How to fly aircrafts in GTA 5 PC (2025)

Driving cars or boats in GTA 5 is relatively straightforward, but flying aircrafts is a whole different challenge—especially when navigating the cockpit’s quirks with just a mouse and keyboard.

Several high-paying GTA 5 missions require you to fly an aircraft. While you may find flying a tedious experience because of complicated controls, don’t worry—our guide is all you need to become a pro with helicopters and planes in GTA 5 on PC.

Aircraft key binds in GTA 5 PC, explained

You can fly all aircrafts in GTA 5—helicopters or planes—using the same keybinds:

1. Go near the aircraft and press F to get inside.
2. W makes it Ascend/Go Up.
3. S makes it Descend/Go Down.
4. A and D make it turn right or left.
5. To move, use the num keypad: 8 to pitch forward, 5 to pitch backward, 4 to roll left, and 6 to roll right. 
6. For a plane, use the 5 key to take off while accelerating. For a helicopter, use the 8 key to move forward and then hold the W key to maintain altitude.

Whether it’s a helicopter, duster, jet, or even the mighty Avenger, all you need are these key binds to reach your destination. But while the controls are similar, not all aircrafts available in Los Santos offer the same experience.

How to easily fly a helicopter in GTA 5 PC

The helicopter is one of the most annoying aircrafts to fly in GTA 5 PC, so you’re likely looking for additional tips to learn how to control it. Well, I find it easier to use the mouse buttons to pitch and yaw an aircraft in this game. To do this, you need to use the option called “Override Aircraft Mouse Control (Hold)” in the Aircraft section under Settings > Key Bindings. 

To enable mouse controls for a helicopter or any other aircraft, simply hold this key down. Override Aircraft Mouse Control (Hold) is bound to the left mouse button by default. If you don’t want to hold it down and instead set to toggle, find the “Default Mouse Flying Control” under Settings > Keyboard / Mouse and set it to Vehicle.

If you don’t have access to a controller or a full-sized keyboard, I’d always recommend switching to mouse controls for a Helicopter, Duster, or other planes. For a helicopter in GTA 5, follow these steps to control it with a mouse:

1. Hold or toggle the Override Aircraft Mouse Control key. Now, move the mouse straight up to pitch forward. At the same time, hold down the W key, and this will make your heli move forward without losing altitude. Move your mouse up or down to continue pitching.
2. Use LMB or RMB to yaw left or right.

How to easily fly a plane in GTA 5 PC

Like the helicopter, you can use mouse controls to make flying a plane easier in GTA 5 PC. Just follow these steps:

1. Hold W to gather acceleration. Then, use the Override Aircraft Mouse Control key (hold or toggle) and pull your mouse down to take off.
2. Once you’re up in the air, move your mouse forward or back to maintain altitude and use LMB or RMB to yaw left or right.

They say practice makes a man perfect: It’s the same for flying aircrafts in GTA 5 PC, so keep the grind up.