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

In Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) and FSX: Steam Edition, open Settings > Controls and select the Buttons/Keys tab to see active keyboard assignments. Select a command, open its assignment editor, press the replacement key or key combination, remove any conflict, apply the change, then test it in a default aircraft.

Where are the default keyboard controls in FSX?

The active FSX keyboard map is on the Buttons/Keys tab of the Controls screen. From the opening screen, choose Settings > Controls. During a flight, press Alt if the menu bar is hidden, then open Options > Settings > Controls.

Use the event-category filter to narrow the list, or select All Events when you cannot find a command. The standard Controls screen shows keyboard assignments alongside controller buttons. The Controller Type selector may name a joystick or yoke, but keyboard shortcuts are still shown in the keyboard column.

The menu displays your active assignments, not necessarily the factory defaults: any previous changes will appear here. For a stock reference you can keep beside the simulator, use our printable list of default FSX keyboard commands.

These stock commands apply to the core simulator in both the boxed FSX release and FSX: Steam Edition. Add-on aircraft can replace some stock functions with their own custom systems.

How do I change an FSX keyboard shortcut?

FSX lets you rebind or remove nearly every stock keyboard command without editing configuration files by hand.

1. Open Buttons/Keys. Go to Settings > Controls, then select the Buttons/Keys tab.
2. Find the correct event. Choose a relevant event category or All Events, then highlight the required command. Check for similarly named events such as normal brakes, parking brakes, throttle decrease and throttle cut.
3. Open the assignment dialogue. Use the assignment button beneath the command list. Button wording can vary slightly with the interface language.
4. Press the replacement key. Enter one key or a combination using Shift, Ctrl or Alt. Avoid Windows shortcuts such as Alt + F4.
5. Deal with any conflict. If the combination already controls another event, decide which event should retain it. Delete or reassign the unwanted binding rather than leaving two unrelated commands on the same key.
6. Apply and test. Confirm the change, return to the cockpit and test it in a default aircraft with no dialogue box or text field open.

To unbind a command completely, highlight its keyboard assignment and use Delete Assignment. Take care not to delete the controller-button entry in the adjacent column.

Which FSX keys are worth remapping?

Remap commands needed during high-workload phases of flight and leave rarely used shortcuts at their defaults. Keeping most of the stock map intact also makes tutorials, manuals and checklists easier to follow.

• Prioritise immediate controls: wheel brakes, parking brake, landing gear, flaps, trim and the view commands you use during taxi, take-off and landing.
• Adapt laptop controls: many FSX view and control commands depend on the numeric keypad. Remap them if your laptop requires an awkward Fn layer or has no numpad.
• Keep proportional controls on axes: keyboard keys provide digital on-or-off input, so a joystick, yoke or pedals are better for pitch, roll, rudder and throttle movement.
• Avoid changing everything at once: alter a few assignments, test them, then continue. This makes conflicts much easier to identify.

If you are connecting flight hardware as well, our FSX setup guidance for keyboards, joysticks and other controllers explains which assignments should be checked first.

Why is FSX ignoring my new keyboard assignment?

FSX usually ignores or mishandles a new shortcut because the wrong assignment was edited, another command shares the key, or the keystroke never reaches the simulator.

• The controller column was edited: an event can have both a keyboard assignment and a joystick button. Confirm that the new combination appears in the keyboard column.
• The wrong event was selected: FSX contains separate set, toggle, increase and decrease commands. For example, normal braking and the parking-brake toggle are different events.
• A duplicate remains: remove the previous assignment when one key produces two actions or behaves inconsistently.
• Num Lock or Fn changes the input: keypad commands can produce different results when Num Lock is off or a laptop function layer is active.
• The cockpit lacks keyboard focus: close ATC windows, text fields and other dialogues, then click the main simulator window before testing.
• Another program captures the shortcut: Windows commands, controller utilities and applications with global hotkeys can intercept a combination before FSX receives it.
• A second device issues the same command: temporarily disconnect the joystick, yoke or gamepad. If the problem stops, inspect that device's button assignments.
• The aircraft uses custom systems: test with a default FSX aircraft. If the shortcut works there, consult the add-on's own control options rather than resetting the whole simulator.

If changes work until FSX is restarted, apply them and exit the simulator normally once. When every edit disappears after relaunch, check that Windows security software is not preventing FSX from saving its per-user settings and that its controls configuration has not been made read-only.

Can I restore the original FSX keyboard controls?

You can restore individual stock keys manually or use Reset Defaults when the whole assignment map has become confused.

• For one or two changed commands: use the default command reference and assign the original combinations manually. This preserves the rest of your custom setup.
• For widespread conflicts: use Reset Defaults on the relevant Controls page. Read the confirmation carefully because a reset can restore more than the single highlighted command.
• Before a broad reset: record any custom yoke, joystick and pedal assignments so they can be recreated if affected.
• When only one add-on aircraft fails: do not reset FSX. A working default aircraft shows that the global keyboard map is intact and the problem belongs to the add-on's custom controls.