Free flying games on Android fall into flight simulators, where you take off and land real-looking aircraft, and combat games, where you fly jets in dogfights or arcade shooters. There's also an airline manager for players who'd rather run the airport. All ten are free to install from Google Play.
Most of us will never sit in a cockpit, but a phone gets you surprisingly close. Tilt, tap and you're climbing over a city, or skimming the sea in a fighter.
For this list I read each game's Google Play listing and noted the developer, the install count, the content rating, the ads and in-app purchases labels, and any wording about offline play or needing the internet. They're in no special order.
The mix leans towards combat, because that's what most flying games on the store are. If you want peaceful flights, look at the simulators.
Flying games side by side
| Game | Developer | Google Play installs | Ads / in-app purchases | Offline wording on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 Air Force: Plane Shooter | 1SOFT | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'Online and offline gameplay' |
| Flight Pilot: 3D Simulator | Wildlife Studios | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Epic Plane Evolution | VOODOO | 50M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Sky Warriors: Airplane Games | Wildlife Studios | 50M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Metalstorm: Modern Air Combat | Starform, Inc | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| HAWK: Airplane Space games | KEYSTORM HOLDINGS LTD | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| War Drone: 3D Shooting Games | Mobile Gaming Studios Ltd. | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | Listing says 'Internet connection required to play' |
| Airline Manager - 2027 | Xombat Development - Airline manager games | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Airplane Flight Simulator EVO | Ovidiu Pop | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Wings of Heroes: Flying Games | RORTOS | 5M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
Ten ways to get airborne
1945 Air Force: Plane Shooter
A classic arcade shooter where you fly warplanes through waves of enemies. Its listing says it plays both online and offline, so it's a handy one for journeys.
Flight Pilot: 3D Simulator
A 3D simulator with planes from single-engine props to supersonic jets and airliners, plus missions like emergencies and rescues.
Epic Plane Evolution
Launch your plane, see how far it goes, then upgrade it and try again. It shows no Contains ads label, though it has in-app purchases.
Sky Warriors: Airplane Games
Fighter jet combat from Wildlife Studios, the same developer as Flight Pilot. It's rated Everyone 10+ and shows no Contains ads label.
Metalstorm: Modern Air Combat
An online competitive jet shooter with real-time multiplayer battles against real players, where skill and team coordination decide matches.
HAWK: Airplane Space games
A co-op arcade shooter its listing pitches at old-school fans, where you team up with friends as a squadron.
War Drone: 3D Shooting Games
You command military drones and a gunship in aerial combat missions. Its listing notes that an internet connection's required.
Airline Manager - 2027
The odd one out: you don't fly at all, you run an airline, building a fleet and planning routes as its boss.
Airplane Flight Simulator EVO
Pilot airliners across an open world map with what its listing calls realistic airplanes and flight controls.
Wings of Heroes: Flying Games
Fast airplane action mixing flight simulation with large-scale war combat, from RORTOS.
Simulators or dogfights?
Flight Pilot and Airplane Flight Simulator EVO are about the flying itself: taking off, landing and handling the aircraft. They're slower and suit players who like realism.
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1945 Air Force, Sky Warriors, Metalstorm, HAWK and Wings of Heroes are combat games. They're faster and louder, and half of them are rated Everyone 10+.
Online-only flights
War Drone's listing says an internet connection's required, and Metalstorm is built around live matches against real players. Leave both for home Wi-Fi.
1945 Air Force is the one listing here that says it plays offline as well as online, which makes it the safest bet for a plane journey.
Notes for parents
- Ratings: six of the ten are rated Everyone 10+; the simulators and the tycoon game are rated Everyone.
- Ads: Epic Plane Evolution, Sky Warriors, Metalstorm and Airline Manager show no Contains ads label.
- In-app purchases: every game here has them, so turn on approval for in-app purchases.
- Online play: multiplayer games mean playing with strangers.
Five tips for smoother landings
- Start with the tutorial, even if you're tempted to skip it.
- Lower the sensitivity of tilt controls if the plane feels twitchy.
- Practise take-off and landing before long flights.
- Play in short sessions, as simulators drain batteries quickly.
- Try both tilt and touch controls to see which suits you.
More games for the journey
If you'll be playing on an actual plane, this list of free games to play on a plane without Wi-Fi is made for it.
Prefer driving to flying? These free offline car parking games for tablets are small and work without signal.
And for a wider spread of no-signal games, here are no-internet games to download free on Android and PC.
Clear skies
The right flying game depends on whether you want calm or chaos. Download one simulator and one combat game, and you'll know which you reach for on a dull afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Are these flying games free?
Yes. All ten are free to install from Google Play, though every one has in-app purchases.
Which flying game plays offline?
1945 Air Force's listing says it offers online and offline gameplay.
Does War Drone need the internet?
Yes. Its listing says an internet connection is required to play.
What's the most realistic flying game here?
Flight Pilot and Airplane Flight Simulator EVO are the simulators, focused on handling real-looking aircraft.
Is there a flying game without combat?
Flight Pilot, Airplane Flight Simulator EVO and Epic Plane Evolution don't centre on fighting, and Airline Manager has no flying at all.
Are flying games suitable for kids?
Four are rated Everyone and six are rated Everyone 10+ on Google Play.
