Professional skydivers Marco Waltespiel and Marco Fürst accomplished the first wingsuit flight through Tower Bridge. At 5:25 am on Sunday, 12th May, above London. The duo leapt from one of our AS355 helicopters, at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Accelerating to speeds of up to 153mph during their freefall, they descended as close as 35 meters above the River Thames flying in between the towers of the bridge. Skilfully executing a complex manoeuvre called a “flare”. They ascended back up to 80 meters, the necessary height to deploy their parachutes safely before landing.

Executing The World’s First Wingsuit Skydive Through Tower Bridge

For this project, the aircraft used as the picture ship and aerial stunt underwent a transformation and was branded as a Red Bull machine with the use of vinyl. The helicopter wrap changed the appearance of G-OLCP from its original VIP silver and black to a vibrant blue. The aircraft was adorned with the iconic Red Bull logo placed across both the side and tail of the aircraft.

Additionally, the branded helicopter, with the wingsuit pair on board, had another modification which involved the removal of one of the doors. With these preparations complete, the pair executed a skydive – an aerial stunt well within our realm of expertise.

To execute the aerial filming for Red Bull, we deployed a second AS355 helicopter paired with the Shotover K1, equipped with a RED V-Raptor camera and a Canon 50-5000mm lens. Pilot Will Banks served as the camera pilot, with Phil Arntz as the Director of Photography.

Permissions Required

Tower Bridge was purposely closed for the world’s first skydive for wingsuiters, Waltespiel and Fürst to fly through Tower Bridge.

To accomplish this unique and world-first skydive through Tower Bridge, we obtained the necessary permissions to ascend into Heathrow Class A airspace, along with our long-standing permit for low-level flying.

For this project, we collaborated with The Aerial Film Company to aid in providing aerial filming services.

The post The Worlds First Skydive through Tower Bridge appeared first on GB Helicopters.

Back for its 18th series, the esteemed entrepreneur show on BBC One marks the return of Alan Sugar, Baroness Karren Brady, and Tim Campbell. Viewers can anticipate another captivating season as a new group of aspiring entrepreneurs strive to impress and compete for the chance to become Lord Sugar’s next business partner.

This series will showcase the candidates participating in a range of business-related challenges. The first task will involve organising a luxury corporate hospitality day for clients. Their performance throughout each task will decide their continuation in the series, as they tackle other tasks such as creating a virtual escape room, innovating nutritious cereals for children, a tourism challenge in Budapest, and showcasing their marketing skills in the TV shopping channel challenge.

AERIAL FILMING IN LONDON

Our extensive collaboration with the BBC Creative team spans various projects over the years. Since 2022, we have been working closely with them to capture aerial footage for The Apprentice. The instrumental role played by the GB Helicopters aerial film team’s expertise was evident in producing the aerial footage for Series 18 of The Apprentice.

Similar to the approach taken in Series 16 and 17 of The Apprentice. We engaged in discussions with the production team. During these conversations, they outlined their desires and requirements for the shots. GB Helicopters director and chief pilot Will Banks took flight in one of our twin-engine AS355 helicopters across London and the surrounding areas. Our helicopter was equipped with the state-of-the-art GSS C516 compact lightweight gyro-stabilized gimble and RedEpic camera system. Allowing us to capture the aerial footage to be used within the production of The Apprentice.

Throughout the series, audiences can witness the aerial footage we’ve filmed, seamlessly integrated into transition scenes.

AERIAL FILMING FOR TELEVISION

At GB Helicopters we are no strangers when it comes to Aerial Filming for TV. Our experience includes working on numerous productions, such as Studio Lambert’s compelling psychological competition series, “The Traitors,” spanning both the UK and US productions in series 1 & 2.

We have also been part of the success behind Netflix’s highly popular series “Fool Me Once.” Beyond that, our capabilities extend to helicopter stunts such as skydiving, helicopter jumps, and long-lining (external human underslung). No matter how distinctive your vision may be. Our team at GB Helicopters will work with you to ensure to bring your vision to reality.

Discuss your upcoming production with our specialist operations team and see how you can use our aerial film services. Email them directly at ops@gbhelicopters.com or complete the form below.

The Apprentice is available to watch on BBC One and iPlayer.

The post The Apprentice Series 18 appeared first on GB Helicopters.

Quay Street Productions’ adaptation of Harlan Coben’s novel Fool Me Once stars Michelle Keegan as Maya Stern, a flight instructor who is dealing with the loss of her husband, Joe. In an effort to keep an eye on her daughter. Maya discovers her supposedly deceased husband in her home after she installs a nanny cam.

Providing Picture Ships

Quay Street Productions contacted our operations team at GB Helicopters.  After initial meetings, and a visit to view the different aircraft in our fleet. Production decided that the AS355 Twin Squirrel met their needs. In terms of the ‘on film’ appearance and the ample cabin space the aircraft offered for the cameraman and director. Using two aircraft maximised the flexibility to the production and have the ability to shoot in two places at once.  Two of our pilots were dedicated to the task, Captain’s Jonny Stocken and Dan Hagan. They both were briefed and carried out various scenes both on and off camera.

During the production of Fool Me Once, our AS355 helicopters were captured in several places and reinforced the helicopter pilot background of lead actress Michelle Keegan.  While filming Fool Me Once, our AS355 helicopters appeared prominently in multiple scenes, enhancing lead actress Michelle Keegan’s portrayal of a helicopter pilot.

Barton Aerodrome was a key location in filming. While briefings occurred on the ground and one aircraft remained stationary, our aircraft seamlessly flew through the captured frames.

Throughout the series, our aircraft appear in several episodes in various phases of flight. Filmed from the ground and from within. One instance includes landing in a clearing in Delamere Forest, following an unexpected helicopter based car chase.

Overall, GB Helicopters played a crucial role in the production of Fool Me Once, providing both aircraft and pilots for the filming process.

GB Helicopters Operations for Fool Me Once

As part of our risk assessment process, GB Helicopters Director and Chief Pilot, Will Banks, conducted a recce to Delamere Forest.  He travelled by road to verify there was adequate cleared space for the aircraft to land and depart safely. He also checked the suitability of the landing site for the aircraft.

Throughout filming, for this project, we obtained the permissions necessary to allow us to achieve the required footage. This includes landing permissions from Forestry England for Delamere Forest.

The booking of helicopter landings at Manchester Barton Aerodrome was expertly handled by our operations team, who also coordinated with Quay Street Productions ensuring all relevant parties were informed about the necessary filming tasks.

Fool Me Once was released on 1^st January and is available on Netflix.

GB Helicopters – Aerial Filming Enquiry

Our operations team is ready to assist you with any requirements you may have for your next production. You can contact our operations team by emailing them directly at ops@gbhelicopters.com or by completing the form below.

The post Helicopter Picture Ships for Fool Me Once appeared first on GB Helicopters.

At GB Helicopters we’re no strangers to receiving both unique and extraordinary helicopter requests. One such request came from Good Relations PR earlier this year. They approached us with an exciting idea: to dangle an enormous Dorito and dip it into a massive amount of cheese. All in the name of setting the world record for the highest cheese pull.  

This aerial stunt was the perfect opportunity for us to showcase our expertise. In addition to flawlessly performing the long-lining manoeuvre. We also branded our twin-engine AS355 aircraft as Doritos, making for a truly remarkable event.

How did we organise to long-line a giant Dorito?

Our operations team were the first point of contact to provide a bespoke quotation and to ensure all permissions were granted by the CAA. Given the complexity of flying with a massive Dorito suspended from the helicopter, extensive planning was required.

At GB Helicopters we hold a fantastic relationship with RJ Signs, who we have returned to each time for each helicopter wrapping request. This project was no different! RJ Signs transformed and gave G-GBTV a crisp new look.

At GB Helicopters, we take health and safety very seriously, especially when it comes to route planning. We made sure to avoid routes that would take us over residential areas while we had the 4ft Dorito suspended from our aircraft. Ground control was also the pinnacle in the safe success of this mission. They ensured the area was secured for our sole use.

Setting the World Record for the Highest Cheese Pull

With all necessary planning and risk assessments taken into consideration, the day finally arrived. On September 12th, Abi, our Operations Manager, and GB Helicopters’ Director and Chief pilot, Will Banks, set off from Cheshire to Cheddar Gorge.

As the task got underway, locals couldn’t help but notice a “yellow triangle” dangling from the helicopter. Giving away that something cheesy was afoot. Word quickly spread from curious locals on social media as to what was taking place at the Gorge.

Much to the delight of our client, our helicopter G-GBTV soared over the Gorge with a massive 4-foot Dorito dangling from it. But that was just the beginning of the madness! To take things up a notch, Will flew over an enormous pot of melted cheese, dipping the Dorito into it and creating the world’s highest cheese pull.

Social media star and Hits Radio Presenter Sam Thompson was also participating in the record-breaking day. Take a look below at how GB Helicopters helped Doritos break the World Record for the highest Cheese Pull.

The post The World’s highest Cheese Pull with Doritos appeared first on GB Helicopters.

Following series 9, BBC One Ambulance returns for its tenth series, focusing on the North East Ambulance Service. Since 2018, our crew has been performing aerial filming for the production of Ambulance. For series ten, we followed our amazing ambulance and paramedic crews from the sky across the North East. Series 9 and 10 are the first time BBC Ambulance has focused on the North East Ambulance and emergency response team.

How did GB Helicopters’ participate in the production of BBC One’s Ambulance?

Flying overhead in one of our AS355 twin-engine helicopters, we followed the emergency response teams to significant incidents across the North East. We equipped our twin-engine aircraft with our cutting-edge GSS C516 lightweight camera system and our RED Helium camera to capture the required footage.

Combining our ultra-high-definition camera systems, we flew overhead convoy with several emergency response vehicles and filming crew. This allowed us to capture the required footage of the North East ambulance service attending emergency scenes.

Additionally, we filmed overhead views of the Tyne River, Tees Transporter bridge, and scenic views. This footage captured can be seen throughout the series as transition scenes.

This series shows us a small fraction of what our paramedics attend to at heart-wrenching scenes. 24 hours 365 days a year.

Production and permissions required

GB Helicopters collaborated with Dragonfly Television and the BBC who produced the BAFTA Award-winning documentary series Ambulance.

The permissions required for this production were covered under the permit we hold from the CAA permitting us to fly at low levels.

Ambulance Series 10 air’s every Wednesday on BBC One and is available on iPlayer.

Contact our operations team to use our aerial filming services by completing the form below.

Aerial Filming Enquiry

The post BBC One Ambulance appeared first on GB Helicopters.

Over five days, they will endure rigorous physical and mental tests. Pushed well out of their comfort zone, each recruit will have to complete cold-water events, height tests, claustrophobic challenges and interrogation, alongside demanding trials of strength, stamina and determination.

GB Helicopters was brought in to help carry out the cold-water events and height tests. Producing the incredible footage of the stunts, was drone operator Lec Park.

First up was the ‘Heli Jump’. We performed this stunt recently for Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and on numerous Bear Grylls productions.

Flying low and fast over the waters near Cork, two recruits sit nervously in the back. Accompanying them in the cabin is their course instructor and a camera operator. Ensuring there’s unrestricted movement in the back, both the rear and co-pilot seats have been removed, as have the doors on one side. The camera operator now has the freedom to perfectly capture the raw emotions of each recruit in anticipation of their jump into the cold waters.

The second stunt we carried out is one of our favourites, the ‘Long Line’. Officially termed ‘Human External Cargo’, this stunt involves one or two people being suspended on a long line underneath the helicopter. It is another stunt we’ve done frequently with Bear Grylls. It’s also how we made Harry Styles fly in the music video for his hit single Sign of the Times. No CGI required.

For Ultimate Hell Week, this was performed around the spectacular coastline and cliffs of Mizen Head. We began by flying along the coast before sweeping up to a clifftop, one the recruits had just climbed up. Coming to a hover overhead, two of the recruits were carefully secured to the line below. Once safely attached, we lifted them over the edge of the cliff and out towards the ocean. The incredible vistas making this stunt all the more spectacular. The recruits were then dropped off further down the coast, ready for their next challenge.

For those of you in Ireland, you can watch the whole series on RTE Player.

To find out how these thrilling scenes could be part of your next production, get in touch on 0800 030 4105 or at ops@gbhelicopters.com.

The post Ultimate Hell Week – The Professionals appeared first on GB Helicopters.

He is one of the 12 new recruits for the latest series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

One by one each contestant is picked up from the island and taken to the drop point. They are flown in low and fast before quickly coming to a hover, simulating a rapid military insertion. They climb out of the helicopter and onto the skid, before psyching themselves up and blindly dropping into the sea.

The stunt would be carried out in our AS355N twin-squirrel helicopter, flown by GB Helicopters Director and Chief Pilot Will Banks.

As with all our stunt work, special permissions from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) were required. We always work closely with the CAA when carrying out aerial stunt work, and our continued experience and skill in performing stunts for film and TV productions helped us gain this permission.

The third series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins started on Channel 4 on 29th August 2021 and is on at 9PM on Sundays. If you want to catch up on the action, you can do so on All 4.

The post Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins appeared first on GB Helicopters.

The new series shows the immense challenges faced by the North West Ambulance Service during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Taking the viewer to heart of the NHS are the courageous frontline paramedics, as they respond to emergencies across the North West.

Series seven will concentrate in and around the cities of Liverpool and Blackpool. Covering an area of more than 5,400 square miles, they respond to an average 4,000 emergency calls every day. It shows in detail the harsh reality of the shifts of the call-handlers and ambulance dispatchers as they make decisions in the highly pressurised environment of the control room.

While the crews are accompanied by the production team on the ground, we provide a sense of scale from above. Capturing wide aerial shots of the city and iconic landmarks to close tracking shots of the emergency vehicles as they hurtle through the city.

Equipment

For this project we flew one of our AS355NP’s rigged with our GSS C516 gyroscopic camera system. For shooting during the day, we used our RED Epic Dragon camera with the Canon 30-300mm telephoto lens. At night, we switched to the Sony P1.

Produced by Dragonfly Television and the BBC, it was first broadcast on BBC One in 2016. Since then it has proved to be very successful, winning a BAFTA for ‘Best Factual Series’ in 2018 and receiving several National Television Award nominations.

The post Ambulance – Series 7 appeared first on GB Helicopters.

Our Airbus AS355 twin-squirrel helicopter,  carried out the filming using our GSS C516 camera system. Due to the unpredictable time of day an emergency can happen, we film both day and night shoots. Filming takes place with the Red Epic Dragon during the day and the ARRI Alexa Mini or Sony P1 at night, all fitted with a 30-300 Canon lens.

Following in close proximity to the air ambulance as it lands and takes off from various sites around Yorkshire, including helipads at hospitals, is a key part of the filming for Helicopter ER. The CAA have granted us a long-term certificate for low-level flying permission, which is perfect for productions as it enables us to get closer to the action.

Created by AirTv, Helicopter ER is broadcast on the Discovery Networks channel, Really. The latest series, 6, aired back in January 2021 and is available to watch on the Discovery+ website.

The post Helicopter ER appeared first on GB Helicopters.

Produced by Air TV, the first episode of the new series features a WWII Hawker Hurricane. Modified into the world’s only two-seater version of the aircraft. After months of painstaking restoration work, the experienced warbird pilot Anna Walker, flew over the countryside around Biggin Hill with its first passenger. We followed in our AS355 helicopter, equipped with our GSS camera system, capturing the magnificent machine’s return to the skies.

We then had the privilege of filming Guy Martin training and flying this wonderful machine for his new two-part series, Guy Martin’s Battle of Britain. The show would see Guy undergo similar training to RAF pilots before the Battle of Britain.

The Hawker Hurricane is now available for you to experience for yourself down at Biggin Hill. With flight times ranging from 30 to 75 minutes, you can feel the raw power of a historic WWII fighter plane and even take the controls! (if the pilot allows it). You can read more about this on their website.

The fourth episode features the restoration of a 1930’s Morane-Saulnier MS.315. However, it ran out of fuel resulting in an emergency landing on a pebble beach. The plane was taken to a wartime bomber base in Lincolnshire and after the restoration was completed, we were there to film its first 40 minutes test flight.

You can watch the first and second series on the UKTV website.

The post Warbird Workshop appeared first on GB Helicopters.