History Series / Airwolf

* BittersweetEnding: The ending of the [[Recap/AirwolfS1E1ShadowOfTheHawke pilot episode]]. The ''Airwolf'' is recovered, but [[spoiler: Gabrielle is dead.]]

** Stringfellow Hawke. Almost everyone he's close to dies. There are 4 exceptions to this. 1: Dom. 2: Archangel. 3: Marella. 4: Caitlin. [[spoiler: And even Dominic dies eventually, at the start of Season 4.]] Because AnyoneCanDie.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Hawk does this ''full-on'' after [[spoiler: Gabrielle dies due to Moffett’s torture of her.]] He plows through numerous Libyan tanks, aircraft, and surface-to-air missiles, then finally comes to a tense stand-off with Moffett, all while [[ThousandYardStare stoically]] not saying a word. Before Moffett can use his pistol in a [[ImprobableAimingSkills near-miraculous, last-ditch attempt]] to bring down Airwolf, [[note]]Moffett had explained to a Lybian officer earlier in the episode Airwolf’s "weak point": a single bullet into the mid-air refueling intake. [[/note]] Hawke unloads Airwolf’s '''ENTIRE''' remaining missile cache on him...even continuing to pull the trigger switch after all are depleted. Dom finally breaks Hawke out of his daze...

* ActorAllusion: the pilot episode "Shadow of the Hawke" takes its' name from the 1976 film "Shadow of the Hawk", both starring Jan Michael Vincent.

* BellyDancer: In the pilot episode "Shadow of the Hawke", a couple of CIA operatives disguise themselves as dancers in a Libyan nightclub.
* BittersweetEnding: The ending of the pilot episode. Airwolf is recovered, but [[spoiler: Gabrielle is dead.]]

** Moffett also does this at the beginning of the pilot episode/movie.

* InstrumentalThemeTune: The legendary techno track that opens the show is one of the best and most memorable parts. The original from the pilot episode was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySLjnCtvTA8 hybrid synth orchestra]].

* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: Justified because Airwolf ''is'' the prototype, ''Dr. Moffet'' was the designer - and he destroyed the facility where it was designed and manufactured in the pilot episode just before stealing it and defecting to Lybia. And Hawke killed him while retrieving Airwolf. It's later revealed that Airwolf has it's design plans stored in it's onboard computer.
* NoodleIncident: An earlier project of Dr. Moffet's, codenamed "Proteus". It was mentioned in the pilot episode, and was at least part of the reason why Moffet blew up the Airwolf testing facility - the senator responsible for canceling Project Proteus was present to witness the tests.

** Taken to the extreme in the pilot episode due to [[ItsPersonal it being very personal]]: when Stringfellow corners Moffett, he unloads Airwolf's entire weapons payload into his Jeep, with Dom only able to close his eyes in the back seat as String continues to fire everything with BerserkerTears until he's squeezing the trigger repeatedly on an empty barrel.

* StockFootage: The first season didn't use any stock footage, and the later seasons used old shots quite rarely. Thanks to budget cuts, however, the use of recycled footage became truly obnoxious in the fourth season.

[[caption-width-right:350:From the guys who brought you the Groundeagle and the Seahamster (l-r: Caitlin, Hawke, Dominic).]]

* AtrociousAlias[=/=]AwesomeMcCoolname: The unusual combination. "Stringfellow" isn't really the name most people would associate with a badass action hero. But Hawke most certainly is.

* TheAce: At first, it's claimed that Stringfellow is among the handful of people in the world, if not the only one, who can successfully fly Airwolf into combat, due to the fact The Lady is such an experimentally high-performance aircraft, capable of going into rotor-free "Turbo mode". After joining the cast, flying prodigy Caitlin acquires the necessary skill-set through observing him. Dom flies Airwolf as well, even going into turbo mode on a few occasions in the second and third seasons, but he never engages in combat while doing this.

** The flying Airwolf was registration (or “tail number”) 'N3176S' (serial number 47085). After Season 3, the aircraft’s external modifications were removed. It was repainted, and sold to a German firm, with the tail number D-HHSD. On June 6, 1992, while being used as an air ambulance and flying in heavy fog and developing thunderstorm, it impacted a mountainside and was destroyed, killing its 3 crewmembers.
** The non-flying “mock-up”, was tail number N9988K (serial number 47001, the first production Bell 222A). This was used for nearly all interior filming as well as some exterior shots when needed during Season 1-3 (Yes, sorry to say - the flying Airwolf never had the rear command center installed), as well as ALL the filming of Season 4 as the production couldn’t afford the flying Airwolf. After the series conclusion, the mock-up was then broken up, and any usable parts sold to other available 222’s.
** Airwolf’s “evil twin”, Redwolf (or Airwolf II), was tail number N1074T (serial number 47015). In April of 1987, while on a post-maintenance flight over Texas, the drive system for the main rotor failed, causing total loss of control. It then impacted the ground, killing 2 crewmembers.

* TooDumbToLive: The Sheriff in "Sweet Britches" stands out. The DirtyCop in that episode is overflown by an armed helicopter that blows out his windows, destroys two trucks and threatens to continue unless he releases his hostage. Mind you, he was facing life in prison or death row, but he would've at least had a chance to get away. While his cohorts had the sense to run out the back, he just keeps shooting and tries to kill his escaped hostage.

* GrandTheftPrototype: Airwolf was stolen during the prototype stage.

* EyepatchOfPower: Dark Individual Lens Of Power, as worn by Archangel. He also has a medical eyepatch in parts 1 and 2 and the early parts of part 3.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPay: "Saint John" is pronounced "Sinjin" by all characters (and the opening narrator from season 1) within all 4 seasons, but is always spelled out as "Saint John" in all the documents, and even in the English subtitles. That's because it's the actual pronunciation.

* AmbiguousSituation: At the conclusion of the fourth season opener "Blackjack" it is left unclear what happens to Stringfellow after St. John takes him from the hospital. St. John returns to the lair in Airwolf alone telling his friends there was ''something he had to do'', and the matter is quietly dropped.

* FutureCopter: Airwolf's specs are absurdly advanced for a helicopter with a maximum cruising speed over twice that the fastest real helicopter and capable of using afterburners to reach Mach 2 with physics defying manouverability and an insane weapons loudout.

* MechaMooks: Thanks in great part to Hawke's flying skills, Airwolf destroys hordes of enemy helicopters in many episodes, frequently with individual components that are superior to Airwolf's. However, as the bumper sticker that clearly belongs on Airwolf's fuselage reads: "Outnumbered? Yes. Outgunned? Maybe. Outclassed? ''Never.''"

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2f7f3682ef7bd81dc7868f4e59616fa6.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:From the guys who brought you the Groundeagle and the Seahamster]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Archangel commenting on his aide's "above-average oral dexterity". The BlooperReel from ''that'' episode must have been a hoot.

** Airwolf II (AKA: Redwolf) has a red nose and underside. And a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser]].

--->'''Gabrielle:''' I'm not going to get killed.\\

'''Gabrielle:''' Which woman did?\\

** Caitlin develops traces of this as well, considering the number of love interests she's had who have either died or revealed themselves as EvilAllAlong.
-->'''Gabrielle:''' I'm not going to get killed.\\

Hawke: [[LyingToProtectYourFeelings No........no, she didn't suffer]].\\

* DoomMagnet:
** Stringfellow Hawke. Almost everyone he's close to dies. There are 4 exceptions to this. 1: Dom. 2: Archangel. 3: Marella. 4: Caitlin. [[spoiler: And even Dominic dies eventually, at the start of Season 4.]] Because AnyoneCanDie.
** Caitlin develops traces of this as well, considering the number of love interests she's had who have either died or revealed themselves as EvilAllAlong.