Reasons why it is a trap.

1- Laser targeting, the only way to evade this is to be under a bridge or something. Even if you get under in time, you might hit a tree or something.

2- GTAM's, They never run out of fuel. The missle just keeps circling and circling and circling till it hits you or the ground (unlikely).

3- The range of Laser Targeting and GTAM's, you can paint the helicopter from a mile away. Like on the map hidden for instance. A Chinese sniper can laze a helicoper from their home base and the helicopter is on the American base.
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Ways to try and evade the problems.

1- Jump, 100%chance of not dying from the missles. I always do this no matter what my teammates say.

2-Fly Low, this works sometimes, but you might hit a pole or something and even if you escape the 1st one. There is probally a sniper lazing you already.

Believe me I love this game, but anti-aircraft should be toned down in my opinion.

You can dodge all laser targets by flying fast and low, this works in all helos accept the terrorist ones. GTAMs are harder but just try the same thing.

The helicopter is awesome if you know you're doing. I was playing one game tonight and this guy got like 18 kills in it before he died.

I personally avoid the helicopter, I'm more likely to die by crashing it than being shot down, haha.

I like the helicopter. most of the time when I'm in it I just circle an enemy spawn point where I know there going to be at, and just constaly fire missles at them.

when I hear the siren going off, I just jump with out my parachte on. then when I get about 10 feet from the ground I open it up. I've sniped people falling with their parachutes open, so I dont open it because its easer to get killed, and it looks like your a dead body falling.

I usually only use them as a way to infil troops. Once I get locked, everyone bails.

The helicopter is good because the weapons are really good at taking out enemies. Though when inside theheicopter i find that the heli is going at snail pace when it actually isn't. Plus the turning is so slow. This probably realistic which is great bUT i hate it.
How do you jump out of the helicopter?
The parachute is not very realistic because as the guy at the top of this page said "just open it up ten feet from the ground" that is so unrealistic.

you just hit the B button, and your out.

yeah, I have found that its easy to just free fall untill your a few feet from the ground. I've sniped so many people when they jump with their parachutes open...

I try to fly to the nearest good location before I jump. usualy a tall building, or near a flag before I jump out.

I hate it when the pilot bails on you, when your in the gunner seat or something, and you relise hes out when its too late.. AT LEAST SAY "I'm jumping" or something..

I use the helicopter every chance i get. I'm fairly good with it (i get over 20 kills in one run). Whenever i play with friends online, i'm the pilot. The parahcute trick, while very unrealistic, works very well. Everyonce in a while i pop it right after umping and use my sniper to take out enemies. Or to get positions on enemy sniper in the area, then i drop the chute and pop it again right before i hit the ground. I don't have Xbox live anymore, so i don't play anymore. Plan to get it again in the summer.

It sucks when you bail out and the whole helicopter falls right on top of you..