What are FlightGear's default keyboard controls?

FlightGear’s default keyboard controls use the arrow keys for pitch and roll, Page Up/Page Down for throttle, Insert/Enter for rudder, g for landing gear, b for wheel brakes, p to pause and v to change view. Bindings vary by release, keyboard layout, preferences and aircraft, so confirm them in FlightGear’s Help menu.

FlightGear keyboard controls: default key chart

The following long-standing desktop bindings are the best starting point for a standard FlightGear installation. Commands are case-sensitive: an uppercase letter in a control chart normally means holding Shift.

Older FlightGear keyboard-control charts often describe the same commands as numpad 8/2, 4/6, 9/3, 0/Enter and 7/1. With Num Lock off, those keys produce the arrow, Page Up/Page Down, Insert/Enter and Home/End commands shown above.

Pitch, roll, rudder, throttle and trim inputs are incremental. A control may stay displaced after you release the key rather than springing back like a joystick, so watch the cockpit controls and use numpad 5 when you need to centre the primary controls.

How do I see the exact FlightGear keybindings?

FlightGear’s built-in Help menu is the authoritative reference for the version and aircraft you have loaded.

1. Load the intended aircraft. Aircraft-specific commands may not appear until that aircraft is active.
2. Open the Help menu. Select the basic or common keyboard-command list; the precise label varies between FlightGear builds.
3. Check Aircraft Help as well. Detailed aircraft may provide separate commands for starting, avionics, propeller controls, reversers or other systems.
4. Compare letter case. For example, b applies wheel brakes while Shift+B toggles the parking brake.
5. Test while stationary. Watch the yoke, pedals, throttle, flap indicator or gear lights to confirm that the command reached the aircraft.

If the stock layout is unsuitable, our practical guide to configuring and remapping FlightGear controls covers keyboard, joystick, yoke and pedal assignments.

Why do my FlightGear controls differ from an online list?

Different-looking controls usually come from configuration or hardware differences rather than a fault in the simulator.

• FlightGear release: menu wording and some secondary commands can change between builds.
• Aircraft package: aircraft authors can add bindings for systems that do not exist in the standard keyboard map.
• Saved customisation: a personal keyboard or input configuration can override the packaged defaults.
• Regional keyboard layout: punctuation keys such as [, ], , and . may occupy different physical positions or require a modifier.
• Compact keyboard: laptops often lack dedicated Insert, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down or numeric-keypad keys.
• Other input devices: a joystick axis assigned to the same control can immediately overwrite a keyboard input.

A mistake we see often is treating an old screenshot as a universal control map. Use it to identify the likely command, then verify the active binding inside your own installation.

Do FlightGear keyboard controls work on Mac?

FlightGear uses the same logical keyboard commands on macOS, but Apple keyboards often omit the physical keys used by the traditional desktop layout.

• Fn+Up Arrow and Fn+Down Arrow commonly send Page Up and Page Down, allowing throttle adjustment.
• Fn+Left Arrow and Fn+Right Arrow commonly send Home and End for elevator trim.
• Many Mac keyboards have no Insert key or separate numpad Enter key. Remapping the rudder is more dependable than guessing an undocumented key combination.
• Return and numpad Enter are not necessarily reported as the same key. Check the built-in key list and test both if your keyboard provides them.
• Do not assume the Mac Command key replaces Control in every FlightGear shortcut; follow the modifier shown by the simulator.

An external full-size keyboard or keypad can preserve the traditional layout, but a compact custom mapping is usually easier on a MacBook.

A FlightGear key does nothing: what should I check?

Check window focus and keyboard mode first, then rule out the aircraft, autopilot and competing controller assignments.

1. Return focus to the simulator. Close text fields and configuration dialogues, then click inside the 3D view before testing the key again.
2. Check Num Lock and the Fn layer. For the traditional numpad arrangement, Num Lock normally needs to be off so the keys emit navigation commands.
3. Confirm that the aircraft supports the function. g cannot retract fixed landing gear, and aircraft without flaps will ignore flap commands.
4. Disengage the autopilot for a manual-control test. An active autopilot can move or recapture the controls after a keyboard input.
5. Disconnect conflicting hardware temporarily. A noisy or duplicated joystick axis can make a working keyboard command appear to have no effect.
6. Verify case and keyboard layout. Use Shift where an uppercase command is specified, and check where bracket and punctuation keys fall on your layout.
7. Inspect personal control changes. Disable custom bindings using the same configuration method with which they were added rather than deleting unrelated preference files.

If keyboard input, menus and cockpit movement all respond late, the problem is more likely simulation performance than a keybinding. Compare the computer with the FlightGear hardware and performance requirements before rebuilding the control map.

Should I keep the default controls or remap them?

Keep the defaults on a full-size keyboard if they are comfortable; remap primary controls early when key access or precision becomes a problem.

• Full-size keyboard: the default layout is adequate for learning systems, changing views and flying a stable aircraft.
• Laptop or compact keyboard: remap throttle, rudder, trim and centre controls to keys that do not require awkward Fn combinations.
• Joystick or yoke: assign pitch and roll to analogue axes, then retain the keyboard for gear, flaps, brakes, views and cockpit systems.
• Keyboard-only flying: choose a slow, stable aircraft, make short inputs and trim carefully. Fast jets and helicopters expose the limitations of stepped digital control.

Aircraft-specific engine, avionics, rotor and specialist-system shortcuts are less standardised than the core FlightGear controls. For those commands, the selected aircraft’s own Help entry and cockpit documentation take precedence over any generic keyboard chart.