Police Maverick

The Police Maverick (also known as the VCPD Maverick in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories) is a police adaptation of the civilian Maverick helicopter, and the first controllable Police Helicopter introduced in the series, debuting in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

It is manufactured by Western Company in Grand Theft Auto IV and Buckingham in Grand Theft Auto V.

Description
The Police Maverick flown by the police possess many characteristics of the preceding Police Helicopter in Grand Theft Auto III. All versions of the vehicle are used by the city's police forces during Wanted Levels, from three stars and above.

3D Universe
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the helicopter is used by the VCPD, having either a green and white livery (VC) or a olive/gold and white livery (VCS), with the "POLICE" text on the underside.

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Maverick is used by the SAPD and is operated in all of the three main cities. Appart of the different registration number in the tail boom and the black and white livery, the Police Maverick remains unchanged from its previous game.

The Police Maverick exists in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, although it doesn't spawn normally as other renditions. It has the same details as the previous versions, except the blue and white livery and the LCPD markings.

In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the Police Maverick flown by the police is actually a mesh - it is not solid and can go through buildings, without a chance of crashing either. The uncontrollable Police Maverick piloted by cops still has the handling and other characteristics from the uncontrollable helicopter in GTA III, although it uses the polygon model from the Police Maverick available to the player. If you were to press the enter vehicle button near it, the player would not try to get in the helicopter, therefore it is not proper as it cannot be obtained in anyway. In GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories, to ensure the player is not going to obtain one, police-flown helicopters blow up upon contact with the player. The helicopter has an "invisible" 5.56mm machine gun on the fuselage (sounding like an M-60, but with much less power), as well as a searchlight, and a loud speaker (used by the Police to address the player from the skies) only absent in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories rendition. Unlike its GTA III counterpart, the Police Maverick can airdrop SWAT units on ropes at 4 stars wanted level. A search light is also available on the GTA San Andreas rendition.

In GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas and GTA Liberty City Stories, the inside cabin is empty and there is no visible Pilot flying the Police Maverick when it is flown by an NPC. In GTA Vice City Stories, however, the VCPD Maverick has a pilot appearing as a normal Police Officer without any pilot gear, and upon destruction of the chopper, the pilot will drop a Pistol and a Nightstick.

Grand Theft Auto IV
The Police Maverick is in turn based on a redone Maverick, and as a result, features rear sliding-doors and a four-blade main rotor. Its design is based on that of the Bell 206, identical to the Maverick. The livery is loosely based on those used on a previous generation of New York City Police helicopters, but with a reversed color scheme. The Police Maverick has a searchlight on the nose and, unlike its civilian or Helitours counterpart, there are stepsides on the rear bay.

Replacing the original "invisible" machine gun under the fuselage, there are now two Police Officers seated on both sides of the helicopter, programmed to shoot the player with M4A1 Carbine Rifles; its ability to deploy NOOSE Tactical Response Unit Officers has also been dropped in the game. In The Ballad Of Gay Tony, the Police Officers will be armed with Advanced MGs instead.

Grand Theft Auto V
In Grand Theft Auto V, the Police Maverick, unlike its civilian version, is based on the real-life French Eurocopter AS350B, replacing the Bell 206 on which the beta Police Maverick was originally based. It is the first Police Maverick that does not resemble the Maverick at all, although it still uses the "Maverick" on the name, implying it is actually a newer generation of the vehicle (something seen in multiple cars of the same game).

It features rear slide-doors and a three-blade main rotor. It is used for higher level pursuits, finding illegal drug storage and other such crimes. One or two police officers will aim at the player with Carbine Rifles. The helicopter is also equipped with a high-intensity spotlight, capable of highlighting targets. It is also fitted with a camera, which in Grand Theft Auto Online can be used by the co-pilot to tag players for the pilot to see. Unlike previous renditions, it features two mounted winches, used to deploy officers, like the Police Maverick in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

According to its functionality and the pilot during Eye In The Sky, this camera allows the user to identify individuals by reading RFID transmitters placed in 2012 San Andreas driver licenses. It is marked with the zoom bar, the direction, the height and the LSPD name written in a corner. It can activate a microphone to hear distant conversations and is implemented with thermal vision (much like Sniper Rifles in missions). The limitations of the device includes a signal lost when the objective is hiding, unless thermal vision is used. This feature is not applied during chases, likely for gameplay balances.

The livery is based on of the design of the recently new livery used on the Los Angeles Police helicopters.

3D Universe
The Police Maverick flyable by the player controls similarly to a normal Maverick, differing only by its ability to pitch steeper than a regular Maverick (especially in games prior to GTA IV). The Police Maverick has a slight better top speed and handling, given its usage as a police vehicle. While it does not have weapons or an average resistance, the Police Maverick is still a good choice for flying around the city.

Grand Theft Auto IV
The Police Maverick travels and turns slightly faster than a regular Maverick, thus giving it more maneuverability.

Air Ambulance
In Grand Theft Auto V, a medical version of the Police Maverick, dubbed "Air Ambulance, is featured. While the Air Ambulance retains the Police Maverick design and name, the liveries have been changed into that of a medical variation.

Special Variants
With the exception of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a second version of the Police Maverick exist in all of its appearances between Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. The back doors on airborne Police Mavericks slide back, unlike the usable ones, where the back doors of Police Mavericks available to the player swing open instead. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the slide-door variant retains the GTA Vice City's green and white livery, contrary to the olive/gold and white livery of the drivable version. The slide-door variant is not normally available to the player. In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the windows of the helicopter are blackened, obscuring the interior.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * Two appear in Reuniting the Families. The first at the beginning of the police raid at the Jefferson Motel, the same helicopter will ambush Carl Johnson and his brother after they manage to get out from the motel and must be destroyed in order to continue. The second appears shortly after and will chase the crew through East Los Santos.
 * In Are You Going to San Fierro? a Police Maverick will keep following CJ and The Truth and must be destroyed in order to escape from the farm.
 * In the beta mission The Truth is Out There, CJ must steal one from the San Fierro Police Headquarters and use it to pick up The Truth at Bayside Marina. However, once CJ reach Bayside, the FBI will shoot down the chopper, forcing CJ and The Truth to escape by land.
 * Two appear in Breaking the Bank at Caligula's. The first will ambush CJ once he reach the roof of the Caligula's Palace and can be destroyed, the second will land on the roof of The Camel's Toe and can be stolen in order to escape towards the Verdant Meadows Airfield.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And Damned

 * One Police Maverick made a small cameo in Shifting Weight where he will join the police chase when Johnny Klebitz, Malc and DeSean reach the Northwood Heights Bridge. It can be destroyed.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * In Not So Fast, after Luis Lopez has stolen the diamonds, few LCPD officers will arrive with the helicopter on the roof of The Libertonian and will try to kill the player.
 * In For the Man Who Has Everything, several Police Mavericks will try to kill the player.

Grand Theft Auto V

 * In Eye in the Sky, Trevor Philips must assist Franklin Clinton in the theft of the Z-Type using the Police Maverick's equipment.

Grand Theft Auto Online

 * In Chopper Tail, the player must follow a police helicopter to the meth lab where the Granger with the equipment is located.

Locations
Like the Police Helicopter in Grand Theft Auto III, pursuing Police Maverick appears at a 3-stars wanted level. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the helicopter is usually always parked on the roof of the main police station of the city.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

 * On top of the Downtown VCPD helipad.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * On top of the LSPD Headquarters rooftop in Pershing Square, Los Santos after completing the mission Learning to Fly.
 * Can be acquired in mid-flight during a police chase by climbing on the top of a crane and hijack it when it flies by.
 * Can also be acquired during Breaking the Bank at Caligula's. The player is, at some point, tasked to parachute to a rooftop and use it to escape (though this is optional). It is possible to store it simply by parking it inside the Verdant Meadows hangar then walking onto the red marker to complete the mission.
 * Can be spawned by inputting a cheat.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

 * This helicopter does not spawn anywhere and can be only obtained through the use of Cheat Devices or Action Replay codes. The Police Maverick chasing the player at a three star wanted level is, in fact, a different helicopter.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

 * On roof of the Downtown police station (after the mission From Zero to Hero is completed).
 * On the roof of the Washington Beach police station (before and after the mission From Zero To Hero).

Grand Theft Auto IV + Episodes from Liberty City
The Police Maverick does not spawn on top of police stations like in previous games, so the only way to obtain one is by using the Helicopter Sniping Trick using one one of two methods: NOTE: If the player manages to lure the helicopter over the pond in Middle Park, it will be easier to obtain, although the helicopter must have an open space and the water must be shallow.
 * 1st Method - Obtainable by sniping the pilot, making the helicopter slowly hover to the ground undamaged. It only works 50% of the time; the rest of the time the Police Maverick will spin rapidly around in circles, hitting the ground with fierce force and exploding. Also obtainable by an even more frustrating process in which the helicopter is disabled at a low enough altitude that all occupants live, and then the Police Maverick is pushed into a safehouse Parking Spot. That method probably works less often than the previous. Other than that, you can only fly the Police Maverick in multiplayer Race Mode.
 * 2nd method - Go to middle of the pond in Middle Park and snipe people until you get a three star wanted level. When the helicopter appears, shoot the Pilot from the side. If it falls in shallow water, it is yours. Since the Police Officers will not try to swim to the island to get you, you will have plenty of chances to get the Police Maverick before the NOOSE Annihilators appear.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

 * Singleplayer
 * During the mission "Not So Fast", you can steal a Police Maverick when you have to climb back on to the roof to get back in Yusuf's Buzzard by waiting a few seconds, when a Police Maverick will land on the roof.
 * Multiplayer
 * On the rooftop helipad of the East Holland police station in Algonquin.

Grand Theft Auto V

 * Police Maverick
 * (Hospital) building. Close to the Towing Impound Lot. (Medical Version)
 * Vespucci Canals on Prosperity Street - On top of the police station.
 * On top of the Rancho Police Station (sometimes an unarmed Buzzard will spawn there).
 * On the top of Mission Row Police Station (sometimes an unarmed Buzzard will spawn there).


 * Air Ambulance
 * Spawns on two helipads at Central Los Santos Hospital.
 * Can be seen flying around the Bolingbroke Penitentiary due to a glitch.
 * Sometimes spawns on the top of the Vinewood Police Station helipad (can sometimes spawn as a Police Maverick variant as well).

Grand Theft Auto Online

 * Police Maverick
 * Sometimes found in the same locations mentioned above.
 * Will spawn more frequently when you or other players that are close to these locations have a 3 star wanted level or higher being pursued by Police Mavericks as this will work as a spawn seed.
 * Air Ambulance
 * Sometimes spawns on the helipads at Central Los Santos Hospital.
 * Sometimes spawns on top of the Vinewood Police Station (can sometimes spawn as a Police Maverick variant as well).
 * Sometimes spawns on top of the Vespucci Police Station (can sometimes spawn as a Police Maverick variant as well).
 * Sometimes spawns on top of the Weazel News Building (can sometimes spawn as a Police Maverick variant as well).

3D Universe

 * If the player shoots down a Police Maverick and lowers their wanted level below three-star through cheat codes, the Police Maverick will fly away as if nothing happened. Police Mavericks that fly away are also invulnerable to any form of damage.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

 * If the player shoots down a pursuing Police Maverick and is busted or wasted near the same moment the Maverick explodes, they will sometimes automatically regain a 4 star wanted level if they respawn at a Police Station or Hospital in the vicinity of the wrecked Maverick.
 * Getting into the Police Maverick before unlocking the next island will result in the game crashing. The helicopter will sound like it's starting up, but it will freeze and the helicopter will be on fire. This glitch is fixed in the 1.1 version (Steam).

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * If the player does a replay then the Police Maverick will fly away after the replay is done or exited.
 * The A.I. controlled Police Maverick may sometimes appear under the ground if using the Jetpack to shake the Maverick off multiple times.

Grand Theft Auto IV

 * Once Niko gets out of a Police Maverick, the helicopter will start flying away and fall once it is realized that there is no pilot. This is because the game still reads the helicopter as AI-Controlled. Holding Y (Xbox 360) or Triangle (PS3) to shut off the engine will prevent this. This will no longer happen when the player goes back to the safehouse from a considerable distance away from it.

Grand Theft Auto V

 * Sometimes, after an helicopter lands, the pilot will be alive (if the helicopter is still intact, but the engine is broken), it will be locked and the pilot remains in it, alive. Pointing a gun at him will make him flinch, although he will remain in the helicopter still. For example, the helicopter crashes into a suspect in a Jet, the helicopter might just stop working, but the pilot will stay in it and it will float down.

3D Universe

 * The Police Maverick appears in Rockstar North's Manhunt 2, bearing the VCPD's color scheme.
 * If spawning and entering the unobtainable slide door variant (through trainers only), the pilot seat is actually in the passenger seat in the back and the player can't take off, only hover. It has a breakable tail and the chopper always is too heavy, causing it to sink. The helicopter also lacks the rotors.
 * In GTA Vice City and GTA Liberty City Stories, while it is possible to spawn the slide-door Police Maverick that pursues the player, it will be invisible, and trying to enter it will crash the game, since the game will be looking for the missing door that does not exist on the helicopter. Even if it is controlled, it cannot be flown as pressing the "forward" key does nothing. It otherwise behaves like a normal helicopter, and it can be destroyed, either with the use of weapons or a cheat code.
 * In GTA Vice City, the machine gun actually fires from the back rather than under the belly.
 * In GTA Vice City, the red light on the back of airborne Police Mavericks is dislocated, and remain in the same place as its predecessor.
 * Police Mavericks can be seen flying around without a wanted level. They are not solid and do not have any engine noise. They also can not be destroyed, and their rotors are static. In the PC Version of San Andreas, this is not the case, and they can be shot down by the player using the minigun or other heavy arms. In San Andreas, Police Mavericks are most commonly seen patrolling areas of Los Santos dominated by gang crime, including Grove Street and Idlewood. They can also be observed flying around airports, presumably to monitor incoming and outgoing flights.
 * In the beta version of GTA San Andreas, there were LSPD Police Mavericks.
 * GTA San Andreas is the only GTA game to date that lets the player turn on its powerful search light, but its the direction can only be controlled in the PC version - in console versions, it moves in the opposite direction to the movement of the helicopter. The light can only be turned on at night by pressing the left analog stick (Xbox), PS3 L3.pngn (PS2) or Horn button (Default: Caps-Lock or H) (PC).
 * This function is unavailable on the mobile version of GTA San Andreas, due to the action button being unavailable. However, if the player connects a gamepad to his/her device and presses the action/sub-mission button, the searchlight can be turned on.
 * In the 3D Universe, except for GTA San Andreas, the Police Maverick has the same door sound as high-end cars, only with a higher pitch.
 * An easy way to take down a Police Maverick (or any other helicopter) in GTA San Andreas without using any rockets, is to shoot the rotor to which the blades are attached to with a sniper rifle. If the player hits the rotor directly, the helicopter will start smoking black smoke and then spinning out of control until it hits the ground and finally explodes, similar to what happens when a rocket hits it. This also works in GTA V
 * If the player manages to steal the Police Maverick in GTA San Andreas while it is in flight, the helicopter will remain hostile. For example, if the player parks the helicopter and gets out, the helicopter's underbelly will shoot at the player from the ground; this is due to programming limitations.
 * Also, if the wanted level is less than 4, a maximum of 4 SWAT Officers will spawn near the parked helicopter.
 * in GTA San Andreas, the Pilot, Gunner and Co-Pilot are "Jim", "Dave", "Ned", and "John" respectively. (Jim: There he is kill him, John! John: Why do I always do the fuckin' killing?!") and (John: Jim, you see anything? Jim: Over there!! shoot him!) And (Hey, I can see my house from here!) (Dave, will you shut the hell up? You, stop!!).
 * The mounted gun oddly bypasses any coding that would make the object/character invincible. For instance, it will damage the player even if the "Invincibility" cheat is activated. It also can damage a Rhino, which would be impossible with any other firearm; only molotovs, flamethrowers, explosives, and crashing the tank have the ability of damaging it.
 * If the player is standing on the Police helicopter for too long while the helicopter is shooting at the player, it may shoot itself down (this can only be done with a jetpack).
 * If the player is airborne with the Jetpack and their health runs out, they'll be left floating in the air. It is possible to be busted by the Police Maverick in this situation. The view shifts to ground level, the focus being up in the air, with the 'Busted' message being displayed.
 * Despite a news article mentioning that the LCPD didn't acquire Helicopters until 2001, Police Mavericks appear in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, which is set in 1998.
 * It is possible to hijack an AI-controlled Police Maverick in GTA Liberty City Stories, but only with a cheat device. When the player enters it, the game will show "HELICOPTER" on the bottom right of the screen. Interestingly enough, the gunner will continue to shoot the player. This helicopter has several unique properties - it is extremely responsive, has different flight characteristics and cannot be blown up with a cheat. It also retains its unique damage system and can pass through buildings and water unaffected. If the player stores it in a garage it will lose these properties and become invisible again.
 * In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, one of the pilots is called "Jimmy". (Co-Pilot: Jimmy, can you keep this 'copter steady?").
 * Whilst all Police Mavericks have Police Radios, the GTA Liberty City Stories rendition obtainable through cheat devices is equipped with a conventional radio.
 * In GTA Vice City, the Police Maverick that chases the player is invulnerable to any forms of weapons but very vulnerable to the Rocket Launcher. Unlike other vehicles that explode into a black object, the Police Maverick explodes into pieces like glass. The destruction of the Police Maverick awards the player $250 and half wanted star.

HD Universe

 * Occasionally in GTA IV, when the player hits the Police Maverick with a rocket in a specific place, such as the rotor blades or the tail, it will lean forward with the nose and plummet down, and explode upon impact with the ground. This is especially dangerous when standing directly below the helicopter when it crashes.
 * In GTA IV and V, if the two riflemen are killed independently, the Police Maverick will leave and return with two new riflemen in about a minute.
 * Entering the Police Maverick in GTA V gives the player a Sniper Rifle with 10 rounds.
 * In GTA V, Police Mavericks may stop following players in order to refuel.
 * The tail rotors of the Police Maverick are destructable by firearms, causing the helicopter to fall to the ground.
 * In the beta of GTA V, the Police Maverick was originally modelled after the in-game Maverick, similarly to previous renditions. It can be seen in early trailers. It was possibly re-designed to match the real life LAPD police helicopters.
 * In GTA V and GTA Online, Police Mavericks have a tendency to spawn from absolute nowhere very close and in sight of the player; this can easily be noticed if the player is about to lose a 3+ star wanted level, or by flying in the sky.
 * In GTA V, there is a strange thing to note, despite the helicopter can only carry four persons in normal gameplay, when the police helicopter lowers the NOOSE down on ropes, it lowers 4 men down, that would total to 5 people in the helicopter.
 * In GTA V, out of scripted events (i.e. during missions), Police officers never use the Police Maverick like they did in GTA IV. It is always used by the NOOSE.
 * In GTA V, the player can very rarely hear quotes being read from the Police Maverick while on foot in a chase; they will say things like "LSPD, hands up" and "Stop right there". They sound more muffled than the quotes read from the LSPD Cruisers.
 * Despite the Air Ambulance appears in GTA V, it still refered as Police Maverick when entered. The reason for this is because the game actually considers the Air Ambulance as a Police Maverick with a different texture, and Rockstar hasn't made a separate vehicle.
 * Due to this, there is a glitch that cause an Air Ambulance to spawn flying around the Bolingbroke Penitentiary instead of a normal Police Maverick.

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