For decades, aerial filming and photography was a niche’ market. Unless you were a filmmaker, a magazine or worked in advertising, you probably didn’t have the need or the budget for any kind of aerial photography. However, if you leap forward to today and our digital age with technology flourishing all around us. One major benefit of technology that many people and businesses are beginning to embrace is aerial photography and videography.
Our modern technology moves quickly and advances each day with many people finding new and innovative ways to take advantage of these digital creations. One element of today’s technology that many people have begun implementing is aerial photography and videography. A helicopter is able to capture stunning footage from a bird’s eye view.
There are many reasons why a helicopter offers an advantage for capturing aerial footage over a smaller vehicle such as a drone. Drones certainly have their place, but they are very limited in their capabilities.
For example, helicopters offer major benefits over drones including:
Fly Higher and Longer
The most obvious advantage that helicopter photography offers is the ability to fly at much higher altitudes than a drone. Helicopters are perfect when capturing panoramic footage of large areas like cities landscape or even events. Additionally, helicopters fly for hours and miles as opposed to drones that can only for minutes and within a low, small radius.
Shooting Location Flexibility
Another benefit of helicopters is their ability to shoot across a wide variety of different locations. Many projects require multiple aerial shots across different locations. Helicopters can not only take the videos but transport the crew as well which makes multi-location shoots easier to manage, and a more than reasonable cost.
Range
When you compare the range capabilities of both platforms, helicopters win hands down every time. They have the ability to fly farther and longer than any commercial drone. When you calculate the hours of flight time and hundreds of miles distance, drones get about four minutes of flying time before needing a battery change and only fly out to 400 feet above the ground while tethered to a transmitter.
Payload
Helicopters routinely carry the heaviest camera rigs that drones simply cannot lift. If your project requires the highest definition possible, then a helicopter is required to carry the necessary camera gear and the personnel to operate the equipment.
Our technology advances every day, and costs of aerial photography and film production are plummeting. Even the idea of using a helicopter for your business aspirations would have proven to be too cost prohibitive in the early planning stages. Now, with modern digital cameras, and highly trained staff like ours, it is not only possible to engage a helicopter for your next filming and photography session, it often proves more cost effective than using a commercial available drone.
These photos are from a Hunter Helicopters family day adventure
