Pilot Turns Flight Path Into GTA VI Tribute Ahead of Release
Benjamin G. McDaniel III departed from Bentonville and returned to the same airport after creating an image visible on flight-tracking services.
Rumor: this information has not yet been officially confirmed.
American pilot Benjamin G. McDaniel III flew over Arkansas, United States, for 8 hours and 8 minutes to create a tribute to Grand Theft Auto VI, or GTA VI, on a map. The route formed the game's name and figures reminiscent of its promotional artwork, including an alligator and a helicopter.
Known online as The Pilot Picasso, McDaniel departed from Bentonville Municipal Airport on November 5, 2026, and returned to the same location. The route was recorded by flight-tracking services.
The image wasn't physically painted in the sky; it appears on maps that record the aircraft's movements. In addition to the GTA VI name, alligator, and helicopter, the composition features palm trees, a sports car, and a woman in a bikini holding a gun.
To draw it, the pilot used a 1978 Cessna R182 Skylane RG with registration number N1810R. The planned curves and movements throughout the flight produced the outlines visible on the map.
The route attracted attention while the drawing was still taking shape, and users on Reddit, an internet forum platform, shared screenshots and commented on the image. McDaniel had previously created other works using airplane routes, including versions of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Edvard Munch's The Scream.
Grand Theft Auto VI is Rockstar Games' next game and is set in Leonida, a fictional state inspired by Florida. It's scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
He planned an airplane's route to form images on flight-tracking maps without painting the sky.
The aircraft's records show an 8-hour-and-8-minute flight that departed from and arrived in Bentonville, Arkansas.
The image includes the game's name, a helicopter, palm trees, an alligator, a sports car, and an armed woman.