History Main / DisposablePilot

Occasionally applied to characters who actually matter to the plot, so sometimes rates as a '''DeathTrope'''. If the vehicle's operator is killed ''while the vehicle is in motion'', causing the vehicle to go out of control at speed and ramping up the tension, that's DeadFootLeadfoot.

--> '''Hux:''' ''(points in one direction)'' "Over there." ''(points another direction)'' "[[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe And over there]]." ''(points yet another direction)'' "[[RuleOfThree And a little bit over there]]."

* Happens repeatedly in the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' game series, as so far we've lost Kevin in part 1, two unnamed pilots in parts 2 and 3 (along with Brad from part 1, although he's not behind a cockpit when he bites it), another anonymous pilot and Mike in part 4, Kirk and Doug in part 5, and a couple more nameless pilots in part 6. Main character Chris Redfield is a notable aversion, as his backstory has him as a former Air Force pilot.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': This was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen going to happen]] in an earlier version to Snug, [[AlwaysKnowAPilot who was the pilot that flew Helen, Dash, and Violet to Nomanisan Island]] before being shot down with the plane. In the end, they wrote him out entirely except as a voice on the other end of a phone that Helen borrows the plane from (which she then flies herself) because they felt there wasn't time to develop Snug into [[SacrificialLion someone the audience would care about]]. This is why Helen averts her gaze as the plane is falling in the final cut.

* In ''Film/TheHatefulEight'' [[spoiler:coachman O.B.]] has the dubious honor to be the first on-screen victim.

* ''Film/{{Speed}}'': A train motorman is casually bumped off by the villian. Taken to its most extreme when a group of post-crash onlookers are cooing over Jack and Annie making out, and nobody even notices his dead body just a few feet away.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/Halo3'', ''[[VideoGame/{{Halo 4}} Spartan Ops]]'', and ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians''; Hocus, T.J. Murphy, and Mahkee 'Chava all survive.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'', ''[[VideoGame/{{Halo 4}} Spartan Ops]]'', and ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians''; Hocus, T.J. Murphy, and Mahkee 'Chava all survive.

* The Valkyrie that PlayerCharacter Captain Titus rides on one mission in ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine'' goes down, with him escaping by hanging off one of its landing skids and jumping off to hit the ground with a roll (''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'s'' Space Marines are {{SuperSoldier}}s). The game was consistent and didn't use the protagonist's ride going down for a easy, singular expression that the situation is dangerous; since you saw other Valkyries exploding around you while you were flying and the Imperial Guard Lieutenant expressively says they've lost too many Valkyries and have to fall back and conserve.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* Used repeatedly in ''Literature/{{Reamde}}.''

* The chauffeur in ''The Wizard of Whitechapel'' gets killed off.

'''Franklin''': You sure, man? 'Cause me might still be ali... Whoa!\\

* The fate of any unfortunate muggle that has to transport the good guys in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. Notable examples include Mark from Part II, who died after driving Joseph and Caesar to where the [[BigBad Pillar Men]] were found and got [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe semi-absorbed]] for his efforts; and the poor Speedwagon Foundation helicopter pilots who drove Iggy to join with the rest of the team and were drowned by [[MakingASplash N'Doul]]'s water Stand.

* ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'': After the Independence shuttle suffers critical damage, both its pilots are blown out into space after the windshield is shattered by asteroid debris. On the other hand, both Freedom pilots survive the movie.

* A deleted scene on the season 5 DVD of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' shows an inversion with the pilot of the ship Sister came in being the only other person to make the trip to Blood Gulch due to either surviving or not catching whatever STD Sister was [[TyphoidMary obliviously spreading]]. The only reason he didn't fly them out is because he was "in the union" and not required to do anything.