The advanced technology of helicopters and the state-of-the-art equipment available today have made aerial filming not only safe and cost-efficient, but also capable of producing high-quality and stable images. The Commonwealth Games was the first time that live coverage of events by helicopters on such a large scale was carried out in India, and was a huge success. Four Eurocopter choppers were put into action to cover the event.
Aerial filming by using helicopters has become a ‘staple’ in the movie-making business, both in the West and in India, for that spectacular aerial shot that gives movies that extra dimension. The news channel industry closely follows suite. Large-scale sporting events such as Formula 1 Grand Prix, Tour de France (where 11 helicopters were used for coverage in 2011), and closer to home, the recently held Commonwealth Games (CWG) hosted by India in 2010—viewers were treated to an amazing bird’s-eye view of the action, as it happens.
The benefits of aerial filming have been most evident in the widespread use of helicopters for electronic news gathering (ENG) services. High-tech heliborne ENG services have become an essential source for today’s leading news agencies and reporting departments the world over for source video, live news coverage, broadcast quality documentation and breaking news situations.
For example, when a natural disaster strikes, viewers have been live witnesses to the action as it happens through aerial views of the location to supplement their understanding and awareness of the situation. News agencies in developed markets like the US, Europe and the Far East have been using aerial footage from helicopters for a long time. The use of helicopters for news coverage has provided these news agencies the crucial edge in today’s growing and competitive news gathering market.
One of the most popular ENG helicopters in use today is the Eurocopter AS350 from the “Ecureuil” family. This rotary-wing aircraft can be fitted with fully high definition, vibration free, gyro-mounted cameras to get crystal clear images without any disturbance, and has a competition-beating 3.5 hours of flight endurance while fully equipped. Besides being comfortable, the cabin is also highly flexible to be altered for different needs as the situation demands.
