How do I show flight information in FSX Locked Spot view?

In FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, switch to Locked Spot view with F11, then press Shift+Z to show the red flight-information text at the top of the screen. Press Shift+Z repeatedly to cycle through the available data pages, and continue until the overlay disappears.

How do I turn on the Locked Spot data overlay?

The Shift+Z information overlay is available in every FSX camera view; Locked Spot does not have a separate information setting.

1. Give FSX keyboard focus. Click inside the simulator window if you have just used another program or monitor.
2. Enter Locked Spot view. Press F11. On a laptop, you may need Fn+F11, or you can select Locked Spot from the Views menu. Our guide to FSX cockpit and external camera controls covers the other methods and common view-key problems.
3. Show the information. Hold Shift and tap Z once. The plus sign means the keys are pressed together, not one after the other.
4. Cycle the display. Press Shift+Z again for the next set of information, then keep cycling to turn the text off.

What information does Shift+Z display?

The standard FSX cycle shows position and flight data such as latitude and longitude, altitude, heading and airspeed, along with a page containing frame-rate or performance information. The amount and arrangement change as you cycle the command.

This is a diagnostic text overlay rather than an instrument panel. It does not provide autopilot modes, engine indications, waypoint guidance or a navigation log, and changing from Locked Spot to another view does not remove it.

Why is Shift+Z not showing flight information?

A missing or reassigned keyboard command is the usual cause when Shift+Z produces no text.

• Check the key assignment: open FSX's Controls settings and find Coordinates/Frame Rate (cycle) in the Buttons/Keys list. Assign Shift+Z again if the entry is blank or different.
• Check for a control-profile conflict: an add-on or imported control profile may have replaced the default shortcut. Reassign this command rather than resetting every control and losing working joystick mappings.
• Return focus to FSX: keyboard input can remain with another window even though the simulator is visible.
• Check laptop function-key behaviour: this affects F11 when entering Locked Spot view, although it does not normally affect Shift+Z.

The complete FSX keyboard-command reference is useful when other default camera or display shortcuts are also missing.

Can I make the FSX flight-information text larger?

FSX does not offer a practical font-size control specifically for the red Shift+Z overlay, so it can be difficult to read at high display resolutions.

If you mainly need larger altitude, indicated airspeed and heading values, the larger Basic Information Gauge for FSX is an alternative. It does not replace the overlay's coordinates or frame-rate data.

What if I want aircraft labels instead?

Aircraft labels are separate from the Shift+Z overlay. Enable them in the Traffic section of FSX's Display settings when you want identification, altitude or distance text attached to AI or multiplayer aircraft. They do not provide a full flight-data label for your own aircraft in Locked Spot view.