Ops at World Equestrian Games - Germany

[Cross-eyed]

I'd like to know if any of you are operating missions or charters at the World Equestrian Games. They will be held in my area in 2010 and I'd like some feedback as to the market opportunity it may bring to local helicopter operators. What types of missions, types of customers, size of the opportunity, and technical/logistical issues are you finding at the Games in Germany.

Is it time for me to buy that new EC-130 I've always wanted or should I just plan on snapping photo's through the canopy of an R22?

[Ned-Air2Air]

Equestrian (Horses) + Helicopters = This Should Be Interesting

[Cross-eyed]

Flying powerlines in horse country you learn that even thoroughbreds can be suprisingly indifferent to h/c down to about 100ft.

[Ascend Charlie]

We flew the camera ships for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and were not allowed within a bull's roar of the equestrian centre.

And contrary to the post above, horses are totally unpredictable with helos - they might appear disinterested as you follow your powerline, but then one will spook and the rest go @pesh1t, running through fences and so on.

Our air force had some very bad publicity when a Huey, which was low flying along a seemingly deserted beach, spooked a horse which was being ridden by a naked lady. She was thrown and sued the military, the pilots copped flak for supposedly being pervs, yada yada.

[The Hustler]

. . . although a Huey is not exactly the quietest subtlest ship to fly near a horse

[Cross-eyed]

Helos routinely land at designated areas within the Kentucky Horse Park. I would imagine that the Aachen facility, large enough to host 300-500K spectators that routinely attend, would be capable of landing helos a safe distance from the horses. With sponsors like Rolex and Mercedes-Benz, "upper crust" attendees, and world-wide media credentialing, I can't believe it isn't keeping at least one German operator busy over there.