The GTA 5 PS3 helicopter cheat code is Circle, Circle, L1, Circle, Circle, Circle, L1, L2, R1, Triangle, Circle, Triangle, and it spawns a Buzzard attack chopper directly beside Michael, Franklin or Trevor. You can also dial 1-999-289-9633 on the in-game phone to get the same result, which is far easier to remember than the button string. There is no second helicopter cheat in Grand Theft Auto V, so the Buzzard is the only rotorcraft the cheat system will hand you.
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That single line answers the question, but the PS3 version of GTA V has a few quirks worth knowing before you start punching in codes on the D-pad and face buttons. Below you will find the full aircraft cheat list, the rules Rockstar built around cheats, and a comparison table of other open-world games worth playing if you enjoy flying over a city at 200 feet.
| Game | Platform | Genre | Why It’s Great | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V | PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360/One/Series, PC | Open-world action | Three playable protagonists and the deepest sandbox Rockstar has built | 9.7/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PS2, PS3, Xbox, PC, mobile | Open-world action | Huge state-sized map with planes, jetpacks and RPG-style stats | 9.5/10 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | PS4, Xbox One, PC | Open-world western | Astonishing world detail and one of gaming’s best-written casts | 9.8/10 |
| Just Cause 3 | PS4, Xbox One, PC | Action sandbox | Grapple, wingsuit and helicopter chaos with almost no restrictions | 8.2/10 |
| Saints Row: The Third | PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Switch | Open-world action | Comedy-first sandbox with VTOLs and absurd toys unlocked early | 8.5/10 |
| Watch Dogs 2 | PS4, Xbox One, PC | Open-world hacking | San Francisco recreated with drones, hacking and no forced combat | 8.6/10 |
| Sleeping Dogs | PS3, Xbox 360, PC | Open-world action | Hand-to-hand combat and a dense, believable Hong Kong | 8.4/10 |
| Mafia III | PS4, Xbox One, PC | Open-world crime | Superb 1968 New Bordeaux setting and a strong revenge story | 7.8/10 |
How the GTA 5 PS3 helicopter cheat code works
GTA V on PS3 accepts cheats in two ways. The first is the classic controller combination, which must be entered quickly while you are on foot or in a vehicle in single-player, with no menu open. The second is the mobile phone: press up on the D-pad, open Contacts, hit the keypad icon, and type the number. Both routes trigger the same script. The phone method is more forgiving because there is no timing window — you simply type the digits and press call. If the cheat works, a confirmation message appears in the top-left corner of the screen and the Buzzard drops into the nearest clear space.
The Buzzard that spawns is the armed variant with miniguns and rockets, not the Buzzard Attack Chopper’s unarmed cousin. It appears at ground level, so entering the code inside a tunnel, a parking garage or a tight alley can cause the spawn to fail or place the aircraft awkwardly. Stand in a street, a car park or an open lot for the cleanest result.
Every aircraft cheat on PS3, not just the helicopter
Rockstar only included three flying vehicles in the cheat list. The Buzzard is the helicopter. The Duster is a crop-dusting biplane, entered as Right, Left, R1, R1, R1, Left, Triangle, Triangle, X, Circle, L1, L1 or by dialling 1-999-359-77729. The Stunt Plane is Circle, Right, L1, L2, Left, R1, L1, L1, Left, Left, X, Triangle, or 1-999-227-678-676. There is no cheat for the Cargobob, the Frogger, the Swift, the Titan or any jet — those have to be stolen, bought or found in the world.
A fourth cheat is worth pairing with the helicopter: Skyfall, entered as L1, L2, R1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1, L2, R1, R2. It launches you thousands of feet into the air in freefall. Combine it with the parachute you get from the weapons cheat and you have an instant skydiving setup. Long flying sessions are much easier with a comfortable pad, so if your DualShock 3 sticks have drifted it is worth reading a proper gaming controller buying guide before you spend another twenty hours in the air.
Rules and limitations of cheats in GTA V
Cheats in Grand Theft Auto V are single-player only. Entering them will never work in GTA Online, and Rockstar actively bans modified sessions, so do not attempt anything similar there. Cheats also do not save. Every time you quit to the main menu, load a save or restart the console, all active cheats switch off and vehicle spawns disappear. If you want a Buzzard permanently, land it in a character’s garage or on a helipad and it may persist as a stored vehicle, though results vary.
Cheats can also interfere with missions. Spawning a helicopter mid-mission sometimes breaks scripted checkpoints, particularly during chases where the game expects you to be in a specific vehicle. Save your progress manually before experimenting. On PS3 the load times after a broken mission are painfully long, which is one of many reasons players eventually migrate to newer hardware — a decision usually made easier by a current gaming console buying guide.
Why the GTA 5 PS3 helicopter cheat sometimes fails
Three things cause failures. First, timing: the controller combination must be entered in roughly three seconds, and the PS3’s D-pad inputs are easy to fumble. Second, position: if there is no flat ground within a short radius, the spawn silently cancels. Third, state: cheats will not register during cutscenes, while swimming, while in the middle of a phone call, or while the pause menu is open.
If the buttons keep failing, use the phone number instead. It removes the timing problem entirely. If the phone method also fails, you are almost certainly in a mission or cutscene state that blocks cheats. Step outside the mission area, wait for the mission to end, and try again on an open street.
Flying the Buzzard well once it spawns
The Buzzard is fast and fragile. On PS3 the flight controls are L2 and R2 for collective down and up, the left stick for pitch and roll, and L1/R1 for yaw. The most common mistake is climbing at full power and then flattening out too late, which stalls forward momentum. Instead, pitch the nose down slightly and hold three-quarter collective to build speed.
Miniguns fire with R2 when armed, rockets with L2 in the gunner position, and switching weapons uses the D-pad. If you plan to record or stream your flights, the PS3’s built-in options are limited, so an external capture setup matters more than software; a modern capture card buying guide covers how older consoles connect over component or HDMI.
Getting a helicopter without cheat codes
You do not actually need the cheat. Helicopters spawn reliably at several fixed locations: the Los Santos International Airport helipads, the hospital roof in the city centre, the Fort Zancudo military base, and the downtown skyscraper helipads once you have unlocked the surrounding area. Franklin’s story missions also unlock aircraft you can store.
Buying is the cleanest option. Once you have money from the heists, the in-game websites sell hangars, helipads and aircraft outright, which means your helicopter is always waiting and never disappears on a reload. Long grinding sessions are noticeably more pleasant with decent audio, and a solid gaming headset buying guide will point you toward pads that do not clamp after two hours.
Playing GTA V beyond the PS3 version
The PS3 build of GTA V is the original 2013 release. It runs at 720p and 30fps, has no first-person mode, and receives no further updates. The PS4, PS5, Xbox and PC versions add first-person view, denser traffic, better foliage and a far higher draw distance, and the same cheats work with the equivalent buttons on those pads.
If you make the jump to PC, cheats are entered by pressing the tilde key and typing words such as BUZZOFF for the Buzzard. PC also opens up ultrawide support and high refresh rates, which changes how the game feels more than any graphical setting; a gaming monitor buying guide is genuinely useful here. And if you are building a machine from scratch, load times in open-world games are dominated by storage, so read an SSD buying guide before choosing a drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the GTA 5 PS3 helicopter cheat code disable saving?
No, you can still save normally after using the helicopter cheat, but the cheat itself does not persist. Every cheat deactivates when you load a save file, quit to the dashboard or restart the console, so you will need to re-enter the code or redial the phone number in each new session.
Can I use the helicopter cheat in GTA Online?
No. All cheat codes in Grand Theft Auto V are restricted to the single-player story mode. Attempting to use cheats, trainers or modified files in GTA Online violates Rockstar’s terms of service and can result in your account being suspended or permanently banned from online play.
Which helicopter does the cheat actually spawn?
It spawns the Buzzard, a light armed attack helicopter equipped with miniguns and rockets. It is fast and highly manoeuvrable but has thin armour, so a couple of rocket hits or sustained gunfire from ground enemies will bring it down quickly compared with heavier aircraft like the Cargobob.
Is there a separate cheat for planes on PS3?
Yes, two of them. The Duster crop-duster uses Right, Left, R1, R1, R1, Left, Triangle, Triangle, X, Circle, L1, L1, and the Stunt Plane uses Circle, Right, L1, L2, Left, R1, L1, L1, Left, Left, X, Triangle. No cheat exists for jets, which must be stolen from Fort Zancudo or the airport.
