A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft which uses horizontally spinning blades to generate lift and thrust. Helicopters have appeared throughout the Grand Theft Auto series in a variety of designs.
Overview
Helicopters serve as the most prominent and reliable mode of aerial transport in the series before the introduction of functional, controllable airplanes. As well as being readily available for players to use in most GTA games, even as early as GTA Vice City, helicopters are also typically used by enemies to pursue, attack or flee from the player during certain climaxed missions. The first helicopter to appear in a GTA game is used during the final mission of GTA III as a means of escape for Catalina, the game's main antagonist.
As the GTA series has evolved, a larger variety of helicopters have made appearances, both in design and functionality. The Maverick appears as the series' longest recurring helicopter, while the Hunter is arguably the most iconic attack helicopter in the series, appearing in five games.
Like airplanes, the player cannot perform drive-bys while piloting a helicopter in almost every GTA title. The player can perform drive-bys as a passenger of a helicopter, however, and in later titles, can equip certain heavy weapons in the rear seats of certain helicopters where there is more space. NPCs are able to perform drive-bys as either a pilot or passenger of a helicopter. If the helicopter has mounted weapons, NPC pilots will typically utilize them over their own weapons. Certain helicopters limit the player's ability to use its mounted weapons as a pilot, instead offering that ability only to passengers.
A helicopter has appeared at the top left corner of almost every GTA title's box art since the release of GTA III, with the notable exceptions of GTA Advance and GTA Chinatown Wars, which both lack helicopters obtainable by normal means.
2D Universe
Grand Theft Auto
Helicopters were intended to appear in Grand Theft Auto but were cut from the final game. A sprite for a helicopter exists in the game's files and can be spawned with third-party tools, but functions like a regular car.
3D Universe
Grand Theft Auto III
With the release of Grand Theft Auto III, helicopters make a physical appearance in the game. Two helicopters appear in the final game: the civilian Helicopter (internally known as "escape" due to its sole appearance in the game's final mission) and the police Helicopter (internally named "chopper"). Both helicopters are uncontrollable in regular gameplay.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
A variety of helicopters make an appearance in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game introduces controllable helicopters, substituting the original civilian and police Helicopters with the Maverick and Police Maverick, respectively, two helicopters which would go on to recur throughout the series. Alongside standard civilian helicopters are the Coastguard Maverick: a coastal variant of the Maverick, the Hunter: a gunship helicopter complete with weapons, and several remote controlled helicopters, namely the RC Goblin and RC Raider, which make use in several missions. GTA Vice City Stories also introduces the series' first amphibious helicopter, the Sea Sparrow, featuring pontoons which allow it to land and float on water safely.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sees the return of helicopters appearing in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, alongside more, particularly larger helicopters, including the Cargobob and Leviathan. Like the Sea Sparrow from GTA Vice City, the Leviathan can float on water.
Grand Theft Auto Advance
Grand Theft Auto Advance is the only game in this universe not to feature any functional helicopters (neither controllable or uncontrollable), however numerous static prop models of helicopters appear around the map.
HD Universe
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV sees the return of the Maverick and its police variant, as well as the addition of a tour variant. The Annihilator serves as the game's gunship helicopter, with large rotary machine guns mounted on the sides. In comparison to previous titles, helicopters in GTA IV can take significant body damage when involved in a collision without resulting in an instantaneous explosion. Helicopter's rotor blades and tail booms can become detached both on the ground and while in flight, the latter of which resulting in the aircraft to loose stability and either fall out of the sky or spin out of control. A helicopter which becomes severely damaged will eventually produce smoke from the engine bay, at which point the helicopter will eventually break down and eventually cut out, producing a unique warning tone.
Compared to previous entries, the Police Maverick becomes relatively difficult to obtain and only appears during missions or in flight while wanted. In The Ballad of Gay Tony, the Police Maverick spawns on the rooftop of a police station, however.
Helicopters in GTA IV may spawn on helipads around the map, including atop certain skyscrapers. Helitours Mavericks can be found at Higgins Helitours Heliport in south Algonquin, and can be entered as a passenger to participate in helitours around Liberty City.
Helicopters appear in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars but are not obtainable by the player in normal gameplay. The Police Maverick will pursue the player when they are wanted. Civilian helicopters appear during certain missions. If obtained with the use of third-party tools or glitches, helicopters can be ascended and descended with throttle and brake controls, respectively, and used to fly across the map with minimal restrictions.
The Ballad of Gay Tony
The Ballad of Gay Tony introduces the Buzzard, a compact gunship helicopter equipped with miniguns and missiles. In comparison to the Annihilator, the Buzzard is faster, lighter and more nimble, as well as packing more firepower. The Swift private helicopter is also introduced. The Skylift makes an appearance as a mission-exclusive heavy-lift helicopter in TBOGT, being the largest helicopter in the series. It has the ability to lift vehicles during certain missions, including the APC during Caught With Your Pants Down and the Subway car during For the Man Who Has Everything. It cannot pick up vehicles in regular gameplay, however.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V sees a huge step up in both the functionality and variety of helicopters. Many helicopters appearing in past games return, including the Cargobob, which returns as the series' only tandem-rotor helicopter, as well as the Annihilator, Buzzard, Swift and Maverick from GTA IV and its episodes. The Police Maverick also returns, albeit assuming a more modern design based on those used by the real-world LAPD. The Skylift also returns from TBOGT, again appearing as a mission-exclusive vehicle.
Helicopters in GTA V are far more agile and have more stability, with responsiveness to controls being sharper and more predictable. Compared to GTA IV, however, helicopters are more susceptible to damage, and will instantly explode in heavy collisions more often than not. Rotors and booms can once again be detached, but will usually result in the helicopter exploding once it makes contact with another vehicle or surface. Bailing from helicopters or otherwise disabling the pilot from an NPC-flown helicopter will produce a unique one-shot sound as the helicopter spins out of control. Like GTA IV, helicopters which are heavily damaged while in flight will eventually cut out and produce a unique warning tone, a behavior also shared with airplanes in GTA V. For most helicopters, a helicopter will remain flyable for roughly 2 minutes and 20 seconds once the engine begins smoking before it cuts out, however certain helicopters, such as the Swift Deluxe and the Conada in GTA Online, last up to 3 minutes.
The Cargobob helicopter features a deployable hook which allows it to pick up certain vehicles, both sea and land. Depending on the vehicle's weight, the helicopter may struggle to gain altitude, with certain vehicles being almost impossible to lift. Aircraft and trains cannot be picked up. The helicopter can also pick up certain small objects, such as rocks and portable toilets.
The ability to rappel from certain helicopters appears in GTA V. The ability is exclusively used during certain missions, such as Three's Company, as well as by NOOSE officers who will rappel from the Police Maverick to provide ground support when the player is wanted and stationary. The ability can be used by rear passengers of said helicopters in GTA Online free mode.
The Police Maverick, along with several other helicopters, features a searchlight which appears to double as a camera and/or scanner. In certain missions, the player can use the Police Maverick's camera to scan vehicles and NPCs as a co-pilot. This functionality also appears in several GTA Online missions. Co-pilots of said helicopters can also access the scanner in GTA Online free mode to scan players. The Maverick's on board camera is used as a Weazel News heli-cam in certain missions in both GTA V and GTA Online. The heli-cam can be viewed from player-owned apartments in GTA Online via their TV to spectate other players if they are being pursued by police.
GTA V also introduces the Atomic Blimp and enhanced version-exclusive Xero variant. While not helicopters by design, some of their internal data is considered as a helicopter, such as its audio and handling behavior.
Grand Theft Auto Online
See Also
- Category:Helicopters - list of helicopters by type in the Grand Theft Auto series.
- Category:Helicopters by style - list of helicopters by style in the Grand Theft Auto series.