
| Chat Window (display/hide) | CTRL + SHIFT + ] | Multiplayer | |
| Chat Window (make active) | RETURN | Multiplayer | |
| Voice (push-to-talk, hold) | CAPS LOCK | Multiplayer | |
| Voice (transmit to all, hold) | SHIFT + CAPS LOCK | Multiplayer | |
| Transfer / Accept Control | SHIFT + T | Multiplayer | |
| Follow Other Player | CTRL + SHIFT + F | Multiplayer | |
| Compass / Pointer (on/off) | U | Mission | |
| Compass Objective (next) | K | Mission | |
| Compass Objective (previous) | SHIFT + K | Mission |
