Tour De France TV Helicopters.
Tour De France TV Helicopters.
With the Tour De France under way, I thought this article might interest those here who follow this great race. Team Sky's Chris Froome is the red hot favourite to win this year's race, picking up where Bradley Wiggins left off last year.
Le Tour de France vu du ciel : Les hélicoptères de prise de vue et relais | Media un autre regard
It is interesting to see that the camera equipment is stripped from the Twin Squirrel and is transferred onto a B3 Ecureuil for use in the mountain stages in the Alps and Pyrennes.
Has anyone ever done this type of flying, covering a cycle race for TV? I'd guess there is "standard" TV work and then there is something like this, which requires a slightly different approach. I am a cycling fan and watch this sport throughout the year. It is very interesting to see how much time the TV helicopters spend in the avoid curve and, literally, down in the fields that run parallel to the race route. The majority of helicopters used for this work are usually Twin Squirrels with the MD902 employed in Switzerland.
500 Fan.
Le Tour de France vu du ciel : Les hélicoptères de prise de vue et relais | Media un autre regard
It is interesting to see that the camera equipment is stripped from the Twin Squirrel and is transferred onto a B3 Ecureuil for use in the mountain stages in the Alps and Pyrennes.
Has anyone ever done this type of flying, covering a cycle race for TV? I'd guess there is "standard" TV work and then there is something like this, which requires a slightly different approach. I am a cycling fan and watch this sport throughout the year. It is very interesting to see how much time the TV helicopters spend in the avoid curve and, literally, down in the fields that run parallel to the race route. The majority of helicopters used for this work are usually Twin Squirrels with the MD902 employed in Switzerland.
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Has anyone ever done this type of flying, covering a cycle race for TV? I'd guess there is "standard" TV work and then there is something like this, which requires a slightly different approach.
Those flying "Le Tour" have a quite impressive outfit. I would love to fly there once but i think it is a 'closed shop' and chances are rather nil.
The Basics
At the core of the live race broadcast is the use of five VHF wireless cameras on motorbikes, two journalists reporting from motorbikes, and images captured from two helicopters with Cineflex gyro-stabilised camera systems. The five cameras on motorbikes capture the drama of the race from within while the helicopters cover the race but also capture much of the beauty of the French countryside which is such a large part of the production. At the finish line there can be between 1 to 20 additional cameras in place (depending on the broadcaster’s production) to capture rider interviews and the post-race action. Also new this year is a camera mounted on the Tour de France race director, Cristian Prudhomme’s car.
The “HF Long Distance System”
Images from motorcycle and helicopter cameras are transmitted via VHF links to relay helicopters flying at ~600 meters altitude. The signal is then retransmit them to aircraft flying at 3000-8000 meters (dependant on weather). These aircraft (some are unpressurised) need to circle very slowly therefore the turbulence can be highly uncomfortable for the pilots and technicians. If the weather turns bad then the use of the aircraft flying above the clouds becomes integral to the broadcast. In this case the GPS system on each bike becomes very important so that the aircraft can actually locate the motorbikes from 25,000 feet in the air.
Once the signal is sent to the helicopters and aircraft they are then relayed onto intermediate points sitting along the course (trucks which relay the signal onwards). In a typical stage there are two intermediate points. If it’s a very complex course with difficult terrain, there are sometimes three. These intermediate points are needed because stages can be as long as 225kms and the video signals need to be relayed from start to finish. The first intermediate points receives the signal and send it up to satellite. The second intermediate point forwards the signal to the town where the finish line is located via 4 receivers mounted on a crane 50 meters high. The eight camera signals are then decoded at Euro Media France’s OB truck (outside broadcast truck) which then performs some signal processing and minor colour correction to then send onto the France Television’s production truck sitting next door.
Time gaps that you seen on television are measured via GPS transponders mounted on the television motorcycles. This is not the time gap information used by the race officials however. You might notice the time gaps changing wildly on television. This is because the motorcycles are moving quickly, not because the gap is changing. Read more about how the time gaps are measured here.
The 50m high crane at the finish line holds the antennas for the intermediate points along the course to transmit their microwave links
As you can imagine, coordination of all of the vehicles is very complex. All of the moving vehicles need to communicate their exact co-ordinates to each other via GPS so their antennas can automatically move in sync with each other via motor mounts.
At the core of the live race broadcast is the use of five VHF wireless cameras on motorbikes, two journalists reporting from motorbikes, and images captured from two helicopters with Cineflex gyro-stabilised camera systems. The five cameras on motorbikes capture the drama of the race from within while the helicopters cover the race but also capture much of the beauty of the French countryside which is such a large part of the production. At the finish line there can be between 1 to 20 additional cameras in place (depending on the broadcaster’s production) to capture rider interviews and the post-race action. Also new this year is a camera mounted on the Tour de France race director, Cristian Prudhomme’s car.
The “HF Long Distance System”
Images from motorcycle and helicopter cameras are transmitted via VHF links to relay helicopters flying at ~600 meters altitude. The signal is then retransmit them to aircraft flying at 3000-8000 meters (dependant on weather). These aircraft (some are unpressurised) need to circle very slowly therefore the turbulence can be highly uncomfortable for the pilots and technicians. If the weather turns bad then the use of the aircraft flying above the clouds becomes integral to the broadcast. In this case the GPS system on each bike becomes very important so that the aircraft can actually locate the motorbikes from 25,000 feet in the air.
Once the signal is sent to the helicopters and aircraft they are then relayed onto intermediate points sitting along the course (trucks which relay the signal onwards). In a typical stage there are two intermediate points. If it’s a very complex course with difficult terrain, there are sometimes three. These intermediate points are needed because stages can be as long as 225kms and the video signals need to be relayed from start to finish. The first intermediate points receives the signal and send it up to satellite. The second intermediate point forwards the signal to the town where the finish line is located via 4 receivers mounted on a crane 50 meters high. The eight camera signals are then decoded at Euro Media France’s OB truck (outside broadcast truck) which then performs some signal processing and minor colour correction to then send onto the France Television’s production truck sitting next door.
Time gaps that you seen on television are measured via GPS transponders mounted on the television motorcycles. This is not the time gap information used by the race officials however. You might notice the time gaps changing wildly on television. This is because the motorcycles are moving quickly, not because the gap is changing. Read more about how the time gaps are measured here.
The 50m high crane at the finish line holds the antennas for the intermediate points along the course to transmit their microwave links
As you can imagine, coordination of all of the vehicles is very complex. All of the moving vehicles need to communicate their exact co-ordinates to each other via GPS so their antennas can automatically move in sync with each other via motor mounts.
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Having flown Dakar through south america I got the impression that:
no twin would do the job
Need B3 to handle filming missions
We used B407 for HEMS and did fine
Hard job although very amusing
One company had the whole contract
helicopters get really beaten (you get to practice brownouts!!!)
Crossing the Andes at 18K it was quite an experince ...
All in all, a great time that you wish to repeat every year
no twin would do the job
Need B3 to handle filming missions
We used B407 for HEMS and did fine
Hard job although very amusing
One company had the whole contract
helicopters get really beaten (you get to practice brownouts!!!)
Crossing the Andes at 18K it was quite an experince ...
All in all, a great time that you wish to repeat every year
tour de duex
Some of the Tour de face flights have a cineflex camera on the nose and second cineflex on a right hand side mount, one hero status camera op, French of course
From the camera op perspective, long races require stamina, as you both have to keep an eye on the bikes as well as look ahead for interesting landscapes or points of interest.
So preplans make all the difference, a switched-on pilot who can manoeuvre the craft without direction is essential to break the viewer monotony of the vertical view of lycra on bitumen.
Mickjoebill
From the camera op perspective, long races require stamina, as you both have to keep an eye on the bikes as well as look ahead for interesting landscapes or points of interest.
So preplans make all the difference, a switched-on pilot who can manoeuvre the craft without direction is essential to break the viewer monotony of the vertical view of lycra on bitumen.
Mickjoebill
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organization doesn`t like changing pilots every year.
You have to convince them showing previous experience on filming missions and it's a main point to build up a team with the camera man and general media people.
we had to change one crew since they were not satisficed with the job being done .... looking for stonning images and close ups takes sometimes a very demanding piloting near ground, high speed, rapid accelerations-decelerations trying to keep up with the vehicules on the race ... hot, high, long hours, dust, ..... Lots of fun but hard job me thinks ...
You have to convince them showing previous experience on filming missions and it's a main point to build up a team with the camera man and general media people.
we had to change one crew since they were not satisficed with the job being done .... looking for stonning images and close ups takes sometimes a very demanding piloting near ground, high speed, rapid accelerations-decelerations trying to keep up with the vehicules on the race ... hot, high, long hours, dust, ..... Lots of fun but hard job me thinks ...
.
Very nice views during this Tour De France !
And next year, the departure and first two days will be in uk ! Le Tour Yorkshire - Grand Départ 2014
VIDEO. Tour de France : les plus beaux moments de la 100e édition
.
Very nice views during this Tour De France !
And next year, the departure and first two days will be in uk !
Le Tour Yorkshire - Grand Départ 2014VIDEO. Tour de France : les plus beaux moments de la 100e édition
.
Last edited by HeliHenri; 22nd Jul 2013 at 20:25.
Here is a close encounter between some riders and a helicopter at a race in Spain yesterday. I don't think these riders will have the pilot on their Christmas card list.
Vuelta a Burgos 2013, S05 - cyclingcloud.com - YouTube
500 Fan.
Vuelta a Burgos 2013, S05 - cyclingcloud.com - YouTube
500 Fan.
Well , I've got a pad big enough for two or three and plenty of fuel if any company wants to use it !! I am flying it Inverness on the Saturday ......what restrictions will there be flying near a stage ??
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Well , I've got a pad big enough for two or three and plenty of fuel if any company wants to use it !! I am flying it Inverness on the Saturday ......what restrictions will there be flying near a stage ??
I can imagine quite a few helicopters and light aircraft having a wander over for a look otherwise, which might make it a tad stressful for the film crews....
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Bagby according to the Nothern Echo
Controversial airfield agrees to act as Tour de France helicopter base (From The Northern Echo)
Controversial airfield agrees to act as Tour de France helicopter base (From The Northern Echo)
