The new Microsoft Flight Simulator puts players in the cockpit of a plane, allowing them to see the world from 35,000 feet in the air. The game includes several different camera modes players can use to take stunning images from above. One camera mode, Drone Camera, puts the player in control of the zoom, angle, speed, and position of the camera, allowing them to capture beautiful screenshots of the somewhat inaccurate model of the world in the game.

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The Drone Camera is mounted, as the name implies, on a drone that the player can release and control. It has many features that can be accessed with a few keystrokes and can allow for some breathtaking image capturing thanks to the game's stunning graphics. Players will need to be careful, however, as they cannot both operate the drone and fly their plane. To avoid a crash, they will need to make sure the plane is stationary or cruising on autopilot. Here's how to use the Drone Camera in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Use the Drone Camera in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Sunset over a plane wing in Microsoft Flight Simulator

To access the Drone Camera, players can simply press Insert while the plane is stationary or on autopilot. Once the drone has been activated, a number of keyboard or controller commands become available to the player, allowing them to control nearly everything about their screenshot and take the perfect picture. The controls for a keyboard appear below:

  • Toggle Depth of Field: F1
  • Toggle Foreground Blur: F5
  • Drone Top Down View: Ctrl + Space
  • Attach Drone to Next Target: Ctrl + Page Up
  • Attach Drone to Previous Target: Ctrl + Page Down
  • Toggle Drone Auto Exposure: Ctrl + F4
  • Toggle Drone Auto Focus: F4
  • Decrease Drone Rotation Speed: F3
  • Decrease Drone Translation Speed: F1
  • Decrease Drone Depth of Field: F2
  • Increase Drone Depth of Field: F3
  • Decrease Drone Exposure: Ctrl + F2
  • Increase Drone Exposure: Ctrl + F3
  • Increase Drone Rotation Speed: F4
  • Increase Drone Translation Speed: F2
  • Lock Drone to Next Target: T
  • Lock Drone to Previous Target: Shift + T
  • Translate Drone Backward: S
  • Translate Drone Down: F
  • Translate Drone Forward: W
  • Translate Drone Left: A
  • Translate Drone Right: D
  • Translate Drone Up: R
  • Reset Drone Roll: Space
  • Reset Drone Target Offset: Num 5
  • Pitch Drone Down: Num 2
  • Roll Drone Right: Num 9
  • Pitch Drone Up: Num 8
  • Yaw Drone Left: Num 4
  • Yaw Drone Right: Num 6
  • Roll Drone Left: Num 7
  • Toggle Drone Follow Mode: Tab
  • Toggle Drone Lock Mode: Ctrl + Tab
  • Increase Drone Zoom: Num +
  • Decrease Drone Zoom: Num -
  • Toggle Plane Controls: C

Xbox controllers do not allow the player to attach or lock a drone to a target. There is also no available shortcut to toggle plane controls, so they will need to still use the keyboard to accomplish these tasks. The Drone Camera controls on an Xbox controller are:

  • Toggle Depth of Field: B + Y
  • Toggle Foreground Blur: B + left on D-pad
  • Drone Top Down View: X + Y
  • Toggle Drone Auto Exposure: Y + LS
  • Toggle Drone Auto Focus: B + LS
  • Decrease Drone Rotation Speed: X + RB
  • Decrease Drone Translation Speed: X + RT
  • Decrease Drone Depth of Field: B + LT
  • Increase Drone Depth of Field: B + RT
  • Decrease Drone Exposure: Y + LB
  • Increase Drone Exposure: Y + RB
  • Increase Drone Rotation Speed: X + LB
  • Increase Drone Translation Speed: X + LT
  • Translate Drone Backward: Left Stick Down
  • Translate Drone Down: LT
  • Translate Drone Forward: Left Stick Up
  • Translate Drone Left: Left Stick Left
  • Translate Drone Right: Left Stick Right
  • Translate Drone Up: RT
  • Reset Drone Roll: RB + LB
  • Reset Drone Target Offset: X + A
  • Pitch Drone Down: Right Stick Down
  • Roll Drone Right: RB
  • Pitch Drone Up: Right Stick Up
  • Yaw Drone Left: Right Stick Left
  • Yaw Drone Right: Right Stick Right
  • Roll Drone Left: LB
  • Toggle Drone Follow Mode: Right Stick
  • Toggle Drone Lock Mode: Left Stick
  • Increase Drone Zoom: Y + RT
  • Decrease Drone Zoom: Y + LT

Players can also access Drone Controls by clicking on Camera on the toolbar at the top of the screen and using the Showcase tab. It is ultimately up to the player's preference which way they control the camera.

Typically, a plane needs to be stationary or in autopilot for Drone Camera to work. Players can also use Active Pause to stage the perfect screenshot using the Drone Camera.

Players who want to set up the Drone Camera but not control it directly can retake control of a plane once the Drone Camera is active. To do this, they will need to press C on the keyboard and make sure Drone Follow Mode is toggled on.

Next: How to Take Off Successfully in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for PC, with an Xbox One version currently in development.