Learning to fly

[diddums 3760]

Apologies for all the threads this week but as I'm learning more and getting better I'm needing to be able to broaden my abilities, which brings me neatly to flying.

First off, is the armory the best place to learn? Is there a way to get Chernarus into the armory?

What would you say is easier, heli or plane?

And if anyone has experience with a joystick, would you recommend it over m&kb? I've got a Cyborg FLY 5 and it'd be great if it works well with the game.

Cheers!

[TheDuriel 26]

joysticks are hard to set up but once you are used to it its great

also its incredible hard to land a plane without one

: P

i would say the hardest vehicles to fly in arma are the dual rotor choppers (dunna what they called)

planes are ofcourse easier

btw the armory is the wrong mode

open the editor and place vehicles (double klick choose vehicle then test map)

[GOD™ 2795]

Inception. can teach you :)

EDIT:

Edited April 9, 2013 by GOD™

[rustledmyjimmies 361]

Heli is easier than the plane. I learnt to fly in the boot camp mission first, and then went on to the editor etc

Edited April 9, 2013 by rustledmyjimmies

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

The best way to learn is by using the Arma tutorials. Just turn off DayZ in menu>expansions and then look through the tuts. It's the best way to learn most things to do with controls ect because you can learn at your lesiure and try different key-bindings ect. without people trying to shoot you in the face. Plus, Arma's a pretty good game too.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Fraggle

[Mos1ey 6301]

I'd take the tutorials first and then go and have some fun in the editor. Just dump a load of vehicles on an airstrip and take them for a spin. :)

Edited April 9, 2013 by mZLY

[Element47 2480]

for me, Chernarus Armory Challenges were great, especially the checkpoint races and the pickup&delivery missions. good practice.

EDIT: also, setting up an analogue stick is a must. i know people who are terrific pilots with keyboard only, but for me analogue control makes it so much better

Edited April 9, 2013 by e47

[herrjon 478]

More or less what others have said, go tutorial > armory > editor. It's how I learned, and I fly just fine with mouse and keyboard. I'd say helicopters overall are better, at least in DayZ, but I'd be careful if you ever hop in front seat of the russian lady, she goes where she pleases.

[diddums 3760]

Thanks for all the input. When I can stop playing this damn game long enough to actually focus on anything else, I'll be sure to follow the advice given and do it the proper way.

[Guest]

Go to arma 2 oa - singleplayer - editor and then double click on somewhere on the map, this is chernarus. Then look at the controls and screw around. I honestly learnt how to fly a plane on my first go.... it's not hard. The choppers are easy to learn but strafe runs are hard, I can give you some coaching if you need?

[applejaxc 2500]

Heli is overall easier than a plane.

I use keyboard only; I double tap alt so I don't accidentally flip out, UNLESS I'm combat flying and need quick/sharp turns.

The best way to learn is to uninstall the game, go into editor, and create as many different crazy-ass scenarios as you can, INCLUDING but not limited to:

• Parachuting onto hard-to-reach places
  
• Landing on small/tall buildings without wrecking
  
• Flying through areas full of AA and LMG gunners/nests
  
• Flying through Elektro full of NPCs with LMGs/AS50s/M107s
  
• Break-neck landings
  
• Landing in forests
  
• Hovering to eject instead of landing
  

[Guest]

Heli is overall easier than a plane.

I use keyboard only; I double tap alt so I don't accidentally flip out, UNLESS I'm combat flying and need quick/sharp turns.

The best way to learn is to uninstall the game, go into editor, and create as many different crazy-ass scenarios as you can, INCLUDING but not limited to:

• Parachuting onto hard-to-reach places
  
• Landing on small/tall buildings without wrecking
  
• Flying through areas full of AA and LMG gunners/nests
  
• Flying through Elektro full of NPCs with LMGs/AS50s/M107s
  
• Break-neck landings
  
• Landing in forests
  
• Hovering to eject instead of landing
  

Heli has a lot more to keep in balance where as a plane very much flies it self once in the air

[applejaxc 2500]

Heli has a lot more to keep in balance where as a plane very much flies it self once in the air

Planes also go uncontrollably fast, so if you don't have good hand/eye coordination, ping, and PC specs, you're boned. It's easier to hick up the landing of a plane than chopper.

[GOD™ 2795]

Heli is overall easier than a plane.

I use keyboard only; I double tap alt so I don't accidentally flip out, UNLESS I'm combat flying and need quick/sharp turns.

The best way to learn is to uninstall the game, go into editor, and create as many different crazy-ass scenarios as you can, INCLUDING but not limited to:

• Parachuting onto hard-to-reach places
  
• Landing on small/tall buildings without wrecking
  
• Flying through areas full of AA and LMG gunners/nests
  
• Flying through Elektro full of NPCs with LMGs/AS50s/M107s
  
• Break-neck landings
  
• Landing in forests
  
• Hovering to eject instead of landing
  

AND learn how to re-gain control when your tail rotor is broken and you start to spin.

[applejaxc 2500]

AND learn how to re-gain control when your tail rotor is broken and you start to spin.

I used to LOVE flying Chinooks and sh!t into Zargabad, taking on flak and AA fire. The 30 people in the back would all be screaming and calling me an asshole noob when we flipped over/upside down, but I'd recover last second and slide in safely.

We just didn't have a ride to get out with afterwards.

[Flaschenkind (DayZ) 34]

I definitely recommend flying with a joystick. I use a Thrustmaster Afterburner II but w/o the thrust control and its quite easy to land planes and helis w/o autohover.

I also made a video about the basics of flying a plane(AN-2). It's in german though, but maybe you'll find it useful anyways. Here you go:

Edited April 9, 2013 by Flaschenkind

[Saethkept 134]

Well ... you could auto hover around the map, but people would laugh at you (especially lifelong friends). Or, trial and error works good enough, but finding and repairing helicopters often enough to do this is tough. Couple of tips for helicopter flight:

- Stay in auto hover until you are fifty meters up.

- Aim nose slightly down (auto hover off) and hold 'Q' (to gain speed quickly)

- Generally, altitude = available speed and/or acceleration.

- To slow down without the auto hover roller coaster ride, nose up 'S'. This will cause you to gain some altitude.

- To speed up, nose down 'W' (you will loose altitude).

- I find it easier to fly in first person (gently tap the direction keys for smoother - less frightening movement)

- Make sure you use free look in while flying, which allows you to use the WASDQZ keys for direction and speed, and your mouse to look around.

- If you accidentally turn off the helicopter's engine while flying (don't panic) just hit 'Q'!

- Practice, practice and practice until you can fly treetop level at full speed, or follow a road a few meters above surface.

- Fly low and fast to avoid enemy fire. The higher up you are, the more time an enemy has to shoot at you.

That's about all I can think of.

Edited April 10, 2013 by Saethkept

[yepitsken 1]

I wanted to second this, the Arma Tutorials helped me decrease my Dayz helo crash rate from 100% down to about 10% and most of the time when I crash now, it's because I was trying to do something crazy, like getting a Huey to do a loop de loop.

The best way to learn is by using the Arma tutorials. Just turn off DayZ in menu>expansions and then look through the tuts. It's the best way to learn most things to do with controls ect because you can learn at your lesiure and try different key-bindings ect. without people trying to shoot you in the face. Plus, Arma's a pretty good game too.