how to fly planes in GTA3

[TRDcavalier__O]

Dodo Flying FAQ.

Posted by MrIQ ([email protected]) E-mail me if you have suggestions or
questions not specifically found in this FAQ.

The most frequent question asked on the Grand Theft Auto 3 message boards is
“How do I fly the Dodo?” Well look no farther for this tells you how to do so!



Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Locations of the Dodo
3. Before You Start Flying
4. Take-off
5. Stability
6. Turning
7. Gaining Altitude
8. Do’s and Don’ts of Flying
9. Landing the Dodo
10. Having Fun With The Dodo
11. False Rumors
12. Trouble Shooting
13. Outro
14. Legal Stuff




[ 1. Introduction. ]

Hello there! So, you can’t seem to be able to fly the clipped-wing plane,
the Dodo, much longer for 10 seconds, can you? Well, your days of flying
straight into the ocean are gone! This FAQ will tell you how you too can fly
the Dodo just like the experts! Once you learn to fly the Dodo, you will spend
countless hours up in the air exploring the GTA3 world from a whole new
perspective. Feel free to print this FAQ out and use it for your private use
only. Good Luck and Happy Flying!




[ 2. Locations of the Dodo. ]

Well, first off, to fly the Dodo, you have to find the Dodo. The Dodo can
be found in three different parts of Francis International Airport in Shoreside
Vale. The first location is just past the toll booth of the entrance to the
airport. Follow the road and take the first right. Go to the third hangar on
the right. There is a Dodo in the middle of the hangar. To find the second
location, take the same route as the first location but instead of turning into
the hangar, continue on down the road. The road will curve to left and then to
the right. Take a left just past the jet on your left and you will see the Dodo
right in front of you. To find the third location of the Dodo, take the same
route to the second location but do not follow the road around the curve to the
right. Instead, go past the yellow and white ramps on the left and take a left.
You will now be on a road that runs parallel to the runway. Follow this road
until you see two hangars on the left, one will have a jet in it, the second
one will have the Dodo in a corner.

You can also get a Dodo at the Export/Import Garage in Portland if you
have already collected all the necessary vehicles.




[ 3. Before You Start Flying. ]

This section tells you some quick things to do before you start flying;
this will make flying easier and more enjoyable.
(a.) Turn off the radio - This is the first thing I do once I get in the
Dodo is turn off the radio. This makes concentration easier and allows you to
hear key elements in taking off (covered later in FAQ).
(b.) Find a suitable view - Whatever view you use while you are driving, I
recommend you use for flying. The only one you cannot use during take off is
the first-person view. You must be able to see the entire plane while taking
off.
(c.) Decide which control you want to use (Analog Stick or the D-pad) -
This doesn’t really matter, I use the D-pad, but you may feel more comfortable
using the Analog Stick.




[ 4. Take-off. ]

********************************************NOTE** **************************************
When I give directions to press, I will be talking about using the D-pad.
The controls on the Analog Stick for latitude (up and down) are opposite the
D-pad. So if I say press down, you would press up on the Analog Stick. Right
and left directions are the same for both.
********************************************NOTE** **************************************

There are two main places to take off from the airport. There is the
runway that the 747s use and the one that no plane uses. I personally like to
use the one the 747s use as the other runway is more difficult to take off from
due to the wind directions. Don’t worry about crashing into the other planes as
they take-off/land as you will go straight through them. Follow these steps for
easy take-off:
(a.) Face the Dodo towards Staunton Island. Hold R1 so that the engine
will be revved up and ready to go.
(b.) When you’re ready, release R1 and immediately hold down. The Dodo
will gradually gain speed.
(c.) As you are gaining speed, there will be two key signals that tell you
that the Dodo is ready to fly. You will see sparks coming from the bottom of
the Dodo and you will hear it scraping the ground. Whenever you see or hear
this, quit pressing down. DO NOT PRESS UP.
(d.) As soon as you release down hold L2 or R2 so that you get the side
view. Continuously TAP down so that you are level with the ground (or ocean.)
DO NOT HOLD DOWN, for this will cause you to do a nose-dive straight into the
ground. Not too much fun.
You should now be flying relatively parallel to the earth heading for
Staunton Island.




[ 5. Stability.]

Now that you are able to take off, you must now learn how to keep it
up.... so to speak. You will never press up, again you will NEVER press up
while stabilizing. Doing so will cause you to shoot up in the air and stall
out. Also, you must continually press X while flying. Not doing so will cause
you to lose altitude and crash. If you are going to be flying for a long period
of time then you should rest your thumbs at the loading screens between cities.
(a.) If the Dodo starts to go down, let it do so. It will eventually catch
the draft again and start to rise. When it does so, press down continuously to
get it leveled again with the earth.
(b.) If you not losing altitude but the Dodo is shaking, then it is
because of the winds. LIGHTLY TAP either right or left, and this will get the
wings parallel with the earth.
One of the most important facts that I cannot stress enough is DO NOT
PANIC. It may seem that the Dodo is going to fly straight into the ground, but
it will not if you stabilize it right. Calmly wait for it to descend and then
it will rise again. Calmly tap down and get it level with the ground, then you
will be fine.




[ 6. Turning.]

Now that you’re in the air, you’re flying level, you suddenly face a new
problem..... a building. Granted, that the clipped wings of the Dodo makes
turning extremely difficult, it still can be done. There are some basic rules
you should always follow while turning:
(a.) Do not hold right or left, simply TAP - If you do hold right or left,
you could end up spinning out of control. Only once you mastered turning is
when you can hold right or left. I wouldn’t even call it holding, more like a
long tap.
(b.) Correct the oversteer - If you are turning but you have turned the
Dodo too much, you must correct this with the opposite direction you just
pressed. For example, if you wanted to turn left, and the Dodo turns left too
far, then you must tap right to get it flying straight again.
(c.) Know your turns - In order to turn successfully without crashing, you
must give yourself enough time to turn. Trying to turn the Dodo too quickly
will make you crash. Make sure you know where you want to go and any obstacles
that could hinder your flying.
Turning is not difficult once you get use to it. Just always remember to
TAP and never hold.




[ 7. Gaining Altitude. ]

Now that you have all the basics of Dodo flying down, you will want to be
able to fly higher so that you can explore. You should only try the techniques
in this section if you have mastered the ones above. Trying to do this too
early in your Dodo flying lessons can cause you to crash. I have divided this
section up into two different parts. The easy way to gain altitude and the more
difficult way to gain altitude.

EASY WAY:
The easiest way to gain altitude is to fly around the coast of the
islands. As you are flying, the Dodo will constantly be gaining altitude on
it’s own. Let the Dodo gain altitude for a couple of seconds and then tap down
to level it out. It will eventually fly at its highest; this is where you can
not worry about losing altitude during turning. This height is roughly the same
height as the top of the Callahan Bridge.

DIFFICULT WAY:
The more difficult way of gaining altitude is what I call IAG (Immediate
Altitude Gain.) This way comes into play when you have to gain enough altitude
in order to avoid a building or other tall structure. In order to do this you
must do a two-second up tap. The Dodo’s nose will fly up into the air and will
gain altitude immediately. You cannot let the Dodo gain too much altitude for
too long of a time. You should not let the Dodo gain altitude for more than two
seconds consecutively. As soon as these two seconds are up, press down to level
the Dodo. This technique can only be used to gain about 30 feet instantly. If
you try to gain more than the Dodo is capable of doing, you WILL stall out.
When you stall out, you will lose all the altitude you had gained and you will
lose about 30 more feet from your original altitude.




[ 8. Do’s and Don’t of Flying. ]

DO’S:
(a.) Hold down during take-off.
(b.) TAP down to correct altitude.
(c.) TAP right or left to turn.
(d.) Have fun.

DONT’S:
(a.) NEVER press up, except when landing and performing IAG.
(b.) NEVER hold anything.
(c.) Turn too quickly.
(d.) Release the gas.
(d.) DO NOT FLY OVER UNIQUE JUMPS. Doing so will cause you to crash and you’ll
have to start over.
(e.) DO NOT FLY OFF THE EDGE OF THE MAP. Doing so will crash your game, and you
will have to reset.
(f.) Panic.




[ 9. Landing the Dodo. ]

Believe it or not, landing the Dodo the proper way is harder to do than
take-off! This will require immense practice to perfect and is only recommended
to veteran Dodo fliers. The best place to practice is at the runways at Francis
International Airport. Take off from the same runway that you always take-off
from, and make an immediate right turn as soon as you stabilize the Dodo. Turn
the Dodo completely around so that you are facing the shorter runway that you
did not take off from. Follow these steps:
(a.) Let go of the gas. This slows you down and you’ll need your right
thumb later on.
(b.) Make sure the Dodo is level after turning. If the Dodo is shaking to
the right and left, it makes landing extremely difficult.
(c.) Hold up until the Dodo’s nose is at least at a 45 degree angle
between it and the level of the ground.
(d.) The Dodo will slowly begin to descend, but DO NOT LET THE NOSE GO
BELOW 45 DEGREES. Tap and hold up as you need to.
(e.) The Dodo’s back wheels will eventually touch down. Hold R1 and square
to come to a complete stop.
This will take a few times to perfect. Don’t get discouraged if it seems
impossible to do at first, it took me about half an hour to get right.



[ 10. Having Fun With The Dodo. ]

Now that you are able to fly the Dodo for longer than 10 seconds, you are
now able to explore the massive Liberty City. There are several things to
discover in the city. Try some of these things for starters:
(a.) Try to see what is on top of Kenji’s casino. (Not the one with the
helicopter, the other building)
(b.) Fly over the stadium in Staunton Island.
(c.) Try to land on the boat and on the light house in Portland.
(d.) Try to fly over the dam in Shoreside Vale.
(e.) Try to fly up to the Observatory.
(f.) Fly around the outskirts of the islands to see how long you can fly.
Flying around the island will let you escape the unique jumps.
Of course, these are very few things you can do with the Dodo. If you see
some place you want to explore further, but you cannot get there in regular
ways, then fly the Dodo there. Have fun!




[ 11. False Rumors. ]

One of the most common rumors deals with the full-winged Dodo. It’s the
red plane that you can see, and destroy, flying around the city. THERE IS NO
WAY TO FLY THE FULL-WINGED DODO. Do not e-mail me asking me how to get it for I
will ignore you.
Also, there is no way to fly the helicopters, 747s, or any other air
vehicle in the game. Again, do not e-mail me asking how to do so for I will
ignore you.
You do not get anything for flying the Dodo a certain amount of time, just
the satisfaction of doing something that few can do.
You cannot fly to Disneyland and kill Mickey Mouse.
Darkel is not the pilot of the full-winged Dodo. No one pilots it.
The Maibatsu Monstrosity is not in the Observatory, on top of Donald
Love’s building, or in any sea cave. It’s not in the game, period.



[ 12. Trouble Shooing. ]

QUESTION: “The Dodo is still losing altitude but I do everything in your
FAQ. What am I doing wrong?”
ANSWER: You may be waiting too long to level out. As soon as you take-off
you must begin to tap down. Waiting will cause you to gain too much altitude
too fast and you will stall out.

Q: “I’m leveling out as soon as I take off but I am still losing altitude.
What am I doing wrong?”
A: You may be trying to take-off too soon. You have to take-off when you
see sparks coming from the bottom of the Dodo or when you hear it scraping the
ground. If try to take-off at any other time, you might not have enough speed
to maintain altitude.

Q: “Do I hold the gas or do I tap it like the other controls?”
A: You hold the gas. You must always hold it. Not doing so could cause the
Dodo to go out of control.

Q: “How do I gain enough altitude to fly over all the buildings?”
A: You cannot get enough altitude to fly over all the buildings. You can
only get enough to fly over average-sized buildings.




[ 13. Outro. ]

Thanks for reading this FAQ! I hope this has helped you to learn to fly
the Dodo. If you are still uncertain about something, then e-mail me
([email protected] ) and I will try to help you. If anybody has a better
technique for anything, than e-mail me and if I like it, I’ll put it in the FAQ
and give you full credit. Happy Flying!




[ 14. Legal Stuff. ]

This guide is copyrighted 2002 and sole property of Chris Boone, the
author of this guide. This guide shall not be used in whole or in part without
written approval by the author. Any violations of this shall be, and will be,
acted upon. This guide shall not be used for profitable accounts for any
reason. This guide may be used for private and personal use only.
The websites that have my permission to use this FAQ are:

www.gamefaqs.com
www.gta3.com
www.neoseeker.com
www.psxcodez.com
www.grandtheftauto3.cjb.net
www.ps2fantasy.com

So if you see it somewhere else, please inform me right away. Basically,
if you want to put this FAQ up on your site, then just get my permission and
give me FULL CREDIT. That’s all I have to say.

[Moppie]

I think you posted this in the wrong forum


why don't you go and post in the completly off topic forum where there is a thread on this.

[DVSNCYNIKL]

Moppie, I just moved this into the games forums and re-opened it.

[MaximusGTR]

Call me a dodo, but after all that I still can't fly the dam thing

[kris]

Originally posted by MaximusGTR
Call me a dodo, but after all that I still can't fly the dam thing

Ditto here.

[-The Stig-]

I dont see how this is off-topic... it is under the other Games section...



Or am I missing something?

[sarujin]

Okay I'm not sure if you guys who can't fly are using a ps2 or pc, but i use a ps2.

The simplist trick is stop the dodo pointing down a runway. Hold down R1 (handbrake), and push X (accerlate), let the propeller get up to speed, and release the handbrake.

Don't touch anything but hold down the accerlater, don't touch the control stick at all. By the end of the runway you should be flying about 2cm off the ground. If you want to get altitude push the stick up, so the dodo points its nose down (do this very slightly or you'll drop into the water).

If you want to get more altitude taking off from the runaway push the stick up, as you are taking off.

Then when you are in the air turn very lightly, and don't turn too sharp.

In no time you'll be a pro.

sarujin

[kris]

I got it figured out.

[kris]

Originally posted by RedNeck383
I dont see how this is off-topic... it is under the other Games section...



Or am I missing something?

It was in OT, but then moved to here.

[dolla_bill0913]

It doesnt fly it glides, the higher the place u take off from the farther u can go.

[Ran]

wow thats a long list.

[MaximusGTR]

Doesn't matter now, I play vice city now I just bought the film studio and I know theres a plane mission here that I haven't reached yet, so if you will, you can tell me how to fly that.

[dolla_bill0913]

If you like flying, in vice city collect all 100 hidden packages go to the army base and take a ride in the army copper.

[MaximusGTR]

I passed the game with only like 32 pakages!!!

[GreatOne01]

Thanks for the guide.