GTA 6 fans have found plenty of ways to celebrate the game’s approaching launch, but one pilot has taken things quite literally to another level. American
pilot Benjamin McDaniel, better known online as The Pilot Picasso, flew a small aircraft over Arkansas in the US, tracing a massive Grand Theft Auto VI tribute on flight-tracking maps. And yes, he used an actual plane for it.
The artwork featured the GTA-inspired imagery, including a helicopter, palm tree, alligator, sports car and a woman holding a gun. McDaniel then traced the game’s name through his flight path. According to updates shared by Rockstar Games community accounts, the entire flight lasted approximately 8 hours and 8 minutes. Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 followed the aircraft as the drawing took shape.
Who is the pilot who drew the GTA 6 logo?
Benjamin McDaniel is an American pilot known for creating drawings using aircraft flight paths. His online identity, The Pilot Picasso, comes from his unusual hobby of turning flight-tracking maps into artwork.
According to AirNav Radar, McDaniel began flying in 2020 and studied aviation management at Auburn University. He later worked as a flight instructor.
He started creating simple aerial drawings around 2023. Explaining his process in an earlier interview with AirNav Radar, McDaniel said, “I start with an idea, then break it down into a drawing an airplane can actually fly.”
Okay, we think we figured it out. https://t.co/YeWWRgGHGv
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) November 6, 2026
How did he draw GTA 6 artwork using an actual aircraft?
McDaniel flew a Cessna R182 Skylane RG (Western Company Cuban 800 from GTA Online), registered N1810R. By carefully following a planned route, he created shapes that appeared on aircraft-tracking websites.
The drawing was made using the plane’s recorded movements. It was not physically painted across the sky. Anyone following the flight online could see the design gradually appear on the map.
For a game famous for letting players fly aircraft across fictional cities, this was a rather fitting tribute.
Read more: Xbox unveils crocodile-shaped console ahead of GTA 6 launch, but can you actually buy it?
When is GTA 6 releasing?
Rockstar Games has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI will release on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The game returns players to Vice City, located in the fictional state of Leonida, and follows protagonists Jason and Lucia. A PC release date has not been announced.
With less than two weeks remaining before launch, McDaniel’s unusual flight has become another talking point among GTA fans waiting to return to Vice City.
