Air Rescue is similar to Choplifter! . You are a pilot of a helicopter and the object is to rescue hostages without being shot down by soldiers, jeeps, tanks, choppers, and ground-based missiles, and bring them back to base. A maximum of four hostages can fit into the helicopter at any given time, so it is necessary to make more than one trip. You can choose from a variety of weapons that you can use to shoot down enemies. There are five rounds, which take you through theme parks, burning skyscrapers, army bases, sunken submarines, and caverns. The round ends when you have taken the required number of hostages to the bases.
The gameplay involves flying over different environments, avoiding enemy fire, and capturing hostages. You must use your weapons wisely, as running out of ammo can be a problem. As you progress through the rounds, the difficulty increases, with more enemies and traps added to each level. You will need to stay focused and think strategically to succeed in rescuing all the hostages.