---
title: "Cruise flight: API"
package: "@phaser-ae/cruise-flight"
tier: Pro
version: 3.0.0-1
released: 2026-10-19
updated: 2026-10-20
description: "An easy first-person flight model for flying low over a landscape: fly where you look, at a cruise speed that holds, over ground you never crash into."
url: https://phaser.io/packs/cruise-flight/api
site: Phaser - https://phaser.io
---

# Cruise flight: API

`@phaser-ae/cruise-flight` — Cruise flight over a heightfield: a held cruise speed, slides that decay, capped turn and pitch, a soft ceiling and terrain following, as in Magic Carpet.

## The pack

### `cruiseFlight`

```ts
function cruiseFlight(): Pack<{ cruiseFlight: typeof api }>
```

Install the cruise-flight API (`game.cruiseFlight`).

## Helpers

### `fly`

```ts
function fly(f: Flyer, c: FlightCommand, ctl: FlightControl, def: FlightDef, land: CruiseGround, dt: number, speedScale = 1): void
```

Advance a carpet one step. `speedScale` multiplies the top speed (the Accelerate spell); `dt` is seconds.

### `groundSpeed`

```ts
function groundSpeed(f: Flyer): number
```

Horizontal speed (world units/s).

### `lookVector`

```ts
function lookVector(yaw: number, pitch: number): { x: number; y: number; z: number }
```

The unit vector a heading and pitch look along: the kernel's `forward`, so the carpet flies where the camera looks.

## Types

### `CruiseGround`

```ts
interface CruiseGround
```

What flight asks of the ground: its height under a point (land or sea, whichever is higher) and the wrap. A
`torus-land` Land answers both; so does any heightfield with a wrap function.

- `groundAt(x: number, z: number): number` — The height to stay above at (x, z): the land, or the sea over it.
- `wrap(v: number): number` — Fold a coordinate onto the world (identity on a world that does not wrap).

### `FlightCommand`

```ts
interface FlightCommand
```

The carpet's commanded motion (part of a wizard's state).

- `cruise: number` — Cruise, -1..1 of top speed.
- `slide: number` — Sideways velocity (world units/s).
- `turnRate: number` — The turn rate this step (radians/s), for banking.

### `FlightControl`

```ts
interface FlightControl
```

What the rider does this step.

- `thrust: number` — Held forward (+1) or back (-1): moves the cruise.
- `strafe: number` — Held slide right (+1) or left (-1).
- `turn: number` — Requested turn this step (radians).
- `pitch: number` — Requested absolute aim pitch (radians).
- `stop?: boolean` — Zero the cruise.
- `tap?: number` — A press of forward (+1) or back (-1): steps the cruise by `tap`.

### `FlightDef`

```ts
interface FlightDef
```

Cruise flight (all distances world units, times seconds). Magic Carpet's numbers are mana-conquest's `magicCarpetFlight`.

- `speed: number` — Top cruising speed.
- `speedStep: number` — How fast held forward/back moves the cruise speed (per second); the cruise holds when the key is released.
- `tap: number` — One press of forward/back moves the cruise this fraction of top speed (the original's one tick held).
- `reverse: number` — Backward top speed as a fraction of `speed`.
- `strafe: number` — Sideways slide speed while a strafe key is held.
- `strafeDecay: number` — How fast a released slide decays (units/s per second).
- `turnRate: number` — Fastest turn (radians/s).
- `pitchMax: number` — Furthest the rider can look up or down (radians).
- `climbFull: number` — Climbing by looking up is fully effective below this height over the ground...
- `ceiling: number` — ...and fades to nothing at this height over the ground (the soft ceiling).
- `sink: number` — Above the ceiling the carpet sinks at this rate.
- `clearance: number` — Lowest the carpet flies over land or sea.
- `eye: number` — The rider's eye above the carpet.
- `boost: number` — Accelerate spell: speed multiplier while held...
- `boostAfter: number` — ...and after release, until the cruise is changed.
- `viewPitch: number` — The view pitch as a fraction of the aim pitch (the original drew half).
- `bank: number` — Bank into turns: radians of camera roll per radian/s of turn.

### `Flyer`

```ts
interface Flyer
```

A carpet's motion state (plain data, snapshotted with the game).

- `x: number` — World x; wraps on the torus, within -size/2 to size/2.
- `y: number` — World y, up, in world units; never below the ground plus the flight `clearance`.
- `z: number` — World z; wraps on the torus, within -size/2 to size/2.
- `vx: number` — Velocity along x in world units per second, from the last step.
- `vy: number` — Velocity along y (up) in world units per second, from the last step.
- `vz: number` — Velocity along z in world units per second, from the last step.
- `yaw: number` — Heading, radians, the engine's 3D camera convention: 0 looks along +z and increasing it turns right.
- `pitch: number` — Aim pitch, radians, the camera convention: positive looks down.

---

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