How to practice with heliocopters and jets in Battlefield 6
Flying helicopters and jets is one of the great joys of the Battlefield series, and it’s back with a vengeance in Battlefield 6. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. You’ll need lots of practice to be anywhere approaching good, but there are more ways than ever to practice piloting helicopters and jets in BF6.
## How to Practice Flying a Helicopter or Jet in Battlefield 6
There are two main ways to practice with helicopters and jets in BF6. However, I only recommend one of them if you want to maximize your learning time.
### Play in a Dedicated Air Vehicle Practice Server
The overhauled Portal system in Battlefield 6 allows for immense server customization, letting you create or join servers dedicated to practicing with air vehicles. As of launch day, there are several dozen of these servers to choose from, but keep the following in mind:
– Join a server with a low play count to ensure you can actually get into the jet or helicopter.
– The server needs to be on a map that features jets and/or helicopters.
– The server should be properly configured. Ideally, choose a 64-player server with only one or two human players. If the server is set up correctly, the rest of the match will backfill with bots.
From there, it’s just a matter of picking your class and the vehicle you want to practice. The server should also have fast vehicle respawn active, if available. This means that even if you crash your jet into the side of a mountain (which happens easily), you can get right back in and keep practicing without long wait times.
### Pilot Jets and Helicopters in an Actual Match
I do **not** recommend this route if you’ve never flown a vehicle before. You will likely end up as burning scrap on the ground, and probably frustrate a few teammates in the process.
That said, if you have a teammate experienced in piloting, you can take the pilot seat while they guide you from the gunner seat (in a helicopter). This method can help you learn faster, although keep in mind that a beginner pilot can still be a liability.
One exception to this advice is flare usage. Learning when to deploy flares to evade lock-on missiles can only be properly practiced in a live environment. Enemy Engineers often equip lock-on launchers and will make it their mission to take you out of the sky, so mastering flare timing is crucial for survival.
## How to Learn to Fly Helicopters and Jets
Before jumping into practice, make sure you read the keybinds and controls associated with flying. Knowing what buttons do what is your first step to mastering any vehicle.
### Start with the Basics
Begin by learning to ascend and descend while holding the vehicle steady.
– **Helicopters:** You can move vertically by pressing Space (on PC) or the bumpers/R1 and L1 (on consoles). To move forward, you’ll need to pitch the helicopter forward to gain momentum.
– **Jets:** To ascend, raise the nose using the right stick; lower it to descend.
Once comfortable with up and down movement, focus on moving left and right using WASD (PC) or the left stick (console). Spend several minutes just getting used to basic traversal controls.
Don’t be hard on yourself if you crash into terrain or the ground—you’re not alone! Crashing is part of the learning process, and even experienced pilots still do it occasionally.
### Master Pitching and Rolling
The final step is to add pitching and rolling to your repertoire—the ability to rotate your vehicle on its axes. These maneuvers will feel awkward at first but are essential for evasion and dogfighting.
Don’t neglect practicing these controls, as they will significantly improve your survivability and effectiveness in combat.
### Practice in Live Matches for Flare Timing and Experience
While practice servers are great for mastering flight basics, you also need live match experience to work out those final jitters and learn when to use flares against real opponents.
Although practice servers with bots might occasionally shoot locked rockets at you, expect to need much more experience to handle the pressure of a full team of human players.
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Flying in Battlefield 6 is a rewarding but challenging skill. Use dedicated practice servers to build your foundation, then bring your skills to live matches to refine your abilities and become a formidable pilot in the battlefield skies. Happy flying!
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146330/how-to-practice-with-heliocopters-and-jets-in-battlefield-6
