Dusty Crophopper

Dusty Crophopper (aka Strut Jetstream) is the protagonist of Planes and its 2014 sequel.

Official Description
Dusty is a plane with high hopes-literally. Crop duster by trade, this single-prop plane sees himself soaring alongside his high-flying heroes in an international race. The fact that he's not really built for competitive racing doesn't deter him from pursuing his dream—but his fear of heights just might. With a little help from his friends—and a WWII vet with wisdom to spare—Dusty takes off on an adventure of a lifetime, going prop-to-prop with champions while daring to reach heights he never imagined possible.

When world-famous air racer Dusty Crophopper returns to hometown Propwash Junction after another victorious racing season, the former crop duster revels in his new career success until a fateful training run changes his course with a career-ending injury. Forced to shift gears, Dusty decides to train with the Aerial Fire Fighters at Piston Peak Air Attack Base as a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT). The heroic, often life-threatening efforts involved are admirable—but seemingly impossible to master—particularly if you're a crop duster-turned-racer with an injury that can't be ignored.

Voice
When the first film was announced, Jon Cryer was announced to do Dusty's voice, but he soon left the project, leaving Dane Cook to voice Dusty instead.

Personality
Dusty is friendly, brave, curious, and courageous, although he was formerly afraid of heights.

Physical appearance
Although Dusty's model seems to be fictional, it takes inspiration from the Air Tractor AT-502, Cessna and the PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader, with 680½ horsepower, one propeller, and a wingspan that is 23 feet (7 meters).

He is painted orange and white, and has blue eyes. While working as a crop duster, he has black stripes on his sides, as well as a M5000 crop sprayer attached to his undercarriage. Before coming to the first location of the Wings Around the Globe, he gets the Jolly Wrenches insignia painted on him, as well as his first name's initial and racing number, #7, painted in white on his vertical stabilizer.

Before doing the third leg of the Wings Around the Globe, he gets his sprayer removed, along with a new paint job, where his black stripes are replaced by blue stripes that are different shapes, and an inscription of his name is placed on his sides, which also have his racing number on a black-outlined white circle that is additionally on his right wing. Additionally, the color of his tailplane is changed to blue.

As he is being upgraded in time for the final leg, he gets T33 wings, which are painted white, with the tip tanks being orange, and black stripes in place of the blue ones. The orange color on his front is changed to gray, while his back has the white color replaced with orange, along with part of his vertical stabilizer and tailplane changed to gray. Additionally, he uses a four-bladed Sky Slycer Mark Five propeller.

Soon afterwards, Dusty is painted gray and black after being honored by the Jolly Wrenches, along with their insignia, initials and logo painted at the back.

Soon into his career, Dusty goes back to the paint job he received in Germany, as well as using his original propeller, but keeps his T33 wings. When he comes to Piston Peak National Park, his landing gear gets replaced by gray pontoons with blue and black stripes. Additionally, his tip tanks get removed.

Upon being certified as a firefighter, he gets repainted red, with his racing number painted in a different font style, being white on his vertical stabilizer, and black on his right wing. His pontoons are also changed to white, with red and black stripes on them as well as the inscription of his name, while his fan cowl door is changed to black.

Planes
In Planes, Dusty is first seen dreaming of out-running two fighter jets. He is introduced as a crop duster that works for Leadbottom, and dreams of competing in the Wings Around the Globe Rally. Hearing a horn signifying quitting time, Dusty radios his best friend Chug to get in his coaching gear as he practices air racing. However, running his engine at high speeds worns out his main oil seal, forcing him to land and seek repairs from his friend Dottie, who correctly suspects he'd been racing. Dusty tried to deny her accusations but then Chug rolls in and ruins it all. Dottie tells Dusty that he is not built to race, and starts listing all the possible mechanical failures that could happen to him, before acting out, saying he would probably regret not listening to her before crashing into an orphanage. Though disturbed by her "vivid and specific" act, Dusty tells Dottie to join him and Chug for the qualifier.

While watching the Ten Top Crashes in Racing on TV, Chug suggests that they seek help from Skipper Riley, whom Sparky claims is a legendary naval flight instructor, though Dusty dismisses him due to the fact that he has not flown in decades, but reconsiders after seeing a clip of a plane exploding. However, upon knocking on Skipper's door, Dusty is flat out rejected twice.

Dusty and his friends later go to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Wings Around the Globe qualifier. When it comes to his turn, Dusty takes the callsign "Strut Jetstream", but is ridiculed by everyone for being a crop duster. He manages to wow them all with his well-practiced flight maneuver, only to come in sixth place. Sadden that he did not make it into the race, Dusty returns to his crop-dusting job. However, the next day, Roper comes to Propwash Junction and tells Dusty and his team that the plane ahead of him was using an illegal fuel additive, and was disqualified, so Dusty is now eligible to compete. Chug happily announces Dusty's achievement to Propwash. But Dusty then starts hesitating upon hearing Chug list all the dangers he would encounter. He is soon confronted in his own hanger by Skipper, who tells him he is over his head. He tries to talk him out of racing, but when Dusty explains he wants to prove he is more than just a crop duster, Skipper decides to mentor Dusty. While in the midst of his training, Dusty admits that he has a fear of heights. Despite this, Dusty works to improve his speed and agility.

Dusty then travels to New York City for the start of the race. After meeting his racing idols, most of which were mean to him for being "just a crop duster", including his new rival Ripslinger, Dusty befriended the eccentric El Chupacabra. He was told by Bulldog that it was a competition, and that every plane is in it for themselves.

During the first leg, Dusty flies low across the Atlantic Ocean unlike the rest of the racers, resulting in himself catching ice and arriving in Iceland very cold. During the second leg, Bulldog springs an oil leak, and the wind forces the oil into his eyes, blinding him. Dusty saves Bulldog by navigating him through the castle, earning the British plane's gratitude. However, Ripslinger mocks Dusty for his kind nature, saying that nice guys always finish last. While standing around in a bar depressed, Dusty is approached by his first ever fan, Franz, who suggests that he remove his sprayer to give himself more speed, an idea that El Chupacabra concurs. The removal of the sprayer allows Dusty to move up in the ranks.

At the next leg of the race, Dusty falls in love with Ishani, who gives him advice to fly low, so he does mot get scared when flying high. Dusty follows Ishani's advice, finding a train tunnel, only to nearly die by almost being hit by an oncoming train. He then finds himself at the airport in Nepal, where he is told that he is in first place. While being interviewed by the press, Dusty notices Ishani, and goes to talk to her. He then realizes that Ishani had set him up, after seeing that she now has a Sky Slycer propeller that is made for Ripslinger's team.

Dusty continues to hold onto first place during the next leg into China. In the interlude, he helps El Chupacabra win the heart of Canadian racer Rochelle.

Later in one of the legs, Ripslinger's henchplane Zed breaks off Dusty's antenna, and he gets lost at sea, but is rescued by two fighter jets, who help him land on the USS Dwight D. Flysenhower. While aboard, he spots the Jolly Wrenches' wall of fame, and learns that Skipper only flew one mission, which contradicts his previous reputation as a veteran of many battles. While getting his antenna replaced, he radios Skipper, who confesses that he did lie about his war record. Dusty is then forced to fly out with an oncoming storm.

However, Dusty becomes distracted, constantly thinking about Skipper, and ends up crashing into the ocean, but is eventually rescued. He is airlifted to Mexico, where all his friends had gathered to see him. At the hospital, Dusty is severely damaged, including having a broken wing, effectively grounding his chances to flying again. Skipper confesses to Dusty that he did indeed fly only one mission in the Pacific theatre, where his entire squad of trainees was killed in an attack on the Japanese Navy. Skipper was the only survivor, but torn by his guilt, he never trained another plane or flew again. He then asks Dusty if he would have gone to him for help if he knew the truth, only to be met with silence and a reply of "no."

The next day, Dusty then sinks again into depression, admitting to Dottie that she was right all along, that he was never meant to race. Dottie then admits that she was wrong, telling him that the whole world knows he is a racer. Subsequently, the other kind racers, including El Chupacabra, Rochelle, Bulldog, and Ishani, donate new parts so he could race again. While Dottie repairs him, Chug watches some of Ripslinger's races, and figures out that before every victory, Ripslinger turns to his right side so the cameras can get good photos of him.

As he gets ready to race, Ripslinger taunts that he is still just a farm boy. Unfazed, Dusty retorts that he is just afraid of being beaten by a crop duster. As the final leg begins, race officials rule that though Dusty did not complete the last leg, he would be allowed to continue with a time penalty. Dusty soon begins to catch up to Ripslinger, but the Green Tornado and his henchplanes ambush him and attempt to ground him for good, but are thwarted by Skipper, who overcame his guilt and came to help Dusty. Dusty fights Ned and Zed, while Skipper takes on Ripslinger. After Ned and Zed gets stuck between each other in between two rocks, Dusty races to catch up with Ripslinger, only to lose power to his engine. He then overcomes his fear of heights to ride the jetstream and catch up. When it looks like Ripslinger would win, his ego gets the best of him, and he slows down for the cameras, enabling Dusty to pass him and win the race. Dusty is congratulated by his friends and fans, and Skipper thanks him for giving him the confidence to fly again.

At the end of the film, Skipper and Dusty are onboard the flight deck of the Flysenhower, and fly over the sea, back to Propwash Junction.

Planes: Fire & Rescue
Having become famous for winning the Wings Around the Globe rally, Dusty starts off a racing career. After winning the Red Bulldozer race, Dusty returns to Propwash for the annual Corn Festival. Soon after, he goes out flying with Skipper, but the excursion causes damage to his gearbox. With that particular model of gearbox now out of production and none available anywhere, Dottie fits a warning light to his control panel to ensure he does not damage his gearbox any further. No longer able to race and faced with the possibility of returning to his old job as a crop duster, Dusty goes on a defiant flight and tests his limits. In doing so, Dusty exceeds his limits and makes a forced landing at Propwash Junction airport, causing a fire. He, Skipper, Chug and Mayday narrowly manage to put it out.

The next day, government inspector Ryker condemns the airport due to inadequate firefighting personnel. While Dottie and Sparky plan on refurbishing Mayday to meet Ryker's regulations, Propwash requires a second firefighter to be reopened. Dusty then learnes from Mayday about SEATs (Single Engine Air Tanker), inspiring him to get certified as a firefighter. Mayday instructs him to go to Piston Peak to look for Blade Ranger to get trained and certified. When he gets to Piston Peak, he meets his favorite fan Dipper, a heavy lift helicopter called Windlifter, and an ex-military transport heavy plane named Cabbie. He then finds out their job is to go and fight fires, and then Dusty gets so interested that he goes along with the planes. He then meets Blade Ranger, who tells him to get out of the fire, but he does not listen, getting sprayed with fire retardant.

After being hosed off back at base, Blade Ranger dismisses Dusty as a tourist before Windlifter identifies him as the new trainee. Maru then operates on him, giving him pontoons to firefight. Subsequently, Dusty begins to struggle under Blade's tutelage, hesitating to increase power to his gearbox during training sessions. During one exercise, Dusty mistakes a campfire started by a few campers as a spot fire, and extinguishes it, prompting the RVs to send a complaint to superintendent Cad Spinner. Cad drives into the base to pass on the complaint, but then takes note of Dusty and invites him to his party at the Fusel Lodge. As Cad drives off, he remarks that Dusty is more famous than "Blazin' Blade". Later, the rest of the firefighters reveal to Dusty that Blade was once a television star on CHoPs (parody of CHiPs).

As the firefighters take on a forest fire caused by overnight lightning, Dusty disregards Blade's orders, extinguishing a fire trapping Dynamite's team instead of letting Dipper do it. Back at base, Blade admonishes Dusty for nearly getting himself killed. Dipper tries to reassure Dusty that it is Blade's way of saying thanks.

Dusty then takes Dipper, Windlifter and Maru to Cad's party at the Fusel Lodge. Upon entering, Dusty is recognized by a fan, who has him record his voicemail, before Cad rudely shoves off the little forklift. Cad starts talking to Dusty before getting distracted by the arrival of Boat Reynolds. Dusty then gets formally introduced to Winnie and Harvey, and along with his colleagues, have a discussion about firefighting being a second job for him.

As a result of Cad's VIPs flying in too low, air eddies blow embers about, creating a larger fire, and thereby forcing the need for an evacuation. While on mission, Dusty again disobeys Blade and attempts to refill his pontoons, only to be caught in the rapids. Blade saves him from going down the big waterfall, but does not understand why Dusty did not listen to orders, to which Dusty replies that he cannot drive fast because his gearbox is broken. Blade tells him that while life does not always go the way he expects, he cannot quit otherwise he may lose a chance to save lives in the future. Dusty and Blade then take shelter in an abandoned mine as the fire continues to spread. Blade then uses his body to shield Dusty from the flames, and is temporarily grounded for repairs. While Blade recovers, Maru reveals to Dusty of how Blade's co-star on CHoPs was killed during a stunt gone wrong on set that Blade was helpless to stop, so he decided to become a firefighter to save lives for real.

As the fire had spread to the main road and blocked off the evacuees, Windlifter takes de facto command and orders everyone to head out. However, Cad had selfishly diverted the water supply to the lodge's rooftop sprinklers, forcing the firefighters to go with their pre-existing tanks. Dusty uses his supply to extinguish the flames on a fallen trunk blocking the railroad. They then receive a radio from Patch, informing them that Winnie and Harvey are trapped on a bridge in Augerin Canyon. With Windlifter's permission, Dusty heads off to save them. As Blade arrives on scene and uses his hook to keep the two RVs from falling, Dusty puts his engine into the red zone as he climbs the falls to refill his pontoons, before diving down to extinguish the flames blocking the couple's exit, allowing the campers to escape just before the bridge collapses, but his overstressed gearbox fails completely and his engine stalls.

Dusty is airlifted back to base, where Maru tends to him for five days. When he wakes up, he learns that Maru had a better gearbox to allow full performance. Suddenly, he discovers that Jammer had replaced Cad as superintendent due to his misconduct during the crisis. Impressed at Dusty's skill and heroism, Blade certifies him as a firefighter.

Dusty then returns to Propwash Junction with his firefighting colleagues, and becomes the airport's second firefighter, enabling Propwash's reopening, just in time for the Corn Festival. Chug then drives up, announcing that he was elected official Corn Colonel, and asks if he could wear his hat to his race next Saturday. Dusty consents and asks Mayday if he could have time off, to which Mayday complies. Dusty and his firefighting colleagues then perform an aerial show for all of Propwash.

Planes: The Video Game
Dusty appears as a playable character in both versions of Planes: The Video Game. His five chapters are Training Mode, Trouble in Propwash (cleaning up a damaged Propwash Junction), Himalayan Hero (helping out the local village), Ripslinger's Revenge (a race against Ripslinger wanting revenge while finding a sponsor in Dubai), and Blown out of Proportion (Dusty facing off against tornadoes).

Dusty has his Racing and Turbo skin exclusive to the console version, and his navy paint job and modifications, exclusive to the handheld versions.

Planes: Fire & Rescue: The Video Game
Dusty is one of the playable characters in Planes: Fire & Rescue: The Video Game, in his firefighting paint job.

Skipper Riley
Dusty had known about Skipper while working as a crop duster, though he never actually met him, due to that Skipper had not come out of his hangar for decades. Chug thought that if they were going to enter Dusty into the Wings Around the Globe, they should get help from Skipper. At the moment that Chug mentioned how aggressive Skipper's squadron is, Dusty began to feel nervous when they arrived at Skipper's hangar, and asked him to train him in time for the competition. However, much to Dusty's dismay, Skipper refused to help, shutting his hangar doors as a response. With this, Dusty was forced to compete in the qualifier on his own, with help from Chug and Dottie.

By the time Dusty was told that he had been entered, Skipper made a visit, telling him that he should not take part in the racing competition due to being a crop duster. This made Dusty explain to Skipper that he did know this, but was wanting to prove that he could do more than crop-dusting. As a response, Skipper agreed to train Dusty, though it was hard work, having to get Dusty upgraded so that he could go faster than a passenger plane's shadow on the training course. Eventually, the training was completed, and Dusty was ready to take part, while Skipper would radio him at each checkpoint.

By the time he was being fixed by the Jolly Wrenches while on the Dwight D. Flysenhower ship, he noticed on the Wall of Fame that Skipper had only flown one mission, and was shocked when Skipper told him that it was true, because it was thought that Skipper had flown a lot more missions. Upon hearing what happened in Skipper's mission, which was disastrous, Dusty began to regret asking to be trained, as well as believing that Skipper had not been trusting him the whole time. However, Dusty was glad to see Skipper flying again when he came in to help take out Ripslinger, Ned and Zed. After winning the Wings Around the Globe, Dusty thanked Skipper for his help.

Trivia

 * Dusty's racing number is #7, which some say is a lucky number.
 * His flying style is keeping it nice and low, but keeping his speed up.