How do I adjust trim in Microsoft Flight Simulator X?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator X and FSX: Steam Edition, adjust elevator trim with Num Pad 7 for nose-down and Num Pad 1 for nose-up by default, or assign the two elevator-trim commands to controller buttons. Hold the desired attitude with the yoke or stick, then tap trim until the push or pull pressure is relieved.

This answer is specific to FSX and FSX: Steam Edition. Microsoft Flight Simulator released in 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 use different control menus and may have different default assignments.

How to adjust trim in Microsoft Flight Simulator X

FSX stores button and axis assignments separately, so configure the control that matches your hardware.

1. Open the Controls settings. From the FSX settings screen or the in-flight Options menu, open the control assignments.
2. Select the correct device. On the Buttons/Keys tab, choose the keyboard, joystick, yoke or throttle unit you intend to use. FSX maintains assignments for each connected controller.
3. Assign the elevator-trim commands. Find Elevator trim down and Elevator trim up, then assign two accessible keys, buttons or encoder directions. These are the pitch-trim controls in FSX; do not confuse them with the normal elevator or pitch axis.
4. Add an axis only for suitable hardware. On the Control Axes tab, assign Elevator trim axis only to an analogue wheel, lever or slider that remains where it is placed. Reverse the axis if the cockpit trim indication moves in the wrong direction.
5. Check every connected controller for conflicts. A keyboard and joystick can both carry valid trim assignments. The problem is usually a second trim axis, a noisy control or an input that is continually sending commands.
6. Test with a default aircraft. Use a default Cessna 172 in calm conditions, climb to a safe altitude and disengage the autopilot. The cockpit trim wheel or indicator should move in small, consistent steps and stop when the input stops.

What are the default elevator-trim keys in FSX?

The default FSX assignments are Num Pad 7 for nose-down trim and Num Pad 1 for nose-up trim.

Num Pad means the separate numeric keypad, not the number row above the letters. Laptop users without a keypad should assign alternative keys or controller buttons. If the defaults have been changed, our complete FSX keyboard and flight-control command chart provides the other stock control assignments as well.

Use short taps rather than holding either key. Keyboard repeat can move the trim through a large range before the aircraft has time to respond.

Should I use trim buttons or an elevator-trim axis?

Use buttons for reliability; choose an axis only when you have a stable, position-based trim control.

A control that looks like a trim wheel is not necessarily an axis. Many hardware wheels contain rotary encoders and should use the up/down commands rather than Elevator trim axis.

An absolute axis can also reassert its physical position after the keyboard, autopilot or another controller changes the virtual trim. If trim repeatedly snaps back to one setting, remove the axis assignment and test with buttons.

How do I use pitch trim correctly in flight?

Set power, attitude and configuration first, then use trim to remove the control pressure needed to maintain that condition.

1. Establish the desired flight condition. Set the power, flap and gear configuration for climb, cruise, descent or approach.
2. Hold the target attitude and speed. Use the yoke or stick while the aircraft settles. Trim should not be used to force an unstable aircraft directly onto a chosen altitude or speed.
3. Trim in small increments. If you must hold back pressure, add nose-up trim. If you must push forward, add nose-down trim.
4. Relax the pressure gradually. Allow the aircraft to respond, then repeat with another brief input if necessary. Avoid releasing the controls abruptly after a large trim change.
5. Re-trim after configuration changes. Changes in power, speed, flaps, landing gear or loading normally require a new trim setting.

With an ordinary spring-centred joystick, you may not feel realistic aerodynamic control forces. Use the amount of stick displacement as your guide: when the aircraft is properly trimmed, you should need little sustained forward or rearward input to hold the chosen condition.

Perfect hands-off flight is not always realistic. Turbulence, propeller effects, fuel imbalance and aircraft-specific flight modelling can still require small corrections.

What should elevator trim be set to for take-off?

Use the aircraft's checklist and its marked take-off trim position or range; centred trim is not automatically the correct take-off setting.

Check the cockpit indicator before opening the throttle. Excessive nose-up trim can cause an early or abrupt rotation, while excessive nose-down trim may require unusually heavy back pressure. If the required setting seems extreme, inspect the payload and centre of gravity rather than trimming around a loading error.

Why is trim not working or moving by itself in FSX?

Most FSX trim faults come from the wrong assignment, conflicting controllers, a noisy axis or an autopilot or add-on overriding manual input.

• Nothing moves: confirm that you edited the correct device and assigned an elevator-trim command rather than the normal elevator axis. On a laptop, the stock numeric-keypad commands may not be available.
• Trim moves in the wrong direction: swap the two button assignments or enable the reverse option for the trim axis. Judge the result by the cockpit indicator and aircraft response.
• Trim creeps without input: look for a held button, a repeating encoder or an unstable analogue axis. Disconnect extra controllers and reconnect them one at a time to identify the source.
• Trim snaps back to one position: an absolute trim axis is probably overriding changes made by keys, buttons or another system. Use one principal trim method or remove the conflicting axis.
• The autopilot appears to fight the trim: disengage it before testing. Autopilot and pitch-trim behaviour varies between default aircraft and complex add-ons, so manual trim with the autopilot active is not a reliable diagnostic test.
• Only one aircraft is affected: test the same controls in a default FSX aircraft. Some add-ons use custom flight-control or trim logic, and some aircraft do not provide adjustable rudder or aileron trim.
• The aircraft needs extreme trim: check airspeed, power, flap and gear position, then review payload and centre of gravity. Trim cannot correct a severely out-of-balance aircraft.

Why does pitch trim feel too sensitive or too fast?

Digital trim usually feels too fast because the key or button is being held long enough to repeat several times.

Use individual taps and pause briefly for the aircraft to settle. With a rotary encoder, turn one detent at a time; a fast spin can send a long burst of trim commands.

For an analogue axis, calibrate the hardware and confirm that its movement is smooth across the full range. A null zone only suppresses movement near the centre and can create an unwanted dead band, so it is a poor fix for an absolute trim wheel that jitters at several positions. Reducing sensitivity may also reduce usable travel rather than repair the noisy input.

Do I need rudder and aileron trim in FSX?

Pitch trim is the priority; rudder and aileron trim are useful only when the aircraft models them and a steady yaw or roll remains after the aircraft is correctly configured.

• Rudder trim can reduce sustained pedal pressure caused by propeller effects or asymmetric thrust, including some engine-out situations.
• Aileron trim can relieve a persistent rolling tendency caused by an asymmetric condition.

Do not use either one to conceal badly calibrated pedals, a controller that is not centred or an unrealistic fuel and payload imbalance. Many general-aviation flights in default FSX aircraft can be managed comfortably with elevator trim alone.

Can FSX adjust elevator trim automatically?

FSX does not provide a universal automatic-trim mode for ordinary manual flight, although an aircraft's autopilot or custom systems may operate pitch trim while engaged.

For simmers who specifically want assisted manual trimming, our library includes an automatic elevator-trim gauge for compatible FSX panels. Follow its installation and aircraft-compatibility notes carefully. An automatic gauge will not cure duplicate bindings, a noisy controller or incorrect centre-of-gravity loading.