There are a multitude of racing options in Grand Theft Auto Online. You can race on land, in the water, and even in the air. In fact, there are even two different types of air races, a helicopter race and an airplane race. But racing in the air is not as simple as driving a car, so let’s take a look at some tips to help you win those airplane races against rival crews.
First and foremost, know the route you’re flying. The landscape or… airscape if you will… is the primary determining factor in the selection of your airplane. For example, the downtown run is littered with builds, skyscrapers, and other obstacles that will require sharp turns and quite a bit of agility. The Mallard would be the plane of choice in this scenario. It turns on a dime and brakes well, making it ideal for flying between the skyline of downtown Los Santos.
Once you’ve decided on a plane, there’s one BIG difference between racing a car on land, and racing an airplane. If you bump a little bit during a street race, you might spin out, but you can get back on the road relatively fast. If you bump into another plane, that won’t be the case. At best, your plane could be damaged and fly much slower. If this happens, it’s best to just crash and get a fresh plane as quickly as possible. In the worst case, you’ll collide with another plane, or a building, and simply explode. This will respawn you into a new plane, in roughly the same spot your crashed.
