Prepar3D (P3D) Keyboard Commands & Controls
Last updated: September 2026. The default keyboard commands and controls for Lockheed Martin Prepar3D (P3D), built from Lockheed’s own key list and documentation. Most defaults have stayed the same across versions, and many date back to FSX. Search and filter the full list below, or toggle “Show Our Favorites Only” for the keys most pilots use.
These are P3D’s out-of-the-box defaults. If you’ve reassigned keys, press SHIFT + F10 and open the Kneeboard’s Key Commands page: it always shows your current keys.
Categories:
| Action | Keyboard Command | Category | Sub-Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pause | P | General | |
| Full Screen Mode (toggle) | ALT + ENTER | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Mouse Flight Control (on/off) | CTRL + Y | General | |
| Avatar Mode (on/off) | CTRL + SHIFT + E | General | |
| DIS Connection (toggle) | CTRL + I | General | |
| Pitch Axis (normal/inverted) | CTRL + SHIFT + I | General | |
| Flying Tips (action trigger) | CTRL + X | General | |
| Position Freeze (your aircraft) | CTRL + SHIFT + P | General | |
| Position Freeze (all aircraft) | CTRL + SHIFT + ; | 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 | |
| Nitrous (on/off) | SHIFT + C | Engines | |
| Anti-Detonation (toggle) | SHIFT + X | Engines | |
| Reheat / Afterburner (on/off) | SHIFT + F4 | 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 ENTER | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Rudder Trim (left) | CTRL + NUM 0 | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Rudder Trim (right) | CTRL + NUM ENTER | 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 | |
| Auto Rudder (on/off) | CTRL + SHIFT + U | Flight Control Surfaces | |
| Brakes (apply/release) | . | 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 | |
| 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 |
| Panel View (previous) | SHIFT + W | Views | Cockpit |
| Locked Spot View | F11 | Views | External |
| Top-Down View | F12 | Views | External |
| Chase Distance (increase) | CTRL + = | Views | External |
| Chase Distance (decrease) | CTRL + - | 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 |
| Look (snap to a direction, Num Lock on) | NUM 1 - NUM 9 | 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 + ENTER | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move up) | SHIFT + ENTER | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move down) | SHIFT + BACKSPACE | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move left) | CTRL + SHIFT + BACKSPACE | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (move right) | CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER | Views | Eyepoint |
| Eyepoint (reset) | CTRL + SPACE | Views | Eyepoint |
| Pan Eyepoint (up) | CTRL + SHIFT + Q | Views | Eyepoint |
| Pan Eyepoint (down) | CTRL + Q | Views | Eyepoint |
| Cinematographer (on/off) | SHIFT + F5 | Views | Cinematographer |
| Cinematographer: move forward | W | Views | Cinematographer |
| Cinematographer: move back | S | Views | Cinematographer |
| Cinematographer: move left | A | Views | Cinematographer |
| Cinematographer: move right | D | Views | Cinematographer |
| Cinematographer: move down | Q | Views | Cinematographer |
| Cinematographer: move up | E | Views | Cinematographer |
| Head-Mounted Display: Stereo (toggle) | CTRL + SHIFT + M | Views | Head-Mounted Display |
| Head-Mounted Display: Recalibrate | CTRL + SHIFT + , | Views | Head-Mounted Display |
| 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 (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 | |
| Pitch Nose Up (slowly) | 9 | Slew Mode | |
| Pitch Nose Down (slowly) | F7 | 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 | |
| Subpanels (display/hide) | SHIFT + 1 (through 9) | Aircraft Systems | |
| Fuel Dump (on/off) | CTRL + SHIFT + D | Aircraft Systems | Fuel & Payload |
| 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 |
| Tail Hook (up/down) | SHIFT + Q | Aircraft Systems | Carrier Operations |
| Launch Bar (extend/retract) | SHIFT + U | Aircraft Systems | Carrier Operations |
| Takeoff Assist (arm/disarm) | SHIFT + I | Aircraft Systems | Carrier Operations |
| Takeoff Assist (launch) | SHIFT + SPACE | Aircraft Systems | Carrier Operations |
| Buoyancy Valve (minimum) | CTRL + SHIFT + F5 | Aircraft Systems | Buoyancy |
| Buoyancy Valve (decrease) | CTRL + SHIFT + F6 | Aircraft Systems | Buoyancy |
| Buoyancy Valve (increase) | CTRL + SHIFT + F7 | Aircraft Systems | Buoyancy |
| Buoyancy Valve (maximum) | CTRL + SHIFT + F8 | Aircraft Systems | Buoyancy |
| Buoyancy Valve (center) | CTRL + SHIFT + F9 | Aircraft Systems | Buoyancy |
| 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) | ENTER | 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 | |
| Pause All Players | CTRL + P | Multiplayer | |
| Cycle Through Other Players | CTRL + SHIFT + O | Multiplayer | |
| Compass / Pointer (on/off) | U | Mission | |
| Compass Objective (previous) | SHIFT + K | Mission | |
| Weapon System (on/off) | CTRL + SHIFT + W | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Weapons Safety (on/off) | CTRL + SHIFT + S | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Select Next Weapon | CTRL + SHIFT + N | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Previous Weapon Station | CTRL + SHIFT + B | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Fire Weapons | CTRL + SHIFT + SPACE | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Fire Guns | CTRL + SHIFT + K | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Jettison Weapons | CTRL + SHIFT + J | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Reset Weapons Layout | CTRL + SHIFT + . | Weapons & Countermeasures | Weapons |
| Select Next Target | CTRL + SHIFT + 8 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Targeting |
| Previous Target | CTRL + SHIFT + 6 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Targeting |
| Populate Target List | CTRL + SHIFT + 7 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Targeting |
| Countermeasures (enable/disable) | CTRL + SHIFT + 1 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Countermeasures |
| Countermeasures (arm/disarm) | CTRL + SHIFT + 2 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Countermeasures |
| Countermeasure (previous) | CTRL + SHIFT + 3 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Countermeasures |
| Countermeasure (next) | CTRL + SHIFT + 4 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Countermeasures |
| Fire Countermeasure | CTRL + SHIFT + 5 | Weapons & Countermeasures | Countermeasures |
