How do I view and change default keyboard controls in FSX?

In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, the default keyboard controls are the simulator's built-in command map for flying, views, radios, autopilot, ATC and slew. You can see the active defaults in Settings > Controls, and you can rebind almost any command there without editing files by hand.

Where do I find the default keyboard controls in FSX?

The quickest place to see the default FSX keyboard controls is the simulator's own controls menu. From the main screen, open Settings, then Controls, and make sure you are looking at the keyboard assignments rather than a joystick or yoke profile.

The full list is long, so a printable reference is more useful than a huge dump of keys on one page. Our FSX keyboard commands reference lists the standard flight, view, radio and slew shortcuts used by both the boxed release and FSX: Steam Edition.

Those are only some of the most-used defaults. FSX has many more commands for trim, views, radios, autopilot, smoke, time, replay and camera control.

How do I change an FSX keyboard shortcut?

You change keyboard shortcuts from the same Controls screen. A mistake we see constantly is editing a connected controller instead of the keyboard list, then wondering why the key never changes.

1. Open the controls menu. From the main menu, choose Settings and then Controls.
2. Select the keyboard assignments. If FSX is showing a hardware device, switch to the keyboard view rather than your joystick, yoke or pedals.
3. Find the command. Scroll to the action you want to change, such as brakes, gear, trim or a view command.
4. Choose the edit option. Select the command and use the change or edit assignment button shown in that screen.
5. Press the new key combination. Use a single key or a modifier combination with Shift, Ctrl or Alt.
6. Resolve any conflict. If FSX warns that the key is already assigned, decide which command should keep it and clear the other one.
7. Apply and test. Save the change, load a default aircraft, and test the shortcut with no menu or dialogue box active.

If you are also cleaning up trim keys or mixed controller inputs, our guide to adjusting trim settings and assignments in FSX uses the same part of the simulator and helps you spot duplicate bindings.

Which keys are worth remapping?

Remap the commands you need in a busy phase of flight, not every default just because you can. Keeping the rest of the keyboard map close to stock makes tutorials, checklists and aircraft manuals much easier to follow.

• Change first: brakes, gear, trim, frequently used autopilot keys, and any camera or view controls that feel awkward.
• Usually leave alone: obscure menu commands and shortcuts you almost never touch.
• On laptops: the numeric keypad is often the first problem area. If your keyboard hides numpad functions behind an Fn layer, remap those commands to plain keys you can reach quickly.

Why is FSX ignoring my new key assignment?

FSX usually ignores a new key binding because the command is duplicated, the wrong device was edited, or something outside the sim is capturing the key first.

• You changed the wrong device. Make sure the assignment was made in the keyboard list, not to a joystick button or axis.
• The key is assigned twice. FSX can keep conflicting commands. Clear the old binding if the new one behaves unpredictably.
• Num Lock or Fn changed the key. Many default view and camera commands rely on the numeric keypad. On laptops, the key you press may not be the key FSX receives.
• Windows or another app grabbed the shortcut. Avoid system combinations such as Alt + F4 or Ctrl + Esc, and close background software that uses global hotkeys.
• The aircraft overrides the default behaviour. Complex add-on aircraft sometimes use custom systems that do not respond to every stock FSX command. Test the key in a default aircraft before blaming the keyboard map.
• A window has keyboard focus. If an in-sim dialogue or text field is active, FSX may send the keystroke there instead of to the aircraft.

Can I restore the original FSX keyboard commands?

Yes, usually by assigning the original key back to the command from the default list. If you only changed a few shortcuts, manual restoration is safer than wiping everything and then rebuilding your controller setup.

• Changed only a few keys: put them back one by one using the default commands reference.
• Your whole keyboard map is confused: use the simulator's default or reset option if your installation shows one, then test before reconnecting any controller profiles or utilities.
• Only one aircraft is affected: try a default aircraft first. If the key works there, the problem is probably the add-on aircraft rather than FSX itself.