Battlefield 2042 Helicopter Controls – How to Fly

The Battlefield 2042 Beta is hot on the streets these days and it’s due in part to a complete revamp in its classically strategic and methodical gameplay with something that feels more arcade-like. This isn’t a bad thing though as some exciting additions like storms appearing in the middle of maps and gigantic tornados violently throwing both environment and players around create an atmosphere, unlike anything we’ve seen before in the series. The massive maps also allow vehicles to return to the action and they appear to be more valuable than ever. One of the vehicles that have caused some issues early on though is the helicopter and trying to pilot this thing is pretty tough when you consider how obscure the control scheme is. Here is everything you need to know about helicopter controls in Battlefield 2042 Beta.

How to Fly a helicopter in Battlefield 2042

Flying a helicopter is a tough thing in real life, so in the game, it seems to reflect this just the same. Pressing forward will make the helicopter go up, aka accelerate. left and right controls make you turn accordingly. If you want to move forward, move your joystick or mouse down and the tail will tilt up, causing you to move forward. Inverted controls will reverse those up and down mechanics, but they remain largely the same.

You can fly in both third and first-person, though the third-person view is far easier to figure out where your vehicle is in relation to buildings and other hazards.

The other thing to think about with the Battlefield 2042 Beta helicopter is the momentum at play. What this means is if you are moving forward and suddenly stop aiming down, then you won’t just suddenly stop, but rather slowly continue forward. This goes the same for turning too. There are also barrel rolls available for the helicopter and in order to perform it, you have to build the momentum in that particular direction before executing it. To perform a barrel roll, hold the direction you want to roll in while pressing the barrel roll button you’ve mapped and you should start the maneuver.

Helicopters are not just for travel in Battlefield 2042. You can also use multiple weapons on the helicopter as well. You have your standard machine gun that will tear about enemies on the ground, and you also have rockets that can take out enemy vehicles. One thing to consider here is the bullet drop for the machine gun as you have to calculate how far you are from the target and adjust your position accordingly.

The Battlefield 2042 Beta is live now and available through the weekend, so get in while you can to experience what might be the best first FPS multiplayer of the fall gaming season.

Battlefield 2042 Beta is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.