Soaring through the skies of Minecraft requires mastering the mechanics of the Elytra wings. This guide will explain exactly how to use the elytra in Minecraft PC, from finding them to performing advanced aerial maneuvers. With these wings, you can glide over mountains, across oceans, and explore your world like never before.
Getting your first pair of Elytra is a major milestone. It changes how you travel and opens up new possibilities for building and exploration. Let’s start with the basics of obtaining and equipping this essential item.
How To Use The Elytra In Minecraft Pc
Before you can take flight, you need to find and equip your Elytra. These wings are not crafted; they are found in a specific, dangerous location. You must be prepared for a significant challenge.
Finding Your First Elytra
The only place to find Elytra in the base game is within End Cities, located in the outer islands of The End dimension. To reach this point, you must first defeat the Ender Dragon. After the dragon is defeated, an End Gateway portal will open. You can throw an Ender Pearl through this portal to teleport to the outer islands.
Once there, you need to locate an End City. These tall, purpur-block structures sometimes generate with a floating End Ship attached. It is inside the hull of the End Ship where you will find the Elytra, displayed in an item frame. Be cautious, as the ship is guarded by a Shulker, a mob that levitates players with its projectiles.
- Defeat the Ender Dragon to access the outer End islands.
- Explore until you find an End City with a connected End Ship.
- Navigate the ship carefully, defeat the Shulker, and take the Elytra from the item frame.
Equipping And Activating The Elytra
Once you have the Elytra, using it is straightforward. The Elytra functions as a chestplate, so it must be placed in your chestplate armor slot. You cannot wear both a chestplate and the Elytra at the same time.
- Open your inventory screen.
- Place the Elytra in the chestplate slot, located to the right of your character model.
- Close your inventory.
To activate the Elytra, you need to fall from a height. Walk off a cliff, tower, or any high place. Once you are falling, press and hold the jump key (default: Spacebar). Your character will spread their wings and begin to glide forward. Releasing the spacebar will cause you to dive downward.
Basic Flight Controls And Steering
Controlling your flight is intuitive but requires practice. Your forward momentum is key to staying aloft. If you slow down too much, you will stall and begin to fall.
- Look Direction: You steer by moving your mouse. Look up to gain altitude (but lose speed). Look down to dive and gain tremendous speed.
- Forward Key: Holding the forward key (default: W) will increase your speed slightly during flight.
- Landing: To land safely, aim for a gentle upward slope as you near the ground and level out your view. Alternatively, you can simply glide into a wall or the ground; the Elytra will automatically unequip upon impact, preventing fatal fall damage from moderate heights.
Maintaining Altitude and Speed
Gravity is constantly pulling you down. To fly long distances, you must manage your speed and altitude carefully. The primary method for gaining speed is to dive. Point your view downward for a second or two to build up velocity, then pull back up to convert that speed into forward distance and a little height. Repeated shallow dives are the core technique for extended travel.
Using Fireworks Rockets For Propulsion
Gliding alone will only get you so far. For true powered flight, you need Fireworks Rockets. Using a rocket while gliding provides a massive burst of speed in the direction you are looking, allowing you to gain altitude and travel vast distances quickly.
- Ensure you have Fireworks Rockets in your hotbar. (Crafted with paper and gunpowder; add a firework star for color).
- While gliding with the Elytra, select the rockets in your hotbar.
- Look in the direction you want to boost and press the “use item” key (default: right-click).
Each rocket gives you a powerful boost. The duration of the boost is affected by the rocket’s flight duration. A rocket made with more gunpowder (up to 3) will boost you for a longer time. Always carry a stack of rockets for long journeys.
Advanced Elytra Techniques and Maneuvers
Once you have mastered basic flight and rocket boosting, you can learn more advanced techniques. These will make you a more efficient and agile flyer, capable of navigating tight spaces and performing impressive stunts.
Performing The Elytra Dive And Pull-Up
This is the fundamental maneuver for efficient travel without rockets. The goal is to build speed in a dive and convert it to distance with a pull-up.
- Begin gliding from a high point.
- Look sharply downward to enter a steep dive. You will see your speed increase rapidly.
- After a couple of seconds, smoothly pull your view back up to just above the horizon. You will surge forward, gaining some of the altitude you lost.
Practice this rhythm: dive, gain speed, pull up, glide, repeat. It conserves height over long distances better than simply gliding in a straight line.
Mastering Tight Turns And Corners
Sharp turns are essential for flying through forests, caves, or man-made structures. A wide, sweeping turn is easy, but a tight turn requires a specific technique.
- To turn sharply, combine a horizontal mouse movement with a slight dip in your view. Look into the turn and downward a little.
- You can also tap the “A” or “D” keys (strafe left/right) to help initiate a tighter turn, though mouse movement is primary.
- Practice making figure-eight patterns around towers or trees to improve your control.
Taking Off From The Ground
Normally, you need a height advantage to start flying. However, with a Firework Rocket, you can launch yourself into the air from a standstill on the ground. This is incredibly useful if you land in a flat area with no launch point.
- Equip your Elytra.
- Jump and immediately activate a Firework Rocket (right-click).
- As the rocket launches you upward, hold the jump key (Spacebar) to deploy your Elytra and start gliding.
Be careful not to fire the rocket directly into the ground, as it will damage you. Aim slightly upwards.
Repairing and Enchanting Your Elytra
The Elytra has a durability bar that depletes as you fly. It does not break like a tool; instead, it becomes unusable when its durability reaches zero. You will need to repair it to continue flying.
How To Repair Elytra Durability
You have two main options for repairing your Elytra: using an Anvil or using the Mending enchantment.
- Using an Anvil: Combine your damaged Elytra with Phantom Membranes in an anvil. Each Phantom Membrane restores about 25% of the Elytra’s durability. You can also repair two damaged Elytra by combining them in an anvil, but this is less resource-efficient than using membranes.
- Using the Mending Enchantment: This is the best long-term solution. An Elytra enchanted with Mending will repair itself whenever you gain experience orbs (XP) while wearing it. You can obtain Mending books from fishing, chest loot, or trading with Librarian villagers.
Best Enchantments For Elytra
Enchanting your Elytra makes it last longer and perform better. You can apply enchantments using an anvil and an enchanted book. The following enchantments are highly recommended:
- Unbreaking III: This enchantment gives a chance for the Elytra to not lose durability when used. It significantly extends its lifespan, especially when combined with Mending.
- Mending: As mentioned, this allows the Elytra to repair itself with collected XP. An Unbreaking III and Mending Elytra is effectively permanent.
- Curse of Vanishing: Be aware that this curse can sometimes appear on found Elytra. It causes the item to disappear on death. You can remove it by combining the Elytra with a non-cursed one in a grindstone, but this will also remove any other enchantments.
Remember, you cannot enchant Elytra directly on an Enchanting Table; you must use an anvil with enchanted books.
Common Elytra Problems and Solutions
Even experienced players encounter issues with Elytra flight. Here are solutions to some common problems.
Elytra Won’t Deploy Or Activate
If you jump off a cliff and press spacebar but don’t start gliding, check these things:
- Ensure the Elytra is actually equipped in your chestplate slot. It’s easy to forget you swapped it out for a chestplate.
- Make sure you are falling. You cannot activate the Elytra from a standstill on the ground without a rocket boost.
- Check the durability. If the durability bar is completely empty (red), the Elytra is broken and must be repaired before you can use it again.
Running Out Of Height Too Quickly
If you constantly find yourself landing sooner than you’d like, your flight technique might need adjustment.
- You are likely looking too high, which causes you to climb and lose speed rapidly. Try to keep your view closer to the horizon.
- Incorporate the dive-and-pull-up technique to maintain momentum.
- Start your flight from a higher point. Build a simple launch tower or use a column of blocks to get more initial altitude.
- Always carry Fireworks Rockets for when you need a boost to reach a destination.
Taking Damage From Firework Rockets
If you are taking damage when you use a rocket boost, you are likely firing it while on the ground or into a wall.
- Only use rockets when you are already safely in the air and gliding.
- For ground launches, jump first and aim the rocket at a clear, upward angle.
- Do not use rockets while standing still or in enclosed spaces.
Creative Uses for Elytra in Gameplay
Beyond simple travel, the Elytra enables new styles of play and ambitious projects.
Mapping And Exploration
The Elytra is the ultimate exploration tool. You can quickly cover thousands of blocks to find biomes, structures, or new terrain for building. Combine it with a Cartography Table to create and expand maps from a bird’s-eye view. Flying high gives you a perfect vantage point to plan your next base location.
Building And Construction Aid
For large-scale builds, the Elytra is invaluable. You can easily fly to the top of a tall structure to place blocks, survey your progress, or light up areas. It makes working on massive walls, roofs, or statues much faster than using scaffolding or ladders. Just be mindful of your durability while building.
Combat And Mobility Advantages
In combat, the Elytra provides unmatched mobility. You can swoop in to attack a group of mobs and then quickly retreat. It is especially useful in the Nether for navigating treacherous terrain and avoiding lava lakes. PvP (Player vs. Player) combat is also transformed, with players engaging in fast-paced aerial dogfights using rockets and bows. Mastering flight can give you a significant edge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Craft Elytra In Minecraft?
No, you cannot craft Elytra. They are only found as loot in End Ships, which are structures attached to some End Cities in the outer islands of The End dimension. You must defeat the Ender Dragon first to access this area.
How Do You Fly Forever With Elytra?
To fly indefinitely, you need two things: an Elytra enchanted with Unbreaking III and Mending, and a large supply of Fireworks Rockets. The Mending enchantment will repair the Elytra as you collect experience from killing mobs or mining, and the rockets provide constant propulsion. With enough rockets, you can literally fly forever without landing.
What Is The Best Way To Repair Elytra?
The best way to repair an Elytra is to enchant it with the Mending enchantment. This allows it to repair itself when you gain experience orbs. The second best method is to use an anvil and Phantom Membranes, which are dropped by Phantom mobs that spawn if you haven’t slept for several nights.
How Do You Use A Firework With Elytra?
To use a firework rocket with Elytra, first ensure you are already gliding in the air. Then, select the fireworks in your hotbar. Look in the direction you want to boost and press the “use item” key (default right-click on PC). You will get a powerful speed burst. You can use them repeatedly to stay airborne and travel quickly.
Can You Put Elytra And A Chestplate On At The Same Time?
No, you cannot. The Elytra occupies the chestplate armor slot. You must choose between the defensive stats of a chestplate or the mobility of the Elytra. Some players carry both in their inventory, switching to the chestplate when expecting heavy combat and to the Elytra for travel.