History Main / GlobalAirship

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has flying mounts that players at level 60 or above can purchase. Recently they have become a correct example of that trope, as now you can fly across the whole explorable world, not only Northrend and Outland.

->''"If we had a vehicle like this at the beginning of the story, we would be too mobile. [[GetOnTheBoat Seafaring vehicles]] belong in the middle. Flying vehicles--at the end. It's common practice."''

->''"If we had a vehicle like this at the beginning of the story, we would be too mobile. Seafaring vehicles belong in the middle. Flying vehicles--at the end. It's common practice."''

->'''Nyarko:''' If we had a vehicle like this at the beginning of the story, we would be too mobile. Seafaring vehicles belong in the middle. Flying vehicles--at the end. It's common practice.\\
'''Mahiro:''' ''[slaps Nyarko vigorously]'' I hate it more than anything when people are holding back like that.
-->-- ''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan''

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maro_1.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:I guess it works.]]

Despite the trope name, it need not be an actual airship; it can also be some other kind of flying vehicle such as an airplane or helicopter or even a spacecraft if the game involves traveling between planets. It could even be a CoolMount or HorseOfADifferentColor.

Rarely does media present this trope with the logical conclusion of just letting you fly a simple airplane, possibly because they may not be [[RuleOfCool cool]] enough.[[note]]Though, more likely, because most {{Cool Plane}}s are single- or double-seat models, not large enough for a full adventuring party.[[/note]]

Rarely does media present this trope with the logical conclusion of just letting you fly a simple airplane, possibly because they may not be [[RuleOfCool cool]] enough.

* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' had a cannon-based travel agency in the early parts, but later the heroes acquired a flying white dragon as their Global Airship.
* ''VideoGame/SeikenDensetsu3'' includes ships, a limited cannon-travel system, and a giant sea-turtle before procuring the use of the flying white dragon which appeared in ''Secret of Mana''.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maro_1.jpg]]

* The ''Franchise/{{Lufia}}'' series typically has the heroes start with an ordinary ship which gets upgraded to dive underwater and eventually gains the ability to fly.

* The Gummi Ship in ''KingdomHearts'' starts off needing to go through a rail-shooter sequence everytime you move a space on the world map. You later get a part that lets you skip this in spaces you've already visited. The second game makes this instantly available, but also makes the Gummi sequences much more fun to play.

[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

-->--''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan''

* The ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' series seems to be the TropeCodifier for this. In ''VideoGame/UltimaI'' and ''VideoGame/UltimaII'' you can acquire and air car or bi-plane respectively, which let you fly over land and water. The air car has lasers you can shoot distant enemies with, but cannot pass through forest areas.

->'''Nyarko:''' If we had a vehicle like this at the beginning of the story, [[StoryBreakerPower we would be too mobile]]. Seafaring vehicles belong in the middle. Flying vehicles--at the end. It's common practice.\\
'''Mahiro:''' ''[slaps Nyarko vigorously]'' I hate it more than anything when people are [[HoldingBackThePhlebotinum holding back like that]].

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' actually goes through several models, ending up with a veritable behemoth of an airship complete with shop and inn, but which ''still'' can't fly over most mountains. Another type doubles as submarine and is faster, but can't pass over mountains. It's one of the few games in the series where random encounters can happen while flying the airship. The dock serves as the battleground. The largest of the airships helps you out in those random encounters via cannon fire.

* Common in the ''PhantasyStar'' series.

* ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'' had first a boat, then a ''submarine'' -- which, while slower and underwater, did fulfill many of the same functions as an airship, namely the ability to avoid encounters and access the next areas of the game. Eventually, of course, the sub got another upgrade and was an airship as well.

* In a late chapter of ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIThePrincelessBride'', Valanice gets a magic flute that can summon lord Tsepish's horse Necromancer, which can take her from anywhere in the game to Etheria, from where she can travel to any of the game's major locations.

* The ''Grancypher'' from the online game VideoGame/GranblueFantasy takes you around the WorldInTheSky, but it is limited to the places you've visited. It can even be improved by spending currency on it.