UPDRAFT led the American team to victory two years in a row at the World Helicopter Championships and was a special instructor at the flight Warrant Officer's School at Fort Rucker before being selected for duty with G.I. Joe. His "hands-on" experience played an integral role in the final design of the Retaliator helicopter. Updraft's input greatly added to the copter's maneuverability, heavy-lift capability and battlefield survivability.
"Updraft molds the Retaliator to him the way he would a new suit. The machine becomes a part of him and even takes on his body language. If the G.I. Joes are in a hot situation, they'd like to see Updraft fly in to lay down cover fire and get them out of there!"
Updraft is a G.I. Joe team operative in the A Real American Hero line. First released as a Hasbro carded action figure in 1990, with 1 distinct figure version produced across the 1982 to 1994 vintage run.
Updraft did not appear by name in the Sunbow or DiC cartoon series synopses. Original Hasbro file-card lore and Marvel ARAH comics appearances are the primary characterization sources.