What’s even better than getting paid to fly? Having a truly fantastic flying career. Ever thought about becoming an aerial filming pilot? Here’s how to get there – and make a living from the air…
Yayeri van Baarsen
29 October 2022
Who?
Motion picture helicopter pilot Fred North has worked on 220 films worldwide, including Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast & The Furious series, Transformers and Bad Boys for Life. He usually works on 10-15 films a year, flying his H125.
What’s it like?
Aerial filming pilots are involved in both the technical and the creative aspect of getting high-quality footage for TV and movies. Depending on the project, you could be shooting air-to-air, or filming landmarks, landscapes, and coastlines.
As for working on action movies? Expect to be flying at explosions, through ravines, over car chases, underneath bridges, or landing on moving trains. Apart from the challenging flying, this job involves a lot of aerial coordination, in fact you can spend months prepping for just a 40-second film sequence.
Fred North said: “For a stunt film pilot, preparation is everything. I always assess the situation in person, measuring height and width. Does it fit with the action planned? Explosions or car chases, for example, leave less room to fly. With big stunt sequences, I visit the location several times, seeing if maybe sidewalk signs or traffic lights should be removed, or trees cut down so we can fly safely. My amazing team helps me assess technical challenges and risks and make a final determination.”
Who fits the role?
Extremely safety-conscious pilots with a good eye for getting the right shot. Since you’re using the helicopter to its full capabilities, apart from great flying skills, you need to have a feel of the aircraft and be completely aware of its performance.
Fred North: “In this business, safety isn’t just a word, it’s the number one priority. You can’t be complacent – one mistake and you’re done. You want to kiss the red line, but never cross it. It’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.”
How to get there?
There’s no specific training for aerial filming. It does, however, take a lot of dedication – usually you start off doing some small jobs – and it can take a long time to make a name for yourself. Having a background in the TV or film industry and an understanding of how a good shot should look, is a huge help.
Fred North: “My first rally, Paris-Dakar in 1988, led to filming car races for TV all over the world. Wanting to be more creatively involved, I started as a film pilot in 1995. Ever since then, I’ve put all my money, time, and effort into getting into the movie industry.”
Why?
Fred North: “What I love most is the feeling of accomplishment when seeing the movie afterwards. There aren’t many jobs where you can see your work on screen forever.”
Any tips?
Fred North: “Assess if your personality matches your dream profession. Film pilots need to be instinctual, capable of making decisions on the spot.”
