Sniping the Cockpit: Difference between revisions

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== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Inverted in ''[[Gundam Seed]]'': the [[Technical Pacifist]] Kira eventually trains himself to render any [[Humongous Mecha]] inoperable without any damage to the cockpit.

* In an episode of ''[[Ghost in ~~The~~ Shell Stand Alone Complex]]'', a helicopter pilot suffers from a ({{spoiler|deliberately induced}}) heart attack, which causes the AI in his aircraft to malfunction. This trope is invoked (since he apparently went into a coma) so it realises that he's dead and returns to base.

* In an episode of ''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'', a helicopter pilot suffers from a ({{spoiler|deliberately induced}}) heart attack, which causes the AI in his aircraft to malfunction. This trope is invoked (since he apparently went into a coma) so it realises that he's dead and returns to base.

* Standard operating procedure for the mecha in ''[[Bokurano]]''.

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== [[Film]] ==

* In ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', this leads to the loss of the Super Star Destroyer ''Executor'' as a result of a [[Taking You ~~With~~ Me]] attack from a crippled Rebel starfighter. The massive ship was sent careening out of control and crashed into the Death Star.

* In ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', this leads to the loss of the Super Star Destroyer ''Executor'' as a result of a [[Taking You with Me]] attack from a crippled Rebel starfighter. The massive ship was sent careening out of control and crashed into the Death Star.

* In the [[World War One]] movie ''[[Flyboys]]'' many of the pilots are killed in their cockpits. In the final fight {{spoiler|the hero kills the German Ace with a well placed shot from a revolver while they are flying side by side}}.

* Used in ''[[Avatar (~~Film~~)|Avatar]]'' when the natives couldn't destroy the tiltrotors or Powered Armor wholesale, but could throw spears with sufficient heft to pierce the cockpits.

* Used in ''[[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]'' when the natives couldn't destroy the tiltrotors or Powered Armor wholesale, but could throw spears with sufficient heft to pierce the cockpits.

== [[Literature]] ==

* Shooting the pilots is noted to be an effective tactic against Ork flyers in the [[Ciaphas Cain]] novel ''The Last Ditch''.

* Tycho Celchu's trademark in the [[X Wing Series]] is doing this with full-sized starfighter guns.

* In [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''[[Worldwar ~~(Literature)~~]]'' series, aliens invade in the middle of [[World War II]]. While the Lizards have technology and vehicles far superior to WWII era tanks and planes, they're still vulnerable to things like a tank commander getting his head blown off when he sticks his head out of the hatch.

* In [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''[[Worldwar]]'' series, aliens invade in the middle of [[World War II]]. While the Lizards have technology and vehicles far superior to WWII era tanks and planes, they're still vulnerable to things like a tank commander getting his head blown off when he sticks his head out of the hatch.

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* In the 2000's version of ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]'', Starbuck pulls off a variant of this against a Cylon raider she is duelling. Given the nature of the Raiders in this setting, however, this also overlaps with [[Boom! Headshot!]].

* In [[Stargate SG 1 ~~(TV)~~|"48 Hours"]] Teal'c takes down an ''al'kesh'' bomber by shooting the cockpit. ''[[BFG|With the gun from]] [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill|a Death Glider.]]''

* In [[Stargate SG-1|"48 Hours"]] Teal'c takes down an ''al'kesh'' bomber by shooting the cockpit. ''[[BFG|With the gun from]] [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill|a Death Glider.]]''

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* Common in the ''[[~~Battle Tech~~]]'' universe. Since 'Mechs are difficult to produce in large numbers anymore, it's become common for pilots to attempt to kill one another with aimed attacks that try to minimize damage to the 'Mech itself.

* Common in the ''[[BattleTech]]'' universe. Since 'Mechs are difficult to produce in large numbers anymore, it's become common for pilots to attempt to kill one another with aimed attacks that try to minimize damage to the 'Mech itself.

== [[Video Games]] ==

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** ''[[Command and Conquer Generals]]'' has a hero unit that can snipe pilots out of vehicles, leaving behind the unoccupied vehicle that can then be captured by a friendly infantry grunt. The Chinese Nuke Cannon superweapon does the same thing, only on a larger scale.

** Similarly, Natasha Volkova from ''[[Command and Conquer Red Alert 3]]'' is able to snipe the operator of a vehicle, at which point any infantry unit can hop in.

* Can be done in the ''[[Mechwarrior]]'' games, which take place in the [[~~Battle Tech~~]] universe (see above). Killing the pilot in ''[[Mechwarrior]] Living Legends'' also allows you to steal the mech - in previous [[Mechwarrior]] games, destroying the cockpit would simply "destroy" the mech.

* Can be done in the ''[[Mechwarrior]]'' games, which take place in the [[BattleTech]] universe (see above). Killing the pilot in ''[[Mechwarrior]] Living Legends'' also allows you to steal the mech - in previous [[Mechwarrior]] games, destroying the cockpit would simply "destroy" the mech.

** However, in some previous titles, a clean kill would be more likely to allow you to salvage the mech after the battle, adding it to your arsenal in future missions.

* At one point in ''[[Modern Warfare]]'' you do this to a Hind. Then Captain MacMillan does it to another Hind, which almost crashes on top of him.

* ''[[Battlezone 1998 ~~(Video~~ ~~Game~~)|Battlezone 1998]]'' had a sniper rifle precisely to allow the player to do this.

* ''[[Battlezone (1998 video game)|Battlezone 1998]]'' had a sniper rifle precisely to allow the player to do this.

* Killing the pilot is one way to score a victory in ''[[Red Baron (~~Video~~ ~~Game~~)|Red Baron]]''. As in Real Life, the open cockpits of many planes provide relatively little protection to the crew.

* Killing the pilot is one way to score a victory in ''[[Red Baron (video game)|Red Baron]]''. As in Real Life, the open cockpits of many planes provide relatively little protection to the crew.

* In ''[[Battlefield (~~Video Game~~)|Battlefield 2]]'', the M95 sniper rifle and (occasionally) rockets are capable of bypassing the bulletproof cockpit glass of helicopters and jets, and killing the pilot.

* In ''[[Battlefield (series)|Battlefield 2]]'', the M95 sniper rifle and (occasionally) rockets are capable of bypassing the bulletproof cockpit glass of helicopters and jets, and killing the pilot.

** This also works in Battlefield 3, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrOIgxQ--Tc as beautifully demonstrated in this vid]. Most helicopters' windshields are bulletproof though, so it can only be done with sniper rifles or vehicle mounted machine guns. The Scout Helicopter's windshield is not bulletproof however, so you can just spray at it hoping to kill the pilot.

* Tanks in ''[[World of Tanks]]'' have a crew that can be killed in battle. If the entire crew is dead, then the tank is effectively out of the fight, even if the tank itself is still in one piece.

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== [[Web Comics]] ==

* A Red sniper in ''[[~~Gonewith~~ the Blastwave]]'' does this to a moving plane. And causes the plane to crash into a crowd of enemy soldiers. However, it was done only as a stupid bet out of boredom.

* A Red sniper in ''[[Gone With the Blastwave]]'' does this to a moving plane. And causes the plane to crash into a crowd of enemy soldiers. However, it was done only as a stupid bet out of boredom.

== [[Real Life]] ==