RotorOps Rescue Fire Police Aircraft Tier List

How to read this tier list

[BETA] RotorOps - Rescue & Fire & Police is not a PvP fighter roster. “S tier” means best fit for a job, not a universal winner. An airframe that shines on hoist medevac can be the wrong pick for a Bambi bucket shift. Rankings below blend community flying notes, role kits (winch, stretcher team, medical gear, FLIR, night vision, fuel endurance), and how often crews actually take each type on a full 50-player server.

BETA balance can shift after Veltsim patches—recheck Updates when prices, unlocks, or flight models move. Country settings may also change available brands (US players sometimes see Bell/Boeing options), so treat European EC/AS/H labels as the core documented set.

Criteria we weight:

• Mission fit — medical rescue (SAMU), firefighting, or gendarmerie/police support
• Systems — hoist/winch, patient care space, sensors (FLIR / NVG), fire gear
• Crew value — room for stretcher teams and boarding
• Economy — credit cost vs capability (EC-135 often cited near 160k credits)
• Learning curve — how punishing the airframe is for new pilots practicing Controls and Flying

Medevac / SAMU helicopter tiers

Medical sorties live and die on hoist timing, stable hover, and cabin workflow (collar, splint, tourniquet, intubation, respirator). See Medical Missions and How to Use the Hoist.

Tier	Airframe	Why it lands here
S	EC145 / H145	Workhorse medevac profile: strong multi-crew cabin energy, hoist-friendly, flexible for mixed rescue nights
A	AS365	Excellent when you want a capable twin-feel platform for longer legs and serious rescue posture
A	EC135	Compact, popular unlock goal (~160k credits reported); great once you can afford it and fly it clean
B	Early / alternate trainers	Fine for learning Shift/Ctrl vertical work and X/H/N systems before spending big credits

Medevac takeaway: If your crew is running stretcher + winch operator + pilot, prioritize EC145/H145 comfort. Save for EC135 when your department loop is stable and you are not burning fuel on training circuits—use How to Refuel so expensive airframes stay online.

Firefighting aircraft tiers

Fire work splits between helicopter bucket runs and fixed-wing bombers. Pair this section with Firefighting Missions.

Tier	Asset	Role notes
S	CL-415	Headline water bomber presence for serious fire tasking when the scenario calls for fixed-wing drops
S	Helicopter + Bambi bucket (EC145/H145 class)	Flexible for localized hotspots, repeated dips, and team coordination on the same map
A	Dash 8	Strong bomber alternative when the fire front needs heavier line work than a bucket can sustain
B	Light heli without fire kit focus	Usable for recon or transport to the fire line, weaker as primary suppressant

Fire takeaway: Do not force a pure medevac loadout into a major wildfire ticket. Bring bucket-capable helicopters for precision and CL-415 / Dash 8 when the incident scale jumps. Spotting with FLIR helps at dusk; NVG (N) helps the pilot, not the flames—plan fuel for multiple passes.

Gendarmerie / police support tiers

Gendarmerie flights emphasize presence, sensors, and transport more than water payload. Details live on Gendarmerie Missions and role notes on Players.

Tier	Airframe	Why
S	EC135	Agile observation and response profile once unlocked; efficient for patrol-style tasking
A	EC145 / H145	Best when you need cabin space for a larger team boarding with police support gear
A	AS365	Solid for longer patrols and mixed utility when endurance matters
B	Fire bombers (CL-415 / Dash 8)	Wrong tool for most gendarmerie tickets—keep them on fire duty

Gendarmerie takeaway: Sensors and disciplined flying beat the biggest airframe. Practice night vision and FLIR discipline, keep fuel margins for RTB, and communicate with ground players instead of hot-dogging the map.

Economy and unlock reality

Credits and department access still flex in BETA. Community reports still place the EC-135 near ~160k credits—confirm the live shop after each patch. Community tutorials sometimes describe role gates around level 5 and later around level 20—treat those as community-reported, not guaranteed patch-proof numbers. Do not wipe your savings on an S-tier sticker if your crew cannot yet run hoist or bucket SOPs; skill multiplies airframe value.

For mission pay, team bonuses, free Civil Security / SAMU paths, country-brand shop differences, and when not to impulse-buy the EC-135, use the dedicated Credits and Shop guide. This tier list answers “what fits the job”; Credits and Shop answers “how you afford it without wrecking progression.”

Suggested buy order for many new players:

1. Learn a starter heli via Getting Started.
2. Master engines, climb/descend, systems, NVG, and base refuel (How to Refuel, Map, Bases, and Hangar).
3. Earn toward EC145/H145 class utility or EC135 (~160k community price) once missions pay consistently—see Credits and Shop.
4. Specialize into fire bombers only after fire SOPs are clear.
5. Skim Common Mistakes before any large purchase.

Cross-role quick picks

• Solo learning night: cheaper heli, empty cabin practice, refuel loops.
• Full SAMU crew: EC145/H145, hoist operator assigned, medical kit roles called out.
• City fire + recon: bucket heli on station, bomber on call.
• Mixed department evening: one medevac heli and one fire asset staged, not everyone in the same ship.

For prep cards before takeoff, use the Tools Hub. For progression context without cheats, skip the empty Scripts promises and fly clean. Official discussion stays on Discord and the Wiki links page.

This list will move when Veltsim retunes flight models or shop prices—bookmark the hub and re-read after each BETA drop.