Originally Posted by
KiwiNedNZ
"A professional photo flight is one where the client consults with the pilot, sets the objective and flight path"
The NYON flights do not follow a prescribed path. During the briefings the pilot will consult with the pax and ask if there are any places they want to go and shoot. He will try and encompass as many of the locations as is possible within the flight time. So its not just a doors off tourist flight like Liberty or NY Heli etc.
I think the distinction I made above still applies. You're talking about tourists choosing between a few options in a set flight path, and not everyone onboard is looking for exactly the same thing.
A professional photo/film/video flight is aimed at a specific objective, where the client is telling the pilot exactly what they need. It's an airborne tripod, run by the person handling the camera. I've done hundreds of those, and it's a big difference in the number of people in the cabin, length of flight, and risk factors.
The big problem I see going forward is that professionals will be using more drones for this kind of work, leaving helicopter company owners to move towards these thrill-seeker rides when they lose the photo/film work.