What are the default keyboard controls for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
The default keyboard controls in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are the commands in the built-in Keyboard preset under Controls Options. There is no short official one-page list because the preset is extensive and context-sensitive, but the main defaults most pilots use include Esc, Ctrl+E, G, F1-F4, B and Z.
Where do I find the full default keyboard controls in MSFS 2024?
If you want the exact current defaults on your own installation, the sim itself is the right place to check. That matters because bindings can be changed by updates, imported profiles, hardware conflicts or your own edits.
- Open Controls Options from the main menu or pause menu.
- Select Keyboard as the active input device.
- Check the preset name to make sure you are on the stock keyboard profile rather than a custom one.
- Filter by Assigned so you only see commands that already have keys bound.
- Use the search box for terms like throttle, flaps, gear, brakes, autopilot, camera or trim.
We recommend doing that instead of relying on random screenshots or old cheat sheets, because MSFS 2024 can show slightly different categories and command names depending on the aircraft, your platform and whether you migrated settings from an earlier install.
Most-used default keyboard controls in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
These are the core defaults most simmers look for first. They are the ones we would expect to still be in the stock keyboard preset unless you or the sim has changed them.
| Action | Default key | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Pause / menu | Esc | Opens the pause menu and lets you stop what you are doing quickly. |
| Auto-start aircraft | Ctrl+E | Runs the automatic engine start sequence on supported aircraft. |
| Landing gear toggle | G | Raises or lowers the landing gear. |
| Throttle to idle / cut | F1 | Pulls power back to idle or cut, depending on the aircraft and engine type. |
| Throttle decrease | F2 | Reduces throttle progressively. |
| Throttle increase | F3 | Increases throttle progressively. |
| Full throttle | F4 | Sets maximum throttle. |
| Set altimeter / barometric pressure | B | Synchronises the altimeter to local pressure. |
| Autopilot master toggle | Z | Turns the autopilot master on or off. |
Those are only the headline bindings. The full keyboard preset also includes controls for flaps, trim, brakes, spoilers, views, cameras, radios, checklist items, avionics windows, drone mode and far more.
Why your keyboard controls may not look “default”
This catches a lot of people out. You can open the keyboard page expecting the factory bindings and instead find a mess of missing keys, duplicates or odd assignments.
- You imported an older profile from another Microsoft Flight Simulator install or test build.
- A connected controller created conflicts and you changed the keyboard profile while fixing them.
- You are using a custom aircraft that depends on additional bindings not covered by the stock keyboard setup.
- Your keyboard layout is regional, so the printed key names may differ even though the command is the same.
- The sim has more than one keyboard profile, and the active one is not the original preset.
If something feels wrong, do not assume the defaults are broken. First check whether you are actually viewing the stock keyboard profile.
How do I reset the keyboard controls to default in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
If your bindings are scrambled, resetting the keyboard preset is usually the quickest fix.
- Open Controls Options and choose Keyboard.
- Look for the preset management option. The exact label can vary slightly by build, but it will let you switch or restore profiles.
- Save your current profile first if you want to keep any personal changes.
- Select the default keyboard preset or use the reset-to-defaults option.
- Apply and save, then test the keys in a simple free flight.
If a key still does not work after a reset, search the command by name and see whether another device is also bound to it or whether the aircraft uses a different system entirely.
Which keyboard controls matter most for beginners?
You do not need to memorise the whole list. We would focus on a short working set first:
- Esc for pausing and backing out safely.
- Ctrl+E for quick engine start while learning the rest of the cockpit.
- F1-F4 for basic throttle control if you do not have a joystick or throttle quadrant yet.
- G for landing gear.
- B for barometric pressure.
- Z for autopilot master.
After that, the next bindings worth learning are usually flaps, brakes, trim, views and camera controls. Those are the ones many new simmers end up rebinding first because comfort matters more than strict factory defaults.
Are the default keyboard controls the same in every aircraft?
No, not in practice. The basic simulator bindings are global, but some aircraft expose extra functions, custom autopilot logic or engine systems that behave differently from the stock set. A simple trainer, a modern airliner and a high-performance turboprop will not all respond in exactly the same way.
That is why the safest answer to “what are the defaults?” is this: the defaults are whatever the stock Keyboard preset in your current MSFS 2024 installation shows under Assigned. Use the table above for the most common keys, then use the in-sim search to find the rest.