How do I walk around the cabin in MSFS 2024 or 2020?
Learn how to walk around the cabin in MSFS 2024, move inside aircraft in MSFS 2020, set Xbox controls, and fix blocked interiors.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, switch to Character mode to walk on foot, then use the character movement and look controls; cabin access still depends on the aircraft having a modelled interior and usable doorway. In MSFS 2020, there is no walking avatar—move the cockpit camera or use the drone instead.
How to walk around the cabin in MSFS 2024
Use Character/Walkaround mode while the aircraft is stationary on the ground; for cabin movement during flight, use the cockpit camera instead.
- Check that the aircraft has an accessible cabin. Seeing seats through the windows does not prove that the interior is complete or designed for walking. Some cabins are decorative geometry visible only from outside.
- Open the control settings for your active device profile. Search for terms such as
character,walk,interactandtoggle character. Change the control filter so unassigned commands are shown. - Bind the essential character controls. You need the Character-mode toggle, forward/backward and sideways movement, view movement, interaction and a reliable way to return to the aircraft.
- Stop on the ground and enter Character mode.
Shift+Cis commonly assigned to Toggle Character in the standard PC profile, but imported or customised profiles may use something else. - Open the appropriate aircraft door. Depending on the aircraft, this may be done through an exterior interaction point, a cockpit control or the aircraft's tablet or management panel.
- Walk through the doorway and into the cabin. Where the character appears, which doors work and how far you can move are all determined by that aircraft's model and collision boundaries.
Character mode was introduced with MSFS 2024 and is primarily a ground and pre-flight feature. It is not a dependable way to leave the pilot seat and stroll through an airliner at cruise; use camera movement for that.
How do I move inside an aircraft in MSFS 2020?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has no true on-foot mode, so moving around the cabin means translating the cockpit camera away from the pilot seat.
- Select the device profile you actually use. Keyboard, mouse, controller and joystick profiles store separate assignments.
- Show all available commands. An assigned-only filter can hide the camera controls you need.
- Search the cockpit camera controls. Bind the commands for translating the cockpit view forwards, backwards, left, right, up and down.
- Add freelook and reset controls. Freelook turns your view, while reset returns you to a known seat position if you become lost inside the model.
- Enter the normal cockpit view. Use short translate inputs to move towards the jumpseat, aisle or passenger area.
- Save the position if it works. A custom view is quicker and more consistent than moving manually on every flight.
Why can I look around but not leave the pilot seat?
You have bound freelook, not cockpit translation. Freelook rotates the camera from its existing position; translate commands physically move that position through the aircraft.
This is the most common control mistake we see. The other frequent cause is editing one device profile, then trying to use the same assignment from a different keyboard, controller or joystick profile.
Should I use Character, cockpit or drone camera mode?
Choose the mode according to whether you want genuine ground movement, a stable passenger viewpoint or unrestricted camera access.
| Mode | Best use | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Character/Walkaround | Walking around or entering a supported aircraft on the ground in MSFS 2024 | Not available in MSFS 2020 and unsuitable for normal in-flight cabin movement |
| Cockpit camera | Passenger seats, jumpseats and cabin views during a flight | Restricted by the interior model and cockpit-camera boundaries |
| Drone/showcase camera | Free inspection, screenshots and reaching areas blocked to the cockpit camera | Detached from the aircraft and less convincing as a seated passenger view |
| Saved custom view | Returning instantly to a favourite cabin or window position | Usually needs to be created separately for each aircraft |
If the cockpit view cannot reach the required position, follow our guide to controlling the MSFS drone and showcase camera. Once you find a useful passenger or jumpseat angle, you can also save and recall that custom cockpit viewpoint.
How do I walk around the cabin on Xbox?
On Xbox, MSFS 2024 uses the same Character-mode principle, but you may need to create a controller profile with enough bindings for movement, interaction and returning to the cockpit.
Search the controls rather than relying on a button combination found for somebody else's profile. Default layouts can change after profile edits, and an add-on may use its own door controls. Keep the camera reset or Character-mode toggle somewhere easy to reach before remapping less essential commands.
If the analogue stick only turns your head, it is assigned to look or freelook rather than character movement or cockpit translation. A keyboard connected to the Xbox can provide spare keys if the controller layout is already crowded.
MSFS 2020 on Xbox does not have Character mode. Use cockpit translate controls or the drone camera, exactly as on the PC version.
Why does the camera or character stop at the cockpit door?
A blocked cockpit door usually indicates an aircraft-model limitation, not a fault with your movement controls.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| You can turn but cannot move | Bind translation or character movement rather than freelook. |
| The required commands are missing | Show all controls instead of assigned controls, then search the active device profile. |
| You stop at a door or bulkhead | The aircraft has a collision boundary or no traversable cabin. Try another camera mode; a control binding cannot create missing geometry. |
| The cabin disappears or looks unfinished | It was built as exterior detail or for fixed viewpoints, not close interior inspection. |
| Character mode does nothing | Confirm that you are using MSFS 2024, are stationary on the ground and have assigned the Character toggle to the device in use. |
| Movement jumps past seats and walls | Use brief digital inputs, reduce camera speed where that option is available, and check for conflicting analogue-axis assignments. |
| The entrance door will not open | Use the aircraft-specific door control or interaction point. Not every visible door is operational. |
Different editions and add-on aircraft can therefore behave very differently. One airliner may provide a complete cabin and working doors, while another stops the viewpoint immediately behind the flight deck because that is all the developer modelled.
Can I walk through the cabin during flight?
Use cockpit translation or a saved custom view for cabin movement during flight, even in MSFS 2024.
Character/Walkaround mode is designed around being on the ground near a stationary aircraft. The cockpit camera remains attached to the aeroplane, which makes it the practical choice for an aisle, jumpseat or passenger-window view in the air.
Where can I find X-Plane 12 news?
X-Plane 12 has its own camera controls, so the Microsoft Flight Simulator instructions above do not transfer directly. X-Plane 12 news and other simulator updates are covered in our flight-simulation news index.