WARDOGS helicopter controls: how to fly, best settings and pilot tips

Flying is one of the most rewarding roles in WARDOGS, and one of the most expensive. A crash can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This guide explains the controls, sensible starter settings and how to avoid the usual mistakes. The key bindings come from matching community overviews, because BULKHEAD does not publish an official key list. Check them under Settings > Controls, as bindings can change with patches. As of 1 November 2026.

Default keyboard controls

Several community guides agree on these default helicopter bindings:

• Collective up and down, i.e. climb and descend: Left Shift and Ctrl.
• Nose down and up: W and S.
• Roll left and right: A and D.
• Yaw, i.e. turning around the vertical axis: Q and E.
• Flares: V.
• Free look: Alt.
• Lock vehicle: L.

The collective controls lift. Without enough collective, the helicopter sinks no matter where the nose points. Many beginners confuse it with a throttle.

Battlefield-style mouse flying

Most experienced pilots fly with the mouse. The controls settings have an option called Rotary Vehicle Mouse Control for this. With it enabled, you steer the nose with the mouse, and pitch and roll follow the mouse movement. A commonly recommended setup:

• Enable Rotary Vehicle Mouse Control and set vertical mouse movement to pitch.
• Put the collective on W and S and yaw on A and D.
• Clear the keyboard bindings for pitch and roll so they do not fight the mouse.
• Leave the option to enable free look by default switched off. Active free look can block mouse flight.
• Start with a medium mouse sensitivity and change one value at a time.

Officially, the Season 1 changelog confirms that helicopter input damping applies to every input device. Controllers, joysticks and HOTAS can be bound as well. According to the Steam FAQ, controller support is still limited in Early Access; Season 2 added an aim assist slider and new controller bindings, among other things.

Your first flights: take off, hover, land

• Practise without pressure. A flight away from the zone is less stressful than a mission with passengers.
• Climb first, tilt second. Gain height with the collective before pitching the nose. Pitching hard close to the ground costs lift and ends in a crash.
• Small inputs. Helicopters respond with a delay. Short, small corrections beat full deflections.
• Turn with roll. At speed, yaw turns very little; the turn comes mainly from rolling.
• Land slowly. Bleed off speed early, raise the nose slightly and touch down with a low sink rate on flat ground.

Unlocking Pilot gear and what it costs

Helicopters belong to the Pilot track. With Season 2, BULKHEAD moved some levels and prices:

• The armed Little Bird AH-6M now arrives at Pilot level 8 instead of 4 and costs 125,000 instead of 50,000 dollars to unlock. At the vendor it costs 12,000 dollars, the rocket version AH-6R 18,800 dollars.
• The armed Z20 Lakota costs 85,000 dollars to unlock and 15,000 dollars at the vendor.
• The Havoc costs 650,000 dollars to unlock and 28,000 dollars per purchase.

You can also find current prices in the Fieldkit weapon and vehicle catalog. Our roles guide explains how the Pilot track compares with the other roles.

Spotting and avoiding air defence

Since Season 2 there is more danger from air defence:

• The Flakpanzer Gepard is a new anti-air vehicle.
• Buildables such as the Talon 9K-SAM and Vanguard CIWS protect bases. According to the 2 October hotfix, the CIWS destroys a Havoc in around six seconds.
• Infantry carry man-portable air defence such as the 9K333 Verba.

Fly low and use terrain as cover rather than crossing high above a known base. Do not fire flares too early; use them when you spot a threat. Since Season 2, cockpit glass works both ways: shooting out through your own canopy damages the helicopter just like incoming fire.

Passengers and parachutes

With Season 2, parachutes open later and not at all below roughly ten metres. If you drop passengers, keep enough height or land. The Basic Parachute now costs 500 dollars. BULKHEAD's patch notes advise, with a wink, only getting in with pilots you trust.

FAQ

How do you fly a helicopter with the mouse in WARDOGS?

Enable Rotary Vehicle Mouse Control in the controls settings and set vertical mouse movement to pitch. Clear the keyboard bindings for pitch and roll so mouse and keys do not interfere.

Why does my helicopter sink when I fly forward?

Lift comes from the collective. If you pitch the nose down hard without adding collective, you lose height. Climb first, then tilt carefully.

What level do I need to fly helicopters?

Helicopters are on the Pilot track. Since Season 2, the armed Little Bird is available from Pilot level 8. The game shows the exact levels for every model at the vendor and on the progression screen.

Can I fly with a controller or joystick?

Yes, bindings are possible and input damping applies to all devices. According to the studio, controller support is still limited in Early Access.

Further reading

Our settings guide covers general graphics and control options. If keys such as zoom or ladder stop responding, see our troubleshooting article on broken key bindings. The weather guide explains how rain affects spotting targets.