Clever Fortnite Helicopter trick lets you switch to autopilot

Wanted to use Fortnite’s new helicopters as a solo but not fly around like a sitting duck? There’s a way to kick the choppers into autopilot, with a neat little trick allowing you to keep shooting while in flight.

Fortnite’s new helicopters have been a hit with players. The choppers were added to the game in the 12.20 Patch on March 17, with 11 vehicles now available around the map.

The five-person helicopter obviously needs someone in the pilot’s seat to achieve take-off, however, a bug has been discovered that allows players to throw it into autopilot.

Reddit user ‘Ryuzanami’ highlighted just how to pull off the autopilot trick using the newly-released Proximity Mines on March 22.

After getting the mine, place it on the top of the helicopter, just behind the cabin. When you jump into the helicopter, it will start to detonate, however if you change seats to be on the outside, the mine won’t blow up.

• Read more: Where to find helicopters in Fortnite

Instead, it’ll give you the ability to fly, which then allows you to spend time shooting enemies instead of having to focus on getting around without dying.

There are a few drawbacks to the trick though. You can only travel in one direction, and eventually you’ll lose the helicopter for good ⁠— either to a hill, or to the zone ⁠— as it will keep going unless you manage to shoot the Proximity Mine.

However, if you want to confuse some enemies, the autopilot trick is pretty easy to pull off. It’s flashy to say the least, so the style points for getting a kill would be worth it.

• Read more: Tfue claps back at Ninja over Fortnite’s “broken” harpoons

On top of that though, the trick could prove handy for some upcoming challenges, especially if you prefer to queue by yourself. A Week 6 Meowscles challenge revolves around dealing 200 damage to players while riding in a Choppa, with this trick making life easier for solo players.

Epic are yet to comment on the trick, although given how popular it’s getting, it might not be long until it’s patched out.

Until then, you can give it a crack by dropping in one of the various locations on the map where the Choppas are found. Don’t know where to go? Follow our guide to find them all.