Helinet’s VIP charter customers use Sikorsky S-76, Leonardo AW109, and Eurocopter AS355 twin-engine aircraft to conquer the notorious Los Angeles traffic.
captain and aviator. “A big part of my job is to ensure high standards for professional operation and maintenance of our aircraft, while making sure the individual lines of business are working together and doing what’s best for Helinet,” says Cross. One advantage to having a team is hearing
different perspectives, says Kathryn. “It’s good to see things with a fresh set of eyes. Our CFO, Brad Sather, has a sign in his office that says, ‘Te 6 Most Expensive Words in the English Language: We Always Did It Tat Way.’ And that’s so true. Helinet doesn’t look the same now as it did five years ago and five years before that, and it may not look the same in five years.”
Aerial Production Under Alan’s leadership, Helinet established a large footprint in providing aerial services for movie, television, and media production. Te company has steadily expanded its capa- bilities in this area, providing film production companies with an array of aerial services, from cast and crew transport to helicopters
34 ROTOR 2020 Q2
and drones outfitted as camera platforms to aircraft that appear on-screen. Helinet’s “picture ships” include a wide
variety of aircraft that can be “cast” in various missions, including the 18 aircraft that it owns and the four in its aircraft management pro- gram. A standout in Helinet’s fleet is its MovieHawk, a Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk ESSS model. Te unique aircraft can carry actual, if disabled, external weaponry and fuel tanks, as well as a system for fast-rope insertions and extractions. Te company also has an Aero L-39 Albatros aircraft, dubbed the CineJet. With a custom Shotover camera mount designed for high-speed aerial cinema tography, the CineJet captures images at speeds exceeding 350 knots and during maneuvers approaching 3 Gs. Helinet’s camera ships include six single- and
two twin-engine aircraft outfitted with camera mounts that can accommodate a film production company’s desired cameras and lenses. Te company also uses 14 drones to capture aerial footage.
But it’s the Helinet team that makes the
magic happen. Aerial coordinators pore over the logistics of every shoot, including locations, aircraft, maintenance, fuel, pilots, crew, safety, and regulatory compliance. A 30-second aerial sequence in a movie can take eight hours of preparation—or more. Helinet’s production pilots work closely with
the film production team to choreograph aircraft movement, a task that’s even more difficult when you’re dodging the imagined movements of a 30-foot Transformer that doesn’t actually exist. “It’s both a physical and mental exercise when you’re out in the helicopter making these shots,” says Kevin LaRosa II, the ATP-rated pilot who heads Helinet’s production team. “You’re not only flying an aircraft, you’re directing another helicopter or multiple heli- copters on how they should be flying, and you’re watching the image to make sure you’re putting yourself in the right place.” “I hired Kevin to fill the gap in our production department left by Alan’s death,” says Kathryn.
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