The Helicopter , or by its model name, Escape , is an aircraft in Grand Theft Auto III .
is the longest running family of helicopters in the . First appearing in GTA: Vice City, the helicopter has appeared in every major title and most spin-off titles since. It succeeds the Helicopter which first appeared in GTA III.]] A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft which uses horizontally spinning blades to generate lift and thrust. Helicopters have appeared throughout the in a variety of designs.
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.
