How do I pop out instruments in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
On the Windows PC version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, hold the right Alt key and left-click a supported cockpit display. The instrument opens in a detachable window that you can resize or drag to another monitor. Repeat for other screens. This works mainly with glass-cockpit displays; not every gauge, bezel or 3D panel supports it.
How do I pop out a cockpit display?
Right Alt-click is the default method in both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Windows PC.
- Power the aircraft and avionics. A live display makes the correct click target easier to identify and prevents confusion with a genuinely black pop-out.
- Hold the right Alt key. Move the pointer over the rendered screen rather than its bezel. The pointer normally changes when it finds a supported pop-out target.
- Left-click the display. Release right Alt after clicking. The detached instrument may open over the simulator, behind it or on a monitor used during an earlier session.
- Repeat for other instruments. Each selected display is added as a detachable simulator window that can be moved and resized.
- Close the window with its X button. This removes the detached copy without switching off the instrument in the cockpit.
Use the right Alt key, not the left one. On keyboard layouts where that key is labelled AltGr, rebind the command if Windows or another application intercepts it.
What about ATC, checklists and toolbar panels?
Simulator interface panels use their own detach control when one is provided. Open the relevant toolbar panel and select its pop-out or external-window icon; Right Alt-click is intended for supported cockpit instruments. Custom EFBs and aircraft-specific menus may provide a separate detach button or no external-window support at all.
Which cockpit instruments can be popped out?
Pop-out support is defined by the simulator and the individual aircraft, so it cannot be applied to every visible cockpit object.
| Panel type | Method | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Glass-cockpit display | Right Alt-click the screen | Usually opens the rendered display without its physical bezel |
| Toolbar panel | Use its detach icon when available | Opens the complete simulator interface panel |
| Custom EFB or add-on display | Depends on the aircraft | May use its own button or may not support detaching |
| Analogue gauge, switch or complete 3D panel | Only if specifically implemented | Usually cannot be popped out through the standard shortcut |
A detached glass display often omits the surrounding softkeys, knobs and switches. If those controls are not drawn as clickable elements inside the pop-out, operate them on the cockpit bezel or through assigned hardware.
Why does Right Alt-click not pop out the instrument?
Most failures come from the wrong key, an unsupported click target, a changed binding or a window opening outside the visible desktop.
- Check the binding: Search the keyboard controls for
New UI Window Modeand restore or assign a suitable key if the default right Alt binding is missing. - Click the display surface: The bezel, knobs, reflections and decorative glass may not be valid targets. Test the centre of the active LCD area.
- Test a supported aircraft: If a stock glass-cockpit display works but a particular add-on does not, that aircraft probably has not exposed the instrument as a standard pop-out target.
- Look behind the simulator: Use the Windows task switcher to find the detached window. If it was left on a disconnected monitor, activate it and use the Windows key plus Shift and a left or right arrow to move it between displays.
- Fix a black window: Confirm that the cockpit display itself is powered, then close and reopen the pop-out after the avionics have initialised. A black pop-out affecting only one aircraft points to that aircraft's display implementation.
- Return focus to the simulator: Detached panels can capture mouse and keyboard focus. Click the main simulator window before trying the shortcut again. If opening a panel also stops camera movement, follow our cockpit mouse-pan and focus troubleshooting steps.
Can I put popped-out instruments on a second monitor?
You can drag each detached instrument to another Windows display by its title bar, then resize it to fit the available area. Keep the original aspect ratio where practical, as stretching a display can distort text, maps and touch targets.
Do not assume every aircraft or simulator build will restore the same window arrangement automatically. If a panel disappears after changing monitors, check for an off-screen window before recreating it. For a permanent installation, our multi-screen home cockpit planning guide covers display, mounting and control choices.
Each detached display adds another rendered window and can reduce frame rate or cause uneven frame pacing. If performance drops, close every pop-out and add them back one at a time; keep only the instruments you need. Mixed monitor refresh rates can also aggravate stutter, so testing matching refresh rates helps isolate the cause.
This Windows desktop-window method is not available as a second-monitor workflow on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro. Those consoles do not provide Windows-style instrument windows that can be dragged onto another desktop display.