American pilot Benjamin McDaniel has turned an eight-hour flight over Arkansas into a giant Grand Theft Auto VI tribute, tracing the game's logo and a collection of Florida-inspired images with his aircraft. A time-lapse of the flight path spread online after aviation enthusiasts watched the design emerge.
McDaniel, known online as ThePilotPicasso, flew a Cessna Skyplane RG to create the artwork, according to IndulgExpress. His route was visible on Flightradar24, allowing viewers to follow the drawing as it took shape rather than seeing only the finished image. Originally reported by IndulgExpress.
Eight hours to complete the flight-path mural
The flight began at a Bentonville airstrip at 11.29 am and ended on the same runway at 7.37 pm. McDaniel spent eight hours and eight minutes airborne to complete the sprawling design.
The finished track placed a helicopter above the GTA VI logo, alongside a sports car, palm trees, an alligator and a bikini-clad figure. Together, the images formed a detailed fan tribute built from the route of a single aircraft.
Such flight-path artwork requires careful preparation: the pilot has to account for aircraft performance, turns, altitude restrictions and geographic coordinates while keeping the operation safe. Each part of the image depends on navigating the planned route precisely.
Gaming fans watched the artwork take shape
Flightradar24 drew attention to McDaniel's route while he was still flying, bringing gaming fans to watch its progress live. Social media responses praised the result, with viewers describing watching it with their children and joking about the long wait for the game.
Sharing the time-lapse online, Benjamin McDaniel wrote: "I spent 8 hours drawing GTA 6 in the sky, but realistically, I've been waiting 11 years for this moment."
The GTA VI tribute adds to McDaniel's earlier flight-path recreations of famous paintings. His previous aerial works include Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Edvard Munch's The Scream, both of which brought him international attention.
Originally reported by IndulgExpress.