- Toreno: "Would you like to see your brother this week?"
- Carl: "Yeah! What can I do?"
- Toreno: "You just gotta steal a military jet off an amphibious assault ship and use it to destroy a flotilla of spy ships. Nothing big."
- —Mike Toreno gives Carl Johnson his mission
Vertical Bird is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, given to protagonist Carl Johnson by government agent Mike Toreno from Madd Dogg's Crib at the Mulholland district of Los Santos, San Andreas.
Mission
After reclaiming the mansion from the Vagos, Carl returns to the mansion, where he listens to Madd Dogg performing in his recording studio with Kent Paul and Maccer. All of a sudden, the audio is cut off and Toreno's voice is heard on the speakers, requesting that Carl meet him outside the mansion. Carl leaves Paul, Maccer and Dogg in the studio and enters Toreno's Washington outside.
Toreno drives Carl to the northern shore of Red County. Requesting another job to be performed for him in exchange for Sweet's release from prison, Toreno demands that Carl sneak inside a amphibious assault ship in the Easter Basin Naval Station to steal a Hydra VTOL jet to destroy a flotilla of spy ships. Carl hops in a Squalo speedboat containing a knife and a silenced pistol, and heads for the naval base. Carl enters the ship through the rear, where he has the option to either blast his way in, or sneak inside the ship using his equipment. Regardless, Carl disables the ship's S.A.M. sites and steals one of the Hydras.
Shortly afterwards, a group of Hydras are dispatched to shoot down Carl's aircraft. Toreno tells Carl not to worry about it, stating that a shootdown would cause an international incident. Carl destroys the pursuing aircraft and flies towards the Sherman Reservoir where he uses the Hydra's weaponry to destroy the Tropic spy ships, as Toreno requested. With his task completed, an infuriated Carl now asks Toreno what to do with the jet, but Toreno tells Carl that it is his problem. Carl flies the aircraft back to the Verdant Meadows airfield, where he taxis the jet into one of the hangars, completing the mission.
Mission Objectives
In order to complete the mission the player must:
- There's a silenced pistol and a knife in the speedboat
- Head for the ship
- Get inside the ship before the rear door closes. Swimming will help avoid detcetion by the guards
- Find the control room to switch off the SAM sites
- Steal one of the military jets
- There are military jets on your tail. Take them out
- All enemy jets are destroyed. Now destroy the spy ships
- Take the jet to the desert airfield and land anywhere on the landing strip
Deaths
- (Potentially) All of the guards and mechanics aboard the LHD-069 - Killed by Carl Johnson in order to steal a Hydra VTOL jet.
- Pilots of enemy Hydra VTOL jet(s) - Killed by Carl Johnson for attempting to kill him for stealing one of the Hydras.
- Unknown personnel aboard the Tropic spy ships - Killed by Carl Johnson with a Hydra jet under the orders of Mike Toreno.
Rewards
Upon completing this mission, the player is rewarded with $50,000 and an increase in respect. The mission Home Coming is also unlocked.
The Hydra will now permanently spawn in the westernmost hangar of Verdant Meadows, as indicated by an on-screen message. As well, one is found on the aircraft carrier's flight deck, and two are found onto Area 69's tarmac, although both areas are restricted and the player will earn a 5-star wanted level for trespassing. Heavy weaponry will now spawn at Toreno's ranch, including a minigun, both versions of the rocket launcher, and the flamethrower. All of them gives the player more ammunition than a regular pick-up. E.G. Minigun with 500 ammo here, other locations 200 ammo.
After the Mission
A WCTR news bulletin announces that several eyewitnesses witnessed the Hydra being stolen from the Naval Base. However, this is denied by the Navy.
Gallery
Trivia
- The mission's title is likely a reference to the Hydra as it takes off vertically before flying.
- This is the only storyline mission that takes place across each of the three major areas in the State of San Andreas. It starts at Madd Dogg's Crib (Los Santos), Carl steals the Hydra from the Easter Basin Naval Station (San Fierro), destroys spy ships in Tierra Robada and lands the jet at Verdant Meadows (Las Venturas).
- The only mission that covers more distance is the second Beat The Cock! triathalon. It starts in Palomino Creek, traverses the countryside and requires the player to enter San Fierro, Bayside and Las Venturas proper, the latter two requiring a passage through the desert.
- The mission is scripted to take place at night and have stormy weather.
- If the patrol boat that enters the carrier is destroyed from afar (with a Minigun or RPG), the game will crash as soon as the player sneaks aboard.
- The default radio station in the Washington is WCTR, but when Carl and Toreno enter Toreno's car, K-Rose is playing.
- In the beta, Carl would have to drive all the way to the boat, as depicted by unused mission failure messages. I.E. "Toreno's car is destroyed!"
- The S.A.M. sites on the aircraft carrier are mission-exclusive, and will remain inactive out of the mission, regardless of whether they were deactivated or not by the player during the mission.
Video Walkthroughs
