Fastest Plane in GTA 5 Story Mode: The Complete Ranking

The fastest plane in GTA 5 story mode is the Hydra, the military VTOL fighter jet that tops out around 209 mph (337 km/h). It edges out the P-996 Lazer fighter jet (195 mph / 314 km/h) and the Besra light jet (189 mph / 305 km/h) for the top spot, with every other aircraft in single-player trailing well behind.

Essentials

• Fastest overall: Hydra - 209 mph / 337 km/h, VTOL fighter jet stationed at Fort Zancudo.
• Fastest fixed-wing fighter: P-996 Lazer - 195 mph / 314 km/h, also based at Fort Zancudo.
• Fastest without a 5-star wanted level: Besra - 189 mph / 305 km/h, found on the Merryweather freighter or Zancudo.
• Fastest civilian aircraft: Vestra - 164 mph / 264 km/h, a private jet parked at Los Santos International.
• Fastest free plane with a cheat code: Duster - 144 mph / 232 km/h, spawned instantly with a phone code.

What's the Fastest Plane in GTA 5 Story Mode?

Unlike GTA Online, single-player has no Benny's Original Motor Works, no HSW upgrades and no Arena War performance parts. Every plane in story mode runs its stock, out-of-the-box top speed, which makes the ranking far simpler than the GTA Online version. Military jets dominate the top of the list, civilian jets sit in the middle, and utility planes like crop dusters fill out the bottom.

The Hydra wins on paper thanks to its jet-fighter engine, but it is also a Harrier-style VTOL aircraft, so holding it in level flight at full throttle takes a steadier hand than a conventional jet. Many players find the P-996 Lazer easier to keep pinned at top speed in a straight line, which is why online forums still argue about which one "feels" faster. The stat sheet gives it to the Hydra, but if you just want the plane that is easiest to fly flat-out, the Lazer is the safer pick.

The Complete Ranking: Every Plane by Top Speed

Rank	Plane	Top speed	Type	Where to find it
1	Hydra	209 mph / 337 km/h	VTOL fighter jet	Fort Zancudo
2	P-996 Lazer	195 mph / 314 km/h	Fighter jet	Fort Zancudo
3	Besra	189 mph / 305 km/h	Light fighter jet	Merryweather freighter, Fort Zancudo
4	Vestra	164 mph / 264 km/h	Private jet	Los Santos International
5	Miljet	161 mph / 260 km/h	Private jet	Los Santos International
6	Duster	144 mph / 232 km/h	Crop duster	Grapeseed, Duster cheat code
7	Cuban 800	142 mph / 229 km/h	Seaplane	Los Santos, Paleto Bay coastline
8	Mallard	140 mph / 226 km/h	Twin-prop plane	Los Santos International, Sandy Shores
9	Velum	140 mph / 225 km/h	Twin-prop plane	Los Santos International, Sandy Shores
10	Titan	133 mph / 214 km/h	Cargo plane	Los Santos International cargo area

These are single-player-accessible aircraft only. GTA Online later added faster jets like the F-160 Raiju and the Buckingham Pyro, but none of those exist in story mode - see our complete GTA Online fastest plane ranking if you play multiplayer and want the full, current-gen list.

The Hydra: GTA 5's Fastest Aircraft, Explained

The Hydra is a Harrier-inspired attack jet with vertical take-off and landing, twin cannons and a full missile loadout. Its raw top speed of 209 mph makes it the quickest plane any story-mode character can fly, and its VTOL thrusters mean you can take off from a rooftop or a boat deck without a runway.

The catch is control. The Hydra's nose wants to climb during hard acceleration, so new pilots tend to lose speed correcting their pitch. Level the wings, keep the throttle pinned, and only use VTOL mode for takeoff and landing - flying with the nozzles angled back bleeds off your top speed.

How to Get the Hydra in Story Mode

The Hydra is not for sale. In the base campaign, you can:

• Fly it directly during the heist setup mission "Derailed" as Trevor, where a Hydra is parked and ready.
• Steal one from Fort Zancudo, the military base northwest of Los Santos, though every second on the ground there adds to your wanted level.
• Use the invincibility or armor cheat codes before making the approach, since Zancudo's jets and ground troops will engage on sight.

Our Fort Zancudo guide covers the safest entry routes and where the base's aircraft typically spawn.

The P-996 Lazer: The Fighter Jet Alternative

The Lazer is the plane most players actually fly when they want speed without the Hydra's twitchy VTOL handling. It is a straight fixed-wing fighter, so pulling back on the stick behaves the way you would expect, and it holds its 195 mph top speed in level flight more predictably than the Hydra does. It spawns at Fort Zancudo alongside the Hydra and Besra, and it also appears during a handful of story missions where military jets scramble to intercept you.

Fastest Civilian Options: Vestra and Miljet

If you would rather not fight your way out of a military base, the Vestra and Miljet are both private jets parked in the open at Los Santos International Airport, with no wanted level attached to taking one. At 164 mph and 161 mph respectively, neither touches the fighter jets, but they are the fastest planes you can walk up to and fly away without firing a shot.

Fastest Free Plane: the Duster Cheat Code

The Duster crop duster is the easiest fast plane to get in the entire game: dial a phone cheat code and it spawns next to you instantly, no trip to the airport required. At 144 mph it will not outrun a Lazer, but it is more than fast enough for stunt jumps, sightseeing or a quick escape, and it is available from minute one of the campaign. Our Duster cheat code guide has the exact input for every platform.

GTA 5 Story Mode vs. GTA Online: Why the Rankings Differ

GTA Online's plane meta moved on years ago with weaponized jets, Air Freight Cargo hangars and HSW upgrades that push top speeds well past 220 mph. None of that exists in single-player, so a story-mode Hydra at 209 mph is genuinely the ceiling for GTA 5's original campaign. If your search brought you here from GTA Online, the fastest plane in GTA Online ranking covers the current multiplayer leaderboard instead.

Planes vs. the Rest of the Garage

Planes are not the fastest thing in GTA 5 overall - story-mode supercars and superbikes both beat 130 mph on the ground with far less setup. See our rankings for the fastest car in GTA 5 story mode and the fastest motorcycle in GTA 5 story mode if you want a fast getaway that does not require a trip to an airfield, or the fastest boat in GTA 5 story mode for the water-based equivalent of this list.