"A race car?" the instructor scoffed, walking out of the shack. "You are doing the flying lesson in a car ? You have lost your mind, Carl."
: According to the IGN Flight School Guide , keeping the accelerator pinned without letting go ensures you maintain optimal speed, making a gold medal much easier to achieve. Barrel Roll
The goal is to climb through three rings. Accelerate fully, pull back gently until you are off the ground, and . Once you pass the third ring, the mission ends instantly. Don't worry about landing yet. Circle Airstrip and Land
Helicopters require a completely different mindset. The throttle lifts you straight up; you don't need to build speed. To turn 180 degrees in the "Takeoff" test, simply hold L2 or R2 until you've rotated. For the "Land Helicopter" test, the game automatically tilts you forward; your job is to auto-level by letting go of the stick, and then gently tilt backward to slow down before landing on the marker.
When you jump, don't open the chute immediately. Use your body to steer toward the red marker.
Good news: The helicopter trials are actually easier than the plane trials. The bad news: The game lies to you about the controls.
Before you start the mission, run through this:
So, after all that, what's your reward? You don't just get to advance the story. Completing "Learning to Fly" unlocks a ton of content:
: Do not fly while shooting. Instead, hover completely still at a distance and use your rudders to aim. Fire your rockets continuously at the stationary trucks. For the moving cars, switch to the machine gun and track them smoothly from a stationary hover. 8. Loop-the-Loop Goal : Perform a complete vertical stunt loop.
Plane controls are extremely sensitive. Don't slam the analog stick; use small "flicks" or "taps" to nudge the plane into position.