For other Police Helicopters, see Police Helicopter (GTA III).
For the Air Ambulance in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories see Air Ambulance.
The Police Maverick (also known as the VCPD Maverick) appearing in every game since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and due to appear in Grand Theft Auto VI.
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 possesses many characteristics of the preceding Police Helicopter in Grand Theft Auto III. All versions of the vehicle are used by the police forces of the city during Wanted Levels, from three stars and above.
Design[]
In all of its appearances, the Police Maverick is a police adaptation of the civilian Maverick helicopter (excluding GTA V), usually seen operated by and deploying SWAT (3D Universe) or NOOSE TRU (HD Universe) units.
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 primary color and white secondary color (GTA Vice City) or an olive/gold primary color and white secondary color (GTA Vice City Stories), 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. Apart from the different registration numbers on the tail boom and the black primary color and white secondary color, the Police Maverick remains unchanged from its previous game.
The Police Maverick exists in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, although it does not spawn normally as other renditions. It has the same details as the previous versions, except for a blue primary color and white secondary color, and the LCPD markings.
The Police Maverick flown by the police has no height limit and can go through buildings, without a chance of crashing either. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, 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. Excluding GTA San Andreas and GTA Vice City Stories, pressing the vehicle enter button has no effect for police-flown Police Mavericks. 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 loudspeaker (used by the Police to address the player from the skies), which is 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 four star wanted levels. A functional searchlight 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 NPC flying the Police Maverick when it is flown by police. In GTA Vice City Stories, however, the VCPD Maverick has a pilot appearing as a normal Police Officer without any pilot gear, and upon the destruction of the chopper, the pilot will drop a Pistol and a Nightstick.
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
The Police Maverick in Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodes remains as an adaptation of the regular Maverick, with its design also based on that of the Bell 206. 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, features sidesteps on the rear bay doors. Color distribution is different to that of the regular Maverick, appearing in a white primary color for most of the fuselage and tail boom, and a secondary color for the engine compartment, part of the tail boom, and in the form of thin stripes passing on the sides. It also bears the LCPD markings, with "POLICE" text on the nose and tail boom.
Replacing the original "invisible" machine gun under the fuselage, there are two Police Officers seated on both sides of the helicopter, programmed to shoot the player with Carbine Rifles (or Advanced MGs in The Ballad of Gay Tony), with NOOSE TRU agents replacing police officers in Mavericks at four stars (provided that the FIB does not respond). The ability to deploy units has been removed from the game and, unlike in the 3D Universe, it may be replaced by the Annihilator from higher wanted levels, from five stars and above.
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars[]
The Police Maverick has the same design as the GTA IV rendition, except that it is uncontrollable and uses a more traditional livery, being a thin blue stripe on the lower side and the "POLICE" text below the front door windows. It also has the same machine gun mounted as in the 3D Universe games, unlike GTA IV. It is obtainable through a secret method in the mission Payback.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
In Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, the Police Maverick has been redesigned with a modern appearance, based on the French Eurocopter AS350B. The livery is based on the design of the one used on the Los Angeles Police helicopters.
The aircraft assumes a completely different design and is no longer based on the regular Maverick, although given its name, it is implied to be a newer generation of the aforementioned vehicle (something seen with multiple vehicles in the same game). The front section is rather triangular in shape and is predominated by large windows, along with two access doors on the sides and a searchlight/camera below, similarly to the Frogger, Annihilator, Maverick, Buzzard and Buzzard Attack Chopper. Similar to the aforementioned aircraft, only NPC-operated Police Mavericks can use the searchlight, and players that sit on the copilot seat can use the camera to look around and tag other players.
The main section has a large bay with sliding doors that are always open, small side steps for access, and long skids on the underside, while the upper area has a tall engine compartment with two large exhausts, a three-bladed main rotor and two mounted winches, which can be used by either NOOSE TRU officers or other players in Grand Theft Auto Online. The tail boom is relatively long and features a strike guard below, large vertical stabilizers and small horizontal stabilizers, as well as a two-bladed tail rotor on the left.
The interior of the aircraft is similar than that of the Maverick, being a large flight instrument panel in the center. In the enhanced version, it uses the "Flyer" dial set that is also used on the Maverick and the Buzzard.
The aircraft is only available in a white primary color with a black livery texture on the front section and tail boom, along with LSPD markings on the sides and below the aircraft, with the LSPD emblem partially seen behind the sliding doors.
According to its functionality and the pilot during the mission Eye in the Sky, the mounted 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 marked 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 include a signal lost when the objective is hiding behind a solid structure unless thermal vision is used. In the enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto Online, some missions require the player to scan license plates of vehicles.
Current Design Gallery[]
Version History Gallery[]
Performance[]
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), due to the slightly decreased mass (4,500kg vs 5,000kg of the normal Maverick). 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.
3D Universe Overview[]
Take-Off Speed (0-60 knots in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh / knots) |
Engine Type | Engine Location | Mass (kg / lbs) |
---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 124 / 200 / 108 | Petrol | N/A | 4500 / 9921 |
N/A | N/A | Single turboshaft engine, two-bladed rotor | Middle/Rear | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
The Police Maverick appears to have a similar performance to its civilian counterpart, being easy to control, useful for navigating through the city. Its single turboshaft engine provides good power output for its blades, allowing for controllable movements, at the cost of being rather slow compared to the powerplant of the Annihilator or the small size of the Buzzard. In other words, the Police Maverick performs averagely, just like the standard version.
Because of the rather exposed cockpit, the front occupants may get shot from enemies in tall places or armed with assault rifles, considering the lower windows may be a weak spot for them when flying above these.
GTA IV Overview[]
Take-Off Speed (0-60 knots in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh / knots) |
Engine Type | Engine Location | Mass (kg / lbs) |
---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 99 / 160 / 86 | N/A | N/A | 4500 / 9921 |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
N/A | N/A | Single turboshaft engine, four-bladed rotor | Middle/Rear | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
The Police Maverick has mediocre performance compared to other helicopters. However, as a freely available helicopter, it can be used for quick extractions or escapes. The aircraft is fairly maneuverable and has a descent airspeed. However, the Police Maverick's speed falls short of luxury helicopters such as the Swift or attack helicopters like the FH-1 Hunter. Its climbing rate remains average for a transport helicopter and has an average weight.
The helicopter is unarmored and only two shots from the Heavy Sniper will be enough to damage the engine, although it can fly for a little over two minutes before the engine completely fails. Just like every other unarmored helicopter, the Police Maverick will be destroyed in only one hit from a standard explosive. Against the Heavy Sniper Mk II equipped with explosive rounds, the helicopter will only take two to three hits. Because of its decent maneuverability, the Police Maverick is able to avoid standard homing missiles but, just like all helicopters without countermeasures, fails to avoid missiles with better tracking fired from the vehicles such as the: Deluxo, Oppressor Mk II, or Ruiner 2000. Due to the open cockpit, the front occupants are very exposed to gunfire. The tail of the helicopter can be shot to destroy it more quickly.
GTA V and Online Overview[]
Take-Off Speed (0-60 knots in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh / knots) |
Vertical Climb/ Descent Rate (ft/min) |
Engine Type | Engine Location | Mass (kg / lbs) |
Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 99 / 160 / 86 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6500 / 14330 | 100 |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Single turboshaft engine, three-bladed rotor | Rear | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
Damage (per shot) [?] |
Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) [?] |
Ammo Specifications/ Capacity |
Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 2 | 50 / 164 | 1 | N/A | N/A |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Damage | 0% 0% | ||||
Fire Rate/Speed | 0% 0% | ||||
Accuracy | 10% 10% | ||||
Range | 35% 35% | ||||
Clip Size | 1% 1% |
Rockstar Games Social Club[]
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
Gallery[]
3D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
HD Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
Grand Theft Auto V[]
Special Variants[]
3D Universe[]
A NPC version of the Police Maverick appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, which only appears if the player has three or more wanted level stars. In reality, the NPC Police Maverick is the reused Police Helicopter from Grand Theft Auto III, using the regular model of the GTA Vice City Police Maverick model [3][1][2], with slight differences: 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. The back doors are open for the animation of the SWAT team rappeling down from the police helicopter. In GTA Vice City Stories, the slide-door variant retains the GTA Vice City 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 GTA Liberty City Stories, the windows of the helicopter are blackened, obscuring the interior.
If the player manages to obtain it (not possible by normal means) in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the helicopter is useless and does not accelerate. It also misses some features such as leaning (however, it can lean left/right), going down and turning. When the helicopter is in mid-air, it will fall through the ground immediately due to its "bullet/rocket collision only". This is due to the fact that there is no code in the game's handling files for the helicopter's flight characteristics. The game instead uses a special physics engine to control the AI-controlled police helicopter that follows the player at a high wanted level.
In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories however, the NPC Police Maverick performs exactly like a regular Police Maverick, due to the fact that there is no scripted path file for it like in GTA Vice City. However, it retains its abilities, and is thus extremely responsive and fast - it can accelerate to full speed and also quickly stop. It can also accelerate upwards very fast, past the height limit of the game without any limitations, also retaining its black windows, obscuring its interior.
Grand Theft Auto V[]
Air Ambulance[]
In Grand Theft Auto V, there is a medical version of the Police Maverick, dubbed the "Air Ambulance". While this variant retains the Police Maverick design and name, the liveries have been changed into that of a medical variation, mostly consisting of red livery textures on the front section, tail boom and part of the underside.
File | Color Set | Window Tint? | Livery? | Mod Kit |
---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | No | No |
Prominent Appearances in Missions[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- The Introduction - The Police Maverick is the first vehicle seen in these special cutscenes, flying over Tenpenny and Pulaski walking on the streets.
- Reuniting the Families - The first one appears 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 one appears shortly after and will chase the crew through East Los Santos.
- 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.
- Cop Wheels - A Police Maverick is seen at the Las Venturas Hospital taking off from the building's parking lot when CJ arrives there.
- 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 Clown's Pocket and can be stolen in order to escape towards the Verdant Meadows Airfield.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Turn on, Tune in, Bug out - A Police Maverick flies to the Little Havana Police Station with two VCPD officers hanging on the right side to protect two antennas on the rooftop of the building.
The Lost And Damned[]
- One Police Maverick made a small cameo in Shifting Weight where it will join the police chase when Johnny Klebitz, Malc and DeSean reach the Northwood Heights Bridge. It can be destroyed.
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 The Long Stretch, police arrive in two Police Mavericks as an attempt to take out Franklin, Lamar and Stretch.
- In Eye in the Sky, Trevor must assist Franklin in the theft of the Z-Type using the Police Maverick's equipment.
- In The Paleto Score, a NOOSE team confronts the crew in a Police Maverick, but it is taken down and crashes into a nearby building.
- In The Big Score, Police Mavericks are seen in both approaches.
- In the Subtle approach, one attempts to take out the crew's Gauntlets and a second one appears in the cutscene trying to locate the suspects (which were already hidden in the trucks).
- In the Obvious approach, one is seen deploying NOOSE TRU agents in a nearby elevation trying to take out the crew and two are seen carrying LSPD officers with the same objective.
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.
- An Air Ambulance variant is provided in an Air Freight Cargo steal mission. The passengers can use Sniper Rifles to take down the enemies.
- Pairs of Police Mavericks may appear in an Air Freight Cargo Sell mission involving a Mogul. These are marked as regular enemy helicopters and carry NOOSE TRU agents armed with Combat MGs.
- Appears on the helipad of a building across the highway from The Diamond Casino & Resort in the Casino Heist, where it can be used by players to escape. This may be either the regular version or the ambulance variant.
- Used by attacking enemies in the Project 4808D: Desert and Project 4808E: Arena survivals.
- In Planning Work: Vault Code as part of The Union Depository Contract, the player steals a Police Maverick in order to tail the Union Depository Bank Manager and use its camera equipment to take incriminating evidence of the bank manager's extramarital affair.
- In Investigation: The Ballas as part of South Central Leak, a Police Maverick appears in the shootout and remains in the area while the Ballas run away from the police presence, but disappears after the interrogation of P.
- In Acid Product: Police sting, a Police Maverick can be seen on a building near the parking garage where the deal will take place, and will take off to intercept the player.
Locations[]
Like the Police Helicopter in Grand Theft Auto III, pursuing Police Mavericks appear at wanted levels of at least three stars. 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[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- On top of the LSPD Headquarters rooftop in Pershing Square, Los Santos after completing the mission Learning to Fly.
- It can be acquired in mid-flight during a police chase by climbing on the top of a crane and hijacking it when it flies by.
- It 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.
- Police Mavericks can frequently be seen flying over gang controlled neighborhoods in Los Santos and San Fierro when the player lacks a wanted level. If the player obtains a wanted level while one is nearby, they will not give chase unless the wanted level is three stars or higher.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- This helicopter does not spawn anywhere and cannot be obtained by normal means.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- On the 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 and 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 of two methods:
- First 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, one can only fly the Police Maverick in multiplayer Race Mode.
- Second method - Go to middle of the pond in Middle Park and snipe people until a three star wanted level is obtained. When the helicopter appears, shoot the pilot from the side. If it falls in shallow water, the player may obtain it. Since the Police Officers will not try to swim to the island to go after the player, they will have plenty of chances to get the Police Maverick before the Annihilator appears.
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.
The Ballad of Gay Tony[]
Singleplayer[]
- During the mission "Not So Fast", one can steal a Police Maverick when the player has 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 and Online[]
Police Maverick[]
- Vespucci Canals on Prosperity Street - On top of the Vespucci Police Station.
- Davis on Innocence Boulevard - On top of the Davis Sheriff's Station (sometimes an unarmed Buzzard will spawn instead). Stealing it will cause a one star wanted level, but that can be easily evaded with the vehicle itself.
- On the top of Mission Row Police Station (sometimes an unarmed Buzzard will spawn there). Once the player is on the roof, they receive an automatic 3-star wanted level
- Can be obtained during a 3-star wanted level by waiting it to land on the ground to deploy four agents, then taking everyone out (ensuring the pilot is taken out). It works better on Los Santos Naval Port (Elysian Island), as it has ample room for the Police Mavericks and officers in Police Cruisers will rarely arrive here, unless the player is at the far side of the restricted facility.
- On the roof of the Weazel News Building helipad.
- Police Mavericks regularly patrols various locations in San Andreas, particularly South Los Santos and Mission Row/Legion Square. Less frequently, they patrol Los Santos County and even more rarely Blaine County.
- At least one of them will patrol Los Santos International Airport and Bolingbroke Penitentiary.
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 regular Police Maverick as well).
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Police Maverick[]
- Sometimes found in the same locations mentioned above.
- Will spawn more frequently when a player that is close to these locations has a 3-star wanted level or higher being pursued by Police Mavericks, as this will work as a spawn seed.
- Spawns on top of Mission Row Police Station during the Clubhouse Contact Mission of P.O.W at this location.
- Appears in the Planning Work: Vault Code and can be kept upon completion of the mission, although the steady control and camera features are no longer available.
Air Ambulance[]
- Sometimes spawns on the helipads at Central Los Santos Hospital.
- Sometimes spawns on top of the Vinewood Police Station, Vespucci Police Station and Weazel News Building (can sometimes spawn as a regular Police Maverick as well).
Video[]
Rewards[]
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- The Police Maverick gives the player a Sniper Rifle upon entry.
Trivia[]
3D Universe[]
- The Police Maverick is featured in Rockstar North's Manhunt 2 as one of the numerous unusable vehicles, bearing the VCPD's color scheme.
- 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. This is because, they are not supposed to be obtained.
- In GTA Liberty City Stories, the Police Maverick uses the LOD of the controllable GTA Vice City Police Maverick, with decals and colours changed.
- 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 GTA San Andreas, this is not the case, and they can be shot down by the player using the minigun or other heavy arms (which instantly grants a 3 star wanted level). In GTA 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 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 (Xbox), (PS2) or the horn button (by 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 their device and presses the action/sub-mission button, the searchlight can be turned on.
- This feature does not seem to work on the HD remaster ports of San Andreas as pressing either the action/sub-mission button does nothing.
- 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, shots will be coming at the player from the underbelly of the helicopter from the ground; this is due to programming limitations.
- In GTA San Andreas, the pilot, gunner and co-pilot are named "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!!)[4].
- In GTA San Andreas, the Police Maverick will not pursue the player in sand storms, likely due to poor visibility. If the player enters a sand storm or changes the weather via cheats, any pursuing Police Maverick will simply abandon the chase and fly away.
- 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, despite it being very resistant to bullet-based weapons.
- 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.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, one of the pilots is called "Jimmy". (Co-Pilot: Jimmy, can you keep this 'copter steady?").
- In GTA Vice City, the Police Maverick that chases the player is invulnerable to any forms of weapons but very vulnerable to both the Rocket Launcher and Sniper Rifle. Unlike other vehicles that explode into a black object, the Police Maverick explodes into shard-like pieces. The destruction of the Police Maverick awards the player $250 and half wanted star.
- In GTA San Andreas, saving and Loading a game at the Jefferson safehouse will usually cause a Police Maverick to spawn outside. A nearby gang member will usually flee on foot, even abandoning any vehicle they were driving. At night, the Police Maverick will use their searchlight to follow the gang member.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
- In one of the GTA V Artworks, the Police Maverick appears to assume the Eurocopter AS350B design, evidenced by the shorter rear doors and the different searchlight positioning, as well as a different livery, very different from the current one used by the vehicle in-game (excluding the "LSPD" on its underside, which remains the same).
- In the first trailer, the Police Maverick was initially based on its GTA IV rendition with the current black and white scheme.
- Unlike in GTA IV, Police Mavericks and Buzzards are never used by the LSPD during wanted levels, but only by NOOSE TRU agents. Only the ones used during certain missions and those flying above Grove Street, Vinewood, and Davis are used by the LSPD.
- Those spawning flying above the city will never chase the player while being wanted and will keep their scripted scenario, although the game will still mark them as active helicopters and will spot the player if they remain "identified" (i.e. not switching vehicles out of sight). If the player attempts to approach them while being wanted, the copilot will attack them with a Pistol.
- Police Maverick officers may talk through the megaphone quotes like "LSPD, hands up" and "Stop right there". They sound more muffled than the quotes read from the LSPD Cruisers, possibly due to their height.
- Due to the "Air Ambulance" only being a variant of the Police Maverick rather than a separate vehicle, it tends to spawn flying around the Bolingbroke Penitentiary instead of the regular Police Maverick.
- While the Police Maverick is programmed to carry two people in the rear bay during regular gameplay, those that spawn during wanted levels and are deploying NOOSE TRU officers on the ground will have two more appearing from behind the rear wall of the bay, as if the aircraft is capable of carrying six people.
Bugs/Glitches[]
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.
- If the player goes inside Phil Cassidy's hangar next to his home, the Police Maverick will suddenly fly away and despawn.
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 AI-controlled Police Maverick may sometimes appear under the ground if using the Jetpack to shake the Maverick off multiple times.
- If the player manages to steal the AI-controlled Police Maverick, land, and exit the helicopter, the helicopter will act like it's still controlled by the AI, albeit can't fly anymore. It will even deploy S.W.A.T. Team members if the player has more than 3 wanted stars.
- Doing a replay whilst controlling the hijacked Police Maverick will cause CJ to be wasted.
HD Universe[]
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. This will no longer happen when the player goes back to the safe house from a considerable distance away from it. This also happens with the Annihilator if it is obtained with the same method.
- Holding / to shut off the engine will prevent this.
- Leaving the helicopter very close to the ground and then pressing / immediately before pressing / may hurt the player a bit, but the helicopter will not suffer this glitch, as it will not have enough time to ascend by itself.
- This bug was fixed in The Complete Edition update on PC.
Grand Theft Auto V[]
- Sometimes, after a 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.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Grand Theft Auto III:
\Grand Theft Auto III\text\american.gxt\HELI -Helicopter
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
NPC Police Maverick:
\Grand Theft Auto Vice City\text\american.gxt\HELI -Helicopter
Regular Police Maverick:
\Grand Theft Auto Vice City\text\american.gxt\POLMAV -Police Maverick
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSP version)
Used in all Helicopters in the game; Not displayed in the HUD:
\PSP_GAME\USRDIR\TEXT\ENGLISH.GXT\HELI -Helicopter
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PSP version)
NPC VCPD Maverick:
\PSP_GAME\USRDIR\TEXT\ENGLISH.GXT\CHOPPER -VCPD Maverick
Regular VCPD Maverick:
\PSP_GAME\USRDIR\TEXT\ENGLISH.GXT\POLMAV -VCPD Maverick
- ↑ As suggested by the .GXT files:
AMERICAN.GXT text strings for the Helicopter (Escape), which is shared with Police Helicopter in GTA III, and used for the NPC Police Maverick in the next 3D Universe games. - ↑ GTA San Andreas Police Quotes