How do I use and move the drone camera in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

To use the drone camera in Microsoft Flight Simulator, switch from cockpit or external view to the sim’s drone or showcase camera, then use your bound controls to translate and rotate it around the aircraft or scenery. It is a free camera, so the aircraft keeps flying unless you pause or use active pause.

What is the drone camera in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

The drone camera is the sim’s free-moving camera. Unlike cockpit view or the normal external chase view, it is not tied to the aircraft, so you can fly the camera anywhere nearby for screenshots, cinematic fly-bys, walkarounds or airport views.

In some menus and control profiles, Microsoft Flight Simulator refers to it as the showcase camera rather than simply the drone camera. If you cannot find a command called “drone”, search for showcase in the controls menu as well.

How do I switch to the drone camera?

1. Open the camera view you are currently using, usually cockpit or external.
2. Activate the drone or showcase camera using its assigned key or button. On PC there is usually a default binding, but custom profiles often change it.
3. If nothing happens, check your control profile in the sim’s controls options and search for drone and showcase. The command name can vary by device profile.
4. Pause the aircraft if needed before moving the camera. The drone camera does not freeze the aeroplane by itself.

If you are trying to film an approach or departure, use active pause carefully. It can make the aircraft appear frozen in place while systems and aerodynamics do not always behave exactly as they would in normal flight. For screenshots on the ground, ordinary pause is often enough.

How do I move the drone camera?

Once the drone camera is active, you move it with a set of dedicated camera movement bindings. These are separate from the normal aircraft flight controls.

• Forward and backward move the camera closer to or farther from the aircraft.
• Left and right slide the camera sideways.
• Up and down raise or lower the camera.
• Yaw, pitch and roll rotate the camera to point where you want.
• Zoom changes field of view rather than physically moving the camera.

On many PC keyboard profiles, these commands are spread across the keyboard and numeric keypad. That said, we would not trust any generic key list without checking your own profile first, because custom bindings, controller presets and sim updates often change what is assigned.

The safest method is to open Controls Options, select your keyboard, controller or flight hardware, and search for:

• Drone
• Showcase
• Translate
• Rotate
• Increase drone speed or similar speed controls
• Reset camera functions

Why is the drone camera not moving?

This usually comes down to one of a few simple problems rather than a bug in the sim.

1. The drone camera is not actually active

You may still be in the normal external view. Toggle the drone or showcase camera again and confirm that the movement commands you press are bound to the free camera, not the aircraft.

2. Your bindings are missing or conflicted

If you use a custom keyboard, yoke, HOTAS or gamepad profile, the default drone bindings may have been removed or overwritten. Search the controls menu for drone or showcase commands and reassign them.

3. Num Lock or keypad issues on PC

Some keyboard profiles rely on the numeric keypad. If your keyboard lacks one, or Num Lock is off, those commands may seem dead. Rebind them to keys you actually use.

4. Drone speed is set extremely low

The camera can appear stuck when translation speed is near zero. Increase the drone speed and try again.

5. Another window has focus

If you have clicked onto another monitor or an overlay, your movement keys may not be reaching the sim. Click back into Microsoft Flight Simulator and test again.

How do I make the drone camera faster or slower?

Microsoft Flight Simulator includes speed controls for the drone camera. These let you creep slowly for close-up aircraft shots or move quickly for wider scenery views.

1. Open your control bindings and find the commands for increasing and decreasing drone speed.
2. Bind those commands to keys or controller buttons you can reach easily while filming.
3. Adjust the speed in small steps once the camera is active. Fast settings are useful for repositioning; slower settings look better for smooth footage.

Some versions and profiles also expose extra camera behaviour such as momentum or smoothing. If present, a little smoothing can make panning look more natural, but too much can make the camera feel sluggish.

Best drone camera settings for smooth cinematic shots

For good-looking footage, the trick is usually not a special secret setting. It is slowing everything down and keeping the camera movement simple.

• Lower the drone speed for close passes around the aircraft.
• Use gentle yaw and pitch rather than constant fast rotation.
• Move first, then rotate unless you want a dramatic orbit effect.
• Pause or active pause if you need a stable subject for screenshots.
• Zoom sparingly; physical camera movement often looks better than extreme field-of-view changes.

If you are inspecting liveries, ground equipment or scenery details, start with the aircraft parked, switch to the drone camera, reduce speed, then move around it as if you were walking with a handheld camera.

How do I set up drone camera controls on a controller or yoke?

This is where many simmers get caught out. Flight controls are great for flying, but not always comfortable for camera work unless you create a dedicated layout.

1. Select the device you want to use in Controls Options.
2. Create or duplicate a profile if you do not want to disturb your normal flying bindings.
3. Search for drone or showcase commands.
4. Assign movement axes or buttons for forward/back, left/right, up/down, and rotation.
5. Assign speed up and slow down controls.
6. Test outside the aircraft and fine-tune sensitivity if movements feel jumpy.

On Xbox or with a standard gamepad, it is often easiest to dedicate one stick to translation and the other to rotation. The exact layout is personal, but separating movement from look controls makes the drone camera far easier to handle.

Can I reset the drone camera if I get lost?

Yes. Bind a reset camera or reset drone command if your profile offers one. If you have moved a long way from the aircraft, resetting is faster than trying to fly the camera all the way back manually.

If you do not have a dedicated reset command bound, switching back to cockpit or normal external view and then re-entering drone mode will usually get you reoriented.

Does the drone camera work differently in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024?

The core idea is the same in both: it is a free camera you move independently of the aircraft. The main differences are usually in interface wording, menu layout and default control profiles rather than in the basic camera concept.

So if a guide mentions showcase camera and your sim says drone camera, or vice versa, do not assume they are talking about different features. In practice, they are usually referring to the same free-camera workflow.

Quick answer: the fastest way to use the drone camera

1. Switch to external or cockpit view.
2. Toggle the drone/showcase camera.
3. Use your bound translate controls to move forward, back, left, right, up and down.
4. Use your bound rotate controls to pan and tilt.
5. Adjust drone speed if movement is too fast or too slow.
6. Pause the sim if you need the aircraft to stay put while filming or taking screenshots.

If it does not work, the fix is nearly always in the bindings: search your control profile for drone and showcase, then assign the commands in a way that makes sense for your keyboard, controller or flight hardware.