Well, I had to look!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident

When I saw the thread title , I thought it would be a tourist flight pilot being daft & caught on a passenger’s phone.
On watching the video but without seeing further comments , it was evident it wasn’t that , it was someone good at his job , ‘just’ doing what he’s paid for.
Fascinating to see the degree of control & coordination that goes into the flying.
I’m no pilot but I doff my hat to those of you who do this kind of thing.

Strange, the footage from the MTV Music Awards more looks like rather unspectacular drone footage. And certainly could have been taken by drone without a problem. The only exception is the R44 that is in frame on one or two occasions, shown in high hover just outside the balcony. Last time I checked, my R 44 was *not* a twin with SE capabilities ;-).

Not that the engine knows it is night, close to a structure, OGE, and over hostile terrain. It will just continue running. Just saying.

Looks like the R44 is providing a spotlight which might not be flyable on a drone

The footage could have been taken by a drone, but I'm assuming that helicopters and drones flying together is not done for obvious reasons

(also, helicopters add more spectacle, including noise)

Most of the aerial shots have been taken from the AS350. It can be seen briefly in a couple of shots and the red anti-col can be seen reflecting off the side of the building during a couple of the closer shots.

The R44 seems to be solely there to shine it’s landing light on the stage.


The FAA is a very different regulatory body to CASA.

Comment from someone with no experience in aerial filming, or the limitations drones have. You're talking about sustained flight at 1,100ft AGL in very turbulent air carrying a 25lb+ camera package with downlink, in an extraordinarily RF-hostile environment, with dynamic moves, in close proximity to structures, at the edge of Class B airspace. A helicopter was absolutely the right tool for this flight.

LOOK CLOSELY and you will see the film set on the balcony complete with overly large boom microphone.

That's why he's doing the same thing over and over... getting the perfect shot.

An honorable rotary wing aviator it is. :ok::}
@Gordy: thanks for the info based on professional relationship.

Twilight zone indeed.

Illegal child actors, working illegally at night (even if they had been legal child actors), and the star, died when the film crew shot down their own helicopter.

"the detonation of debris-laden high temperature special effects explosions too near to a low-flying helicopter"

"Filming accidents fell by 69.6-percent between 1982 and 1986, although there were still six deaths on sets."

In respect to the perceived risk to bystanders of aerial filming....
During the period from 2000 to 2013, excluding war zones, aerial filming was the most dangerous activity for media workers, more died or were seriously injured worldwide in helicopters than by all other filming endeavours and assignments, combined.

However, during this 14 year period only one innocent bystander was reported injured in a aerial filming or photography crash.

So whilst a terrible toll was endured by pilots and media workers, the public were unscathed.

This record was sadly broken when a news helicopter crashed on takeoff from the roof of building in Seattle in 2014 and seriously injured two members of the public.

Stabilised cameras, use of higher speed frame rates and of course drones, have bought about a significant reduction in aerial filming accidents.

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Mjb

So I can see how stabilised cameras help, the platform doesn't need to be so close to the action to get clear footage but what about the higher speed frame rates? not so obvious why that should help reduce accidents.

Just found another video, this time from the balcony

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIMN-sy1HeI

It’s very refreshing to see that this post has not descended into the usual trash a Robinson one ….as often happens on here …nothing but total admiration for the R44pilot involved and the Filming Heli doing the pedal turns around the stage ….the Well known UK Training Robinson Instructor from Peterborough Conington taught all his students to to pedal turns very accurately - this video sets a new standard for students to aim for and with a reason …and thanks for the members who posted the night and daylight prep shots…..

Huh? :confused:

From the two videos that have been posted explain to me what the R44 was even there for? Another object for the Filming Helicopter to have to keep track of?

Well, it had a spot light on the performer......

looked like the normal R44 nose lights not a spotlight

Why has there been so much comment about this?

What - pointing 30-45 degrees to the right of heading, and downwards?

Ok, a nose light being used as a spot light on the performer.
There was clearly a reason the R44 was there which is what I was responding to.........