GTA 5 Knife Flights: how to fly sideways between buildings and where all 15 are

Knife Flights count toward 100% completion of GTA 5 together with under the bridge flights. There is no separate reward for the flights themselves: they give progress and unlock Close Shave. The full list of achievements is on the GTA 5 achievements page.

1. Get a plane. You need a fixed-wing plane. A helicopter can't do a Knife Flight. The most convenient is the P-996 LAZER fighter jet from Fort Zancudo. How to take it, according to PowerPyx: drive through the base gate, get out next to a jet on the airfield and take off before the guards start shooting.
2. Prepare. If your Flying skill is weak, do Flight School: it teaches the Knife Flight and levels up the skill.
3. Save. Quick save before every attempt.
4. Line up on the target. Find a pair of buildings from the table below and line up in advance, flying straight at the gap between them.
5. Turn the plane on its side. Before the buildings, bank the plane so the wings are vertical, like a knife blade. A perfect 90° isn't needed; according to guides, a steep bank is enough. To keep the nose from dropping while on your side, PowerPyx suggests using the opposite rudder: right rudder when you are on your left side.
6. Fly between the buildings. If the flight counts, a message appears on screen. Even if the plane crashes right after the pass, it has already been counted.

• Only the 15 spots from the table below count. The order is up to you, and each flight only needs to be done once.
• According to GTABoss, most gaps can be flown in either direction, so approach from whichever side is easier.
• According to GTABoss, the Stats menu shows how many flights you have already done.

GTABoss counts 3 flights in Rockford Hills and 1 in West Vinewood, because it places the flight by Eclipse Towers in Rockford Hills. The total stays the same: 15.

The densest group is Pillbox Hill: five flights between the business towers, including the gap between the IAA and FIB Headquarters. If you only need 8 for 100%, this area gives you more than half.

Together the two collections give one achievement, Close Shave. So once you are at the controls, it makes sense to do the bridges too: the table of all 50 is on the GTA 5 under the bridge flights page.

The numbers on the map match the table below. The dots are placed by in-game coordinates, so the distances between them are true to the game. The four Pillbox Hill flights #6–9 run between neighbouring towers of one block, so the map shows them as a single dot marked "6–9".

Most flights are in the Pillbox Hill business district and in the west of the city: Vinewood, Rockford Hills, Del Perro. Check against the GTA 5 map.

Numbering follows Fandom; other guides use their own order. Sources name the area of flight #1 by Eclipse Towers differently: Fandom says West Vinewood, GTABoss says Rockford Hills. Some building names (Quik House, Vinewood Gardens, Galileo House and others) are given only by Fandom.

• Chain the flights. According to GTABoss, #12 and #13 in Del Perro can be done in one pass, and #1 by Eclipse Towers sits right next to #2. In Pillbox Hill, both PowerPyx and GTABoss describe chains of 2–3 flights in one pass; PowerPyx starts such a chain at the IAA–FIB gap (our #5). The guides name the buildings differently, so we don't give exact pairs for our #6–9.
• Lower the landing gear if the LAZER feels too fast. PowerPyx suggests flying with the gear down: the drag lowers your speed and gives you more time to react. On narrow gaps, retract it.
• A quick save also repairs the plane. According to PowerPyx, if the jet is badly damaged, save and reload right away: after loading it is in one piece again.
• Start with the easy ones. 8 are enough for 100%: take the wide gaps first and leave the narrow ones (like #11 along the street in Rockford Hills) for later.

Other planes and helicopters are on the GTA 5 vehicles page.

Other story collections: spaceship parts, letter scraps, stunt jumps and peyote. The full list is on the GTA 5 collectibles page.