Up in the Air: Our Four Flying Games, From Paper Planes to Jet Fighters
Some days you want to land a plane gently on a runway. Other days you want to dodge a sky full of bullets. We have four flying games, and they could hardly be more different. Here is how they compare and where to start.
By Zaib · 20 October 2026
Flying is one of the oldest dreams in games, and it turns out there are many ways to do it on a phone. On Games by Zaib you can fold a paper plane and glide it through a classroom, take a small trainer through flight school, fly a cartoon fighter over the sea, or pilot a rocket with two cats on board.
We have played all four for our guides, and each one teaches something different. This round-up explains what each game is like, who it suits best and the one tip we wish we had known on our first try.
At a glance
| Game | Style | Controls | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Glide | Calm one-button glider | Hold to lift, let go to glide | Younger players and anyone who likes a relaxed challenge |
| Horizon Pilot | 3D flight game with real airports | Stick and throttle, with assisted controls | Patient players who like "real" planes |
| Skyfire Squadron | Cartoon airplane shooter | Drag to fly, guns fire automatically | Players who like fast arcade action |
| Meowstronauts | Side-scrolling space shooter with cats | Drag to fly, shots fire automatically | Shooter fans, and two players on one phone |
Sky Glide: one button and a paper plane
Sky Glide looks like a page from a school sketchbook. The first world is a classroom, with a chalkboard, a globe and giant pencils poking up from the floor and down from the ceiling. Your paper plane flies forward by itself. You hold anywhere to lift and let go to glide down. That is the whole control scheme, and there is no shooting at all.
The challenge is rhythm. On our first level we found that short taps beat long holds. Hold for about a quarter of a second, let go for a little longer and repeat, and the plane bobs along in a gentle wave. Long holds send it straight into the ceiling.
There are five worlds: Classroom, Sunny Park, City Rooftops, Stormy Skies and Outer Space. Each has four levels, and each level hides three stars, so there are 60 stars in all. Stormy Skies adds gusts and downdrafts. Outer Space has low gravity, so the plane floats. Passing close to an obstacle without touching it gives a near-miss bonus, and near misses in a row build a combo of up to x8.
Who it suits: younger players, and anyone who wants something calm. Starter tip: the Map Explorer plane, 600 coins in the Hangar, floats down extra slowly and gives you more time between taps.
Horizon Pilot: a real flight school
Horizon Pilot is the most realistic game on the site. It has a full 3D island with mountains, lakes, cities and seven airports, plus day, dusk, night and storms. The planes have flaps, landing gear and brakes. The controls are assisted, though: let go of the stick and the wings level by themselves, so a child can take off on the first try.
The career has 25 missions in six chapters, from Flight School in the little Sparrow trainer up to Jet Ace in the Viper fighter. The final mission, Ace Trial, asks you to take off, fly the rings, pull a loop and land back at Zaib International. Landing is the hardest skill. Line up early, lower the gear and flaps, reduce the throttle and follow the glide path dots.
On our first flight we spent too long on the runway and the climb, and the clock was already at 1:50 before we reached the first ring of a mission with a 2:00 par time. Starter tip: take off promptly and start steering toward the green ring early. One more thing worth knowing: the AUTO autopilot is handy for learning a route, but a mission flown with it can only earn two stars.
Who it suits: older children and grown-ups who like planes that behave like planes. There is also Free Flight, with 30 golden stars hidden around the island.
Skyfire Squadron: cartoon dogfights over the sea
Skyfire Squadron is our newest flying guide and the most action-packed. Your chubby little plane fires automatically while you drag anywhere to steer it through waves of enemy fighters. Ships and island guns sit on the water below. A BOMB button drops a bomb just ahead of you, and the MEGA button clears every enemy bullet from the screen in an emergency.
There are 32 missions across four stages: Sunny Seas, Palm Isles, Frosty Fjords and Thunder Night. Every stage has a mini-boss on mission 4 and a big boss on mission 8, ending with the Storm Baron. Each mission gives up to three stars: one for finishing, one for shooting down 70% of enemies and one for keeping half your health. Stars and coins unlock four more planes, from the Hornet to the Phoenix.
We will be honest: we have been shot down on every hand-played try at the very first mission so far, once with 38 of 59 enemies down. Starter tip: watch the red bullets, not the enemy planes. Your guns hit whatever is in front of you, so small sideways moves to stay out of the bullet streams matter more than chasing targets. Buy the Armor upgrade early for an extra point of health.
Who it suits: players who enjoy quick arcade action. Everything is cartoon style, with puffs of smoke and no people shown being hurt.
Meowstronauts: two cats in space
Meowstronauts is a sideways-scrolling space shooter starring Sunny the yellow cat and Shadow the black cat, who are trying to get home through six planets. You drag to fly and your shots fire by themselves. Each cat has a special power: Sunny's Sun Shield bounces bullets back, and Shadow's Shadow Cloak lets you fly through everything for a moment. A SWAP button switches cats at any time.
Each planet ends with a boss, from The Big Cheese on Moon Cheese to the Mouse Mothership on Purrth. Fish stars are the money of the game, and you keep them even when you lose, so every run makes you stronger. Easy mode adds an extra heart and slower enemy shots, which helps younger players.
The big extra is two players on one phone. Player 1 drags on the left half of the screen and Player 2 on the right, and both cats fly together. Starter tip: stay in the left-middle of the screen, where you have the most time to react, and only dart out for fish stars when the path is clear.
Which one should you try first?
- For a calm few minutes: Sky Glide. One button, no enemies, and the first world is gentle.
- For learning how planes really fly: Horizon Pilot. Start with Career mode and the First Flight mission.
- For a quick blast of action: Skyfire Squadron. The first missions last a little under a minute.
- For playing with a friend: Meowstronauts in 2 Players mode.
All four are free, run in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, and save your progress on your device. Each has a full guide on our Guides page, with controls, tips and screenshots from our own play.
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