Yeah I got really, really pissed at those helicopters at first as well. But once you learn how to deal with them, they are only a minor nuisance. It only takes a few clips to take one down, and if your teammates are decent they will shoot at it also. But yeah, it should last 1/3 as long as it does, if that.
I hated martyrdom much more than the helicopters. I died so many times from people that I killed dropping a grenade after they died. It takes no skill. Granted, I learned not to get too close once I realized someone had it, but still.