How to set and hold altitude and speed in MSFS 2024?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, set the target altitude in the cockpit altitude selector, engage AP, then choose VS, FLC/FLCH or VNAV to climb or descend. Confirm ALT capture on the flight mode annunciator. For level flight, use ALT hold; speed needs manual throttle unless the aircraft has autothrottle or autothrust.

How to set cruise altitude in Flight Simulator 2024 with autopilot

To set cruise altitude, enter the required height in the autopilot altitude selector and activate a vertical mode that will take the aircraft there.

1. Stabilise and trim the aircraft. Establish a safe airspeed, sensible attitude and suitable power before handing control to the autopilot.
2. Set the cruise altitude. Turn the cockpit control labelled ALT, ALT SEL or similar until the selected-altitude window shows the target. For example, select 10,000 feet rather than 100 for a cruise altitude of ten thousand feet.
3. Engage the flight director and autopilot. Select FD if the aircraft requires it, then engage AP. The order and prerequisites vary between aircraft.
4. Start the climb or descent. Choose FLC/FLCH/IAS to control airspeed through pitch, VS to command a vertical speed, or VNAV to follow a valid programmed vertical profile.
5. Set appropriate power. Add climb power or reduce power for descent unless active autothrottle or autothrust is doing it for you.
6. Check the flight mode annunciator. Confirm the chosen vertical mode is active and altitude capture is armed. Near the target, look for ALT*, ALTS, ALT CAP or an equivalent capture indication, followed by active ALT hold.

Entering a cruise altitude in the flight plan, EFB or flight-management system does not necessarily change the cockpit altitude selector or make the aeroplane climb. VNAV may use that planning data, but it still needs the required route, performance information, constraints and mode selections. Our step-by-step MSFS 2024 autopilot setup covers the complete lateral and vertical sequence.

How to hold altitude in MSFS 2024

To hold the present altitude, stabilise the aircraft, engage the autopilot and select ALT or ALT HOLD; to hold a different altitude, use a climb or descent mode and let the autopilot capture it.

The distinction between selection, capture and hold matters:

• Selected altitude is the target shown in the altitude window. Turning the selector alone does not move the aircraft.
• Active vertical mode is what commands the climb or descent. This may be VS, FLC, FLCH, IAS or VNAV.
• Altitude capture is the transition in which the autopilot reduces vertical speed as it approaches the target.
• Altitude hold is the level-flight mode used after capture or when ALT is selected at the present altitude.
• Speed control is separate. The autopilot may use pitch to control airspeed, but only autothrottle or autothrust can command engine thrust automatically.

A mistake we see constantly is selecting a new number and waiting for the aircraft to climb. If you are holding 6,500 feet and set 8,000, the aircraft will normally remain at 6,500 until you select VS, FLC, FLCH or VNAV.

What does AP ALT mean?

AP is the autopilot master, while ALT is an altitude-hold or capture mode; engaging AP does not by itself guarantee that ALT is active.

If you press ALT during a climb, many systems capture approximately the altitude at which you pressed it rather than continuing to the preselected target. To reach the selected altitude, leave the appropriate climb or descent mode active and confirm that altitude capture is armed on the flight mode annunciator.

How to set altitude in Flight Simulator 2024 on Xbox and PS5

On Xbox and PS5, use the aircraft's cockpit altitude selector to enter the target, engage AP and select VS, FLC, FLCH or VNAV to begin the altitude change.

1. Open the autopilot panel. Look on the glareshield, mode control panel, flight control unit, glass-cockpit bezel or centre console.
2. Find the selected-altitude control. It is usually labelled ALT or ALT SEL and sits beside a numeric altitude window. It is often a round knob, but do not confuse it with the nearby BARO pressure knob.
3. Use cockpit interaction mode. Select the knob with the controller cursor and rotate or manipulate it until the target altitude appears.
4. Engage AP. Make sure the aircraft is stable and trimmed, then activate the autopilot master.
5. Select a vertical mode. Use VS for a chosen rate, FLC/FLCH for an airspeed-controlled altitude change, or VNAV for a programmed profile. Merely changing ALT SEL will not start the climb or descent.
6. Verify capture. Watch the primary flight display or other flight mode annunciator for the active vertical mode, an altitude-capture indication and finally ALT hold.

Controller bindings, interaction prompts and button labels vary by aircraft and controller profile, so there is no reliable universal Xbox or PS5 button combination. Some Airbus-style and Beluga flight decks use a round FCU altitude knob that can be turned, pushed and pulled: turning selects the altitude, while pushing or pulling may request managed or selected vertical guidance. The exact implementation varies, so use the annunciator to confirm what became active.

If a cockpit knob is difficult to reach, move closer to the panel, use cockpit cursor interaction, create a dedicated binding or use a mouse if supported by your setup. We have a separate explanation of cockpit mouse and cursor control in MSFS 2024. For keyboard, controller and hardware functions, consult our reference for MSFS autopilot and altitude commands, then save the assignment in the intended aircraft profile.

How to set the altimeter in MSFS 2024 on PS5, Xbox and PC

Set the altimeter with the cockpit BARO, QNH or pressure control; do not use the autopilot ALT SEL knob, which sets a capture target rather than adjusting indicated altitude.

On PS5 and Xbox, operate the aircraft's barometric-setting knob through cockpit interaction or bind controls for barometric pressure, altimeter adjustment or standard pressure. Assignment names vary by profile and aircraft. On PC, the same setting can be made with the cockpit control, mouse or a suitable keyboard or hardware binding.

When should I use local pressure or standard pressure?

Use the local QNH or altimeter setting for departure, arrival and lower-altitude flight, especially when ATC provides a pressure value. Use standard pressure, 1013.25 hPa or 29.92 inHg, when operating in flight levels above the applicable transition altitude.

• Climbing: change from local pressure to standard pressure when the regional procedure or ATC instruction requires it.
• Descending: restore the local pressure when passing the applicable transition level or when instructed.
• On the ground: correctly set QNH should make the altimeter indicate approximately the aerodrome elevation, subject to weather and instrument limitations.

Transition altitudes and levels differ by region. A wrong pressure setting may still let the autopilot hold the displayed altitude, but the aircraft's actual pressure-referenced height will not agree with ATC or other correctly set aircraft.

How do I enter altitude in feet or as a flight level?

Most selected-altitude windows use the full value in feet, so select 5,000 for five thousand feet and 10,000 for ten thousand feet. A flight level is expressed in hundreds of feet: FL100 means a standard-pressure altitude of 10,000 feet, not 100 feet.

Check for a metric display if the selected value looks unexpectedly high or low. Some aircraft can show metres as a secondary or selected unit.

Which mode should I use: ALT, VS, FLC, FLCH or VNAV?

Use ALT for level flight, VS for a controlled vertical rate, FLC or FLCH to protect a selected airspeed during an altitude change, and VNAV for a valid programmed vertical profile.

FLC or IAS is often the safer climb choice in a light aircraft because the autopilot lowers the nose if necessary to preserve airspeed. VS is useful when a specific rate is required, but watch the airspeed continuously. For an FLC descent, reduce power enough for the aeroplane to descend while maintaining the selected speed.

Can autopilot hold altitude and speed at the same time?

Autopilot can hold altitude and speed simultaneously only when the aircraft can control both pitch and thrust; otherwise you must manage the throttle.

Light aircraft without autothrottle

Use AP and ALT to maintain altitude, then adjust the throttle manually for the required cruise speed. FLC or IAS can maintain speed during a climb or descent by changing pitch, but this is not automatic throttle control.

Once ALT becomes active, the autopilot uses pitch to preserve altitude. You remain responsible for throttle, and in a piston aircraft you may also need to manage propeller RPM and mixture.

Aircraft with autothrottle or autothrust

An equipped airliner or business jet can combine an altitude mode with active A/T or A/THR. Check the flight mode annunciator to confirm the intended speed or thrust mode is active rather than merely armed.

On Airbus-style systems, engine thrust can change without the cockpit thrust levers moving. The label SPD can also mean different things on different panels, so judge the system by its annunciations and engine indications. Our explanation of autopilot airspeed modes and automatic thrust covers this distinction in detail.

How do I maintain altitude manually in Flight Simulator 2024?

To maintain altitude without autopilot, establish a level attitude, set sustainable cruise power and trim until the aircraft remains level with minimal control pressure.

1. Set the attitude. Use the horizon or primary flight display instead of chasing every movement of the altimeter.
2. Set cruise power. Allow the speed and pitch response to settle after each change.
3. Trim out control pressure. Hold the desired attitude first, then trim. Do not use trim as the primary control for making a large pitch correction.
4. Scan and correct gently. Check attitude, altitude, vertical speed and airspeed. Make a small correction, pause to assess it and re-trim after lasting power or speed changes.

In steady level flight, use pitch and trim mainly to control altitude and power mainly to control speed. They remain coupled, so adding power may require a small nose-down correction and reducing power may require a small nose-up correction.

Why will altitude hold or AP ALT still not work in MSFS 2024?

Altitude hold usually fails because the wrong mode is active, capture was never armed, the commanded performance is impossible or a controller is continuously overriding the automation.

• Only AP is active. The autopilot master may retain another pitch mode. Select ALT for level flight or the required climb or descent mode for a new target.
• The selected altitude is only a target. Choose VS, FLC, FLCH or VNAV to start moving towards it.
• ALT was pressed too early. The system may have captured the present altitude instead of continuing to the selected one.
• The command exceeds aircraft performance. Reduce an excessive vertical speed, correct the power setting and check weight, drag and altitude.
• The aircraft is badly configured. Check landing gear, flaps, spoilers and speedbrake.
• The autopilot was engaged outside its limits. Recover to a safe speed and attitude, stabilise, trim and try again.
• Simulation rate is accelerated. Return to normal rate while diagnosing oscillations, missed capture or mode changes.
• The BARO setting is wrong. This normally causes an altitude-reference error rather than a failure to hold, but it can make the captured altitude disagree with ATC or the expected flight level.
• The aircraft lacks the required system. Some basic aeroplanes have no autopilot, while more complex aircraft may require electrical, hydraulic or flight-director systems to be configured first.

Console checks for conflicting controls and inaccessible cockpit buttons

On Xbox and PS5, inspect every active controller profile when AP disconnects, speed changes unexpectedly or the aircraft wanders away from altitude.

• Pitch and roll axes: stick drift or a second assigned device can feed continuous manual input.
• Trim controls: a stuck trim button, duplicate hat assignment or noisy trim wheel can oppose the autopilot or force a disconnect.
• Throttle axes: duplicate throttle bindings can fight autothrottle and cause repeated power changes.
• Assistance inputs: automated piloting or control assistance can conflict with your own autopilot commands.
• Inaccessible controls: if the cockpit button cannot be selected reliably, use cursor mode, adjust the camera, bind the function directly or use a mouse rather than assuming ALT SEL also activates the vertical mode.

What should I do if altitude hold still does not work?

If altitude hold still does not work, perform a clean recovery rather than repeatedly pressing AP or ALT.

1. Return to normal simulation rate. Pause further mode changes until the aircraft response is predictable.
2. Disconnect the autopilot. Hand-fly to a safe attitude and speed, set suitable power and trim away heavy control pressure.
3. Remove conflicting input. Centre the controls, release trim switches and throttle inputs, then disconnect or temporarily unassign any suspect duplicate axis.
4. Set the target again. Check BARO, selected altitude and whether the target is above or below the aircraft.
5. Re-engage AP. Select ALT if already level at the required altitude, or select VS, FLC, FLCH or VNAV to climb or descend to it.
6. Confirm the annunciator. Verify the required vertical mode is active, altitude capture is armed and ALT becomes active at the target.

If the same controls work in one aircraft but not another, the likely cause is aircraft-specific mode logic, system state or control interaction rather than a global simulator binding.

Why does altitude hold switch off during an ILS approach?

After glideslope capture, the glideslope mode normally replaces altitude hold and commands the descent. Do not press ALT simply because the aircraft has started down the glideslope, as that can abandon the vertical approach path and command level flight.

The selected altitude may then be used for the missed approach, depending on the aircraft and procedure. Keep checking the flight mode annunciator: it is the clearest indication of what the autopilot is actually flying.