Flying any aircraft in any game can be pretty hard, especially if the controls are weird. But I’m here to help! In the following moments, we’ll go over the basics of how to fly a plane in GTA 5. And afterward, we’ll dip our toes into some real-life facts about piloting airplanes!
How do we fly a plane in GTA 5?
Starting strong, with our main topic of the day.
- First and foremost, Get a plane (or any flying object like the Oppressor MK II)
- Now, give it some gas, and watch as it moves forward on the ground. (That’s great but quite boring.)
- To get in the air, you have to press “5” to lift the plane’s nose from the ground.
- Press “G” to raise the landing gear.
And…We should have lift-off! Now for maneuvering while airborne (in the air).
- Use the “W”, “A”, “S”, and “D” keys for flying in the preferred direction.
- You can also tilt the aircraft using “4” to roll toward the left, and “6” to roll right.
- Press “8” to move the aircraft nose down, and finally “5” to move the nose up.
You thought you were out of the woods? Think again! *dramatic voice* It’s time, for the hardest part… landing!
This is a simple illustration of real-life plane control, and how the ailerons and rudder control their orientation.
- To safely land the plane you first have to find a straight stretch of road, like a runway.
- once located, point the aircraft towards it and press “8” to lower it, getting it as close as possible to the ground.
- Next, release the landing gear by pressing “G”. Preferably, you release it before hitting the ground, otherwise, we might see some fireworks…And pegasus will see about $200 in their bank account after delivering your vehicle to a suitable location. Also, hospital bills.
- Finally, once on the ground, hit “S” to slow down the aircraft.
If everything went to plan, you should be safe and sound.
Now it’s time for just a few facts about piloting planes in real life.
I’ll try to be quick, and boil it down to three main steps (Don’t forget, this is overly simplified, and what my nonpilot brain has just researched):
- First, taking off. Once the plane reaches a flyable speed, depending on the weight of the plane, the pilots have to manually raise the nose by using flaps on the tail also known as elevators.
- Moving on to maneuvering. Airplanes have a set of flight controls that operate the Ailerons on the wings for banking (tipping the wings and turning), the Elevator on the horizontal stabilized (small “wing” on the tail) for ascending or descending, and the Rudder for ensuring that the aircraft is in “coordinated” flight. In addition, most aircraft have Flaps on the wings which increase lift and/or drag for taking off or landing.
- And finally landing: From what I understand. The pilot needs to call the radio tower, to announce its landing. Get close to the round, and release the landing gear. Touchdown the runway and lowering the power to stop the aircraft. And that’s about it.
I know today’s article was longer than usual, but If you got here, I appreciate you reading this article. Hope you’ll have a swell time flying around Los Santos and Blaine County. Don’t forget to check the other articles we have on GTA V, many of them could answer some questions you have about the game. As always, Stay hydrated, keep being awesome and I’ll see you guys soon! I wish y’all one amazing Evening, Night, Morning, or Afternoon. Have fun!
