What’s New
Here’s the latest news from Airborne Images. Check back often to learn about the latest projects we’re working on and what we’ve been shooting.
Old Photo of our first day with The ‘Dirty Jobs’ Crew
We are still trying to sort out who took this picture, but it shows Mike Rowe Triumphantly raising the burned out light bulb he had just changed on the top of the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. Mike is standing atop one of the main towers which is 522 feet high. Changing the light bulb was easy compared to the painting he had been doing for ten hours prior to this photo. This was Airborne Images’ very first day with the ‘Dirty Jobs’ crew in 2007. Pete Laitinen is flying this B206L. Pete also flew for the ‘Vomit Island’ episode that aired after this one and was a popular member of the crew. Aaron Fitzgerald was operating a FLIR UM HD camera system from Winged Vision. We stayed on Mackinac Island during this shoot and had a great time. The ‘Dirty Jobs’ crew has been back to Mackinac many times and have a great relationship with the locals there.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 02/02 at 08:18 PM
Offshore in Gloucester
Airborne Images has been working on a new show for National Geographic Channel in Gloucester MA. We can’t tell you too much about it yet, but obviously it involves fishing in the Atlantic! This picture was taken by Numa Baltasar on November 29 just offshore of Gloucester. It shows pilot Mike Peavey and Aerial DP Carston Bell at work over the ocean in Mike’s Jetranger. Mike’s company is based nearby in Norwood MA and we always fly with him when we are working in the Boston area. The Cineflex V14 is from Angel City Air. The weather was less than perfect, but that’s the name of the game in the North Atlantic, so we were happy to take what Mother Nature gave us and came away with some great aerials.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 12/11 at 06:19 PM
NFL Football in Houston
Aaron and the Cablecam crew shot the Houston Texans vs. Atlanta Falcons game for Fox Sports on Sunday December 4th. Daniel Schade was the platform operator. This stadium is about ten years old but still looks and feels brand new. Houston is a very hospitable town and we had a very smooth job. This picture shows how high we sit while operating in Reliant Stadium. It’s around 160 feet down to the field, but as the picture shows, it’s a pretty good perspective. This shot was taken by lead Cablecam rigger Josh Helling. It was a long day for the Falcons.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 12/08 at 09:01 AM
Airborne Images and the Red Bull Air Force invade Hollywood from above
On October 19th The Red Bull Air Force came to town and we were happy to be part of the show. Luke Aikins was the organizer and lead jumper for a wing suit flyby of the famed Hollywood sign. The jumpers were Luke, Jon Devore, Andy Farrington, Miles Daisher, and Mike Swanson. Aaron Fitzgerald was flying the jump ship, an AS350 from Blackstar Helicopters in Los Angeles. Larry Welk was flying the Cineflex-equipped AS350B2 from Angel City Air with Carston Bell working his usual magic on the Cineflex. The whole project was a great success and we have Luke to thank for having us on the job. Thanks Luke!
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 10/28 at 01:26 PM
Great way to start the day
Andreas Paulsen took this shot of Aaron and Gabriel Vitelli headed to work on October 6th in Monterey, California (MRY). We were en route to Seattle with Helistar’s AS350B2. We had a great trip and an enjoyable few days in Seattle working and flying. The weather wasn’t perfect, but we definitely saw some spectacular scenery and a few great sunrises like this one.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 10/07 at 06:32 PM
Cablecam on hand for the re-opening of B.C. Place
The venerable multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia underwent a $500 million dollar renovation over the last year or so and Cablecam was on hand for the grand re-opening. The Cablecam was rigged for the B.C. Lions game on Friday night and operated flawlessly in what was a celebration of the stadium’s new look, but also a test run for the CFL’s championship game, the Grey Cup which will take place on November 27th in B.C. Place. The Cablecam crew commandeered the Grey Cup itself for this shot, featuring most of the crew, (L to R) Aaron, Spike, Mike, Ishii, and Scott. Missing from the picture were Jason, Steve and our man in Vancouver, Peter.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 09/30 at 07:48 PM
Working in Santa Ynez with Vincent Laforet and crew
On Wednesday, September 7th, Airborne Images went with Vincent Laforet to the beautiful Santa Ynez area to shoot aerial stills for an international automotive ad campaign. Vincent Laforet is a world renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who uses Aaron as his helicopter pilot when he is working in Southern California. The aerial crew for this day was Vincent, Aaron, Mike Isler and Greg Ferguson. Vincent is probably the top aerial photographer in the world and it is absolutely fascinating to watch him work. He and his crew are also some of the friendliest, easy-going guys we work with and it was a great day with perfect weather. Aaron flew a stealthy-looking AS350BA from Blackstar Helicopters in Los Angeles. These photos were taken by Vincent with his cell phone during a re-fueling stop at Santa Ynez Airport. Please go to Vincent’s website to see some of his incredible work. http://www.laforetvisuals.com/
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 09/09 at 08:03 AM
Red Bull brings the F1 showcar to Austin
After all the fun in Southern California, the Red Bull team took the RB6 to Austin for some dirt driving action. David Coulthard put on an incredible show for the the lucky race fans and Airborne Images was there to capture it all from above. James Jensen from Air Center Helicopters in Dallas was the helicopter pilot in his Bell 407 and Carston Bell was the Aerial DP using a Cineflex V14 from Angel City Air. James and Carston had a lot of fun chasing Mr. Coulthard around the unfinished Circuit of the Americas and we were happy to be part of the action.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 08/23 at 08:40 AM
Red Bull Formula 1 team comes to America
The World Champion Red Bull F1 team brought their show car to California on August 15 for a demonstration at Willow Springs Raceway. Former F1 driver David Coulthard was there to introduce Tom Cruise to the RB6. Airborne Images was selected to capture all the aerial footage of the on-track action. Afterward, Mr. Cruise was taken up over the track for a session of incredible helicopter aerobatics by Chuck Aaron in the Red Bull B0-105 and we flew along capturing that too. (But we left the aerobatics to Chuck!)
It was an incredibly fun day that we were fortunate to be a part of. Aaron Fitzgerald flew Angel City Air’s AS350B2 that can be seen chasing the car around the track with Carston Bell as the Aerial DP using the Cineflex V14.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 08/17 at 07:48 PM
Airborne Images in Squaw Valley with the Cubed Pipe
Pro skier Simon Dumont ordered up an insane half pipe with everything cut away except his takeoff and landing areas. Snowpark Technologies built the monster at Squaw Valley and Airborne Images was there to capture aerial footage when Simon attacked it. Larry Welk was the helicopter pilot and Carston Bell operated the Cineflex V14. The Phantom camera got several super-slo-mo shots of the helicopter and we think that is a highlight of the video! Nice job Simon, and thank you Claude for inviting us on this historic event.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 05/28 at 10:19 AM
Kirby Chambliss takes Tim Lincecum for a ride over San Francisco
Aerobatic champion and Red Bull Air Racer Kirby Chabliss came to San Francisco to give the Giants’ ace Tim Lincecum a ride in the two-seater and Airborne Images was there to capture the air-to-air footage. Kirby Chambliss is about the nicest guy in all of aviation. It was a pleasure to work with him and a thrill to fly formation with him over San Francisco. We flew Angel City Air’s AS350B2 with a Cineflex V14. Aaron Fitzgerald was the pilot with Doug Holgate as the Aerial DP.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 04/28 at 07:11 PM
MLB World Series on Fox
Cablecam LLC, of Chatsworth, CA rigged a 3-Dimensional camera system at AT&T Park for games one and two of the World Series and they chose Aaron Fitzgerald to be the camera operator. Aaron also operated for the ALCS in Dallas and New York. The Cablecam guys rigged systems in all three stadiums under serious time constraints and delivered working packages in New York, Dallas, and San Francisco. It was a lot of fun to be part of the show and introduce Cablecam to the MLB audience. Photos by Benton Ward at Game 2 of the World Series in San Francisco.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 11/03 at 11:40 PM
Pictorvision Eclipse with Golden Era Productions
On October 13th Aaron Fitzgerald and Doug Holgate teamed up for a Golden Era Productions project near Hemet, California. Aaron was the pilot and Doug was the Aerial DP on a day that included Zebras and a village full of actors and extras to create an African setting in Southern California. We used an AS350D1 from Angel City Air and the Pictorvision Eclipse to capture some beautiful aerials on film for the re-creation of a classic production by Golden Era. Dave Arms was the camera technician and he is the one who took these photos showing Doug and Aaron on set.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 11/03 at 10:27 PM
HD Aerials in the the Central Valley region of California
Airborne Images spent Tuesday, September 13th, in the Central Valley shooting aerials for an international company with with a very large farming operation Northwest of Bakersfield, California. We have worked for this company before and they brought us back for another day of flying and shooting to capture footage of a different division. Carston Bell was the Aerial DP and Aaron Fitzgerald flew the helicopter. The equipment for this shoot, an AS350B2 and a Cineflex V14, came from the Angel City Air fleet. In this photo we had just landed on a hilltop top to clean a very large bug off the lens window. When it comes to huge bugs, the Central Valley always delivers!
Photo by Carston Bell.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 09/15 at 07:23 PM
Airborne Images and Swamp Loggers in North Carolina
The week of August 23rd, Aerial DP Carston Bell was in the swamps outside Wilmington, NC shooting several days of aerials for Discovery’s hit show ‘Swamp Loggers’. Whenever we work in North Carolina we fly with Helivision out of Concord, NC. Pictured here are (L to R) Helivision owner Buddy Knotts, Swamp Loggers Field Producer and Director Paul Harrison, Aerial DP Carston Bell and the featured star of the show, Bobby Goodson, owner of Bobby Goodson All Terrain Logging. Carston always has a great time working with the Swamp Loggers crew and we hope the show enjoys a long and successful run.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 08/30 at 06:19 PM
Point Mugu Air Show with the Red Bull Air Force
Aviation Photographer Eric Van Gilder captured this incredible shot of Miles Daisher and Mike Swanson of the Red Bull Air Force flying their wing suits over the Pt. Mugu Airshow. They had just exited the helicopter at 5,000 feet over the runway and if you look closely, Jon Devore and Clint Clawson can be seen standing on the skids about to jump. All four formed up under canopy and then landed together in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. The RBAF guys always put on a great show and this one was no exception with several jumps over the course of two days on August 7th and 8th. Aaron Fitzgerald flew the jump helicopter, N1012K, an AS350B2 owned by Helifilms of Los Angeles. More of Eric Van Gilder’s work can be seen at http://www.vg-photo.com
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 08/29 at 10:31 PM
Diddy - Dirty Money music video
We recently shot a music video for P. Diddy’s new band, ‘Diddy - Dirty Money’ over Los Angeles and it has now been released. The new single is called ‘Hello Good Morning’. We flew over Los Angeles in perfect weather and it was a lot of fun. Aaron Fitzgerald flew the helicopter that can be seen in the video with Mike Tamburro flying as co-pilot/Nightsun operator. John Tamburro flew the camera ship that captured all the aerial footage and he was also the Aerial Coordinator, so we have John to thank for including us on this shoot. We didn’t get to meet Diddy, but we had a great time making the video.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 06/28 at 09:58 PM
Red Bull Air Force in Seattle
On June 9th and 10th the Red Bull Air Force guys made an aerial assault on the Seattle skyline and Airborne Images was there to capture it. The guys made several jumps with their wing suits from various altitudes and locations making landings at Myrtle Edwards Park in Elliott Bay. We mounted a Cineflex V14 HD onto an AS350B2 from World Wind Helicopters in Renton. Carston Bell was the Aerial DP and Rick Dominy flew the camera helicopter. We dealt with some challenging weather, but had some good success capturing the guys in formation over Seattle. The jumpers were Luke Aikins, Jon Devore, Andy Farrington, and Miles Daisher. It’s always a fun time working with the Red Bull Air Force and we were happy to be part of this event.
This is a frame grab from Carston’s footage of the guys flying in formation through Seattle.
Rick Dominy forming up on the jump plane.
Carston making visual contact with the jump plane before a jump. Seattle is visible out the window.
Aaron Fitzgerald and Luke Aikins on the ramp between jumps. Luke was the organizer and lead jumper for this event.
Carston Bell and Rick Dominy on the ramp at World Wind Helicopters after the last flight of the job.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 06/16 at 10:36 AM
Dirty Jobs in the Everglades
The ‘Dirty Jobs’ crew and Airborne Images are back at work shooting season 5. On April 15th, we were in the Florida Everglades at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge shooting aerials of Mike Rowe while he learned about Melalueca eradication. Carston Bell was the Aerial DP and he took this shot over the shoulder of pilot Paul Barth as they chased the crew’s airboat. Carston and Paul flew an AS355 Twinstar operated by Paul’s company, Camera Copters and used Angel City Air’s Cineflex V14 to capture some breathtaking HD aerial shots over the Everglades.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 04/21 at 09:36 PM
Next-gen Space Suit Revealed for Red Bull Stratos Mission
This is the latest video to come out of the Stratos project. You can see Felix making several exits from the helicopter in this one. This AS350B2 is owned and operated by McKernan Motion Picture Aviation in Los Angeles. Aaron Fitzgerald was the jump pilot for this phase of the pressure suit development and testing. Most of these test jumps were made at around 15,000 feet and at that time, we were working in total secrecy.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 04/07 at 02:04 AM
Red Bull Stratos Project
Airborne Images has been working in secrecy with Red Bull on the Stratos project, a mission to the edge of space. The project was recently made public. In April, Austrian pilot Felix Baumgartner will attempt to make a world record skydive from 120,000 feet above the Earth. Aaron Fitzgerald has been flying as the test jump helicopter pilot during the development and testing of the pressure suit Felix will wear. Aaron will continue to fly with the Stratos team throughout the project providing helicopter support.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 01/27 at 05:52 PM
Airborne Images Captures Red Bull Aerobatics with Golfer Camilo Villegas
Recently Red Bull-sponsored PGA golfer Camilo Villegas visited Southern California for a golf tournament and took a trip out to the airport for a ride with Red Bull airshow performer Chuck Aaron. Airborne Images was there to capture air-to-air footage of the flight. Aerial DP Carston Bell was operating the Cineflex and Aaron Fitzgerald was flying the AS350B2 camera platform. Flying formation with Chuck and seeing him work is always a thrill. It was a spectacular California day, and Camilo proved to be quite airworthy throughout the aerobatic maneuvers.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 01/26 at 05:57 PM
Swamp Loggers in North Carolina
Carston Bell made another trip to North Carolina for Discovery’s new show Swamp Loggers. Airborne Images has done all the aerial work for this show in a variety of locations in the United States and Canada. This installment featured swamp loggers in a rural area outside of Wilmington. The helicopter is a Jetranger from Helivision out of Concord. It was flown by the very capable and experienced Buddy Knotts. We have worked with Buddy and Helivision many times and they always deliver. The camera system was an Angel City Air Cineflex V14 HD. Buddy and Carston took advantage of the only flyable weather for several days to make this shoot happen. This photo was taken by Swamp Loggers Director of Photography, Terry Pratt on October 27th.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 11/25 at 09:16 AM
Red Bull Air Force invades the Rose Bowl
The Red Bull Air Force Skydive Demonstration Team jumped into the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA before the UCLA Bruins played the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, October 10th. Luke Aikins took these photos of Jon Devore while they descended into the stadium. The jumpers were Luke Aikins, Jeff Provenzano, Mike Swanson, and Jon Devore. Aaron Fitzgerald flew the helicopter, an AS350B2 owned by Helifilms USA. We staged at the Pasadena Police Department Heliport and would like to thank them for helping us make this another successful RBAF event. Photos by Luke Aikins.
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Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 10/13 at 08:21 PM
Red Bull and NBC
On September 22, we had another fun day shooting air-to-air sequences for a new NBC show that will air later this year. We spent the day at Camarillo airport flying with Bill Reeseman and Chuck Aaron from the stable of Red Bull airshow performers. We operated Angel City Air’s AS350BASD1 (or Super D) with a Cineflex V14HD camera system. First, we shot Air-to-air of Bill Reeseman is his incredible Mig-15. (no luck keeping up with him, but got some good footage) then we shot another full air-to-air sequence of Chuck Aaron doing his magic in the aerobatic BO-105 Red Bull helicopter. Aaron Fitzgerald flew the camera helicopter with Carston Bell as the Aerial DP. Carston got some of the best footage yet of Chuck in action. This photo, taken by Carston, is of Chuck and Aaron at Camarillo Airport after the completion of all the aerial sequences.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 09/22 at 09:37 PM
Eclipse Camera system
Aaron had the pleasure of flying the new Eclipse Camera system this week. Eclipse is the newest system from Pictorvision that features many advances in Gyrostabilized camera technology. On Tuesday, September 15th we flew aerial sequences for the new ABC series ‘Flash Forward’ with a Sony F35 HD camera system. Then, on Thursday September 17th, we shot aerials for the new Feature film ‘The Green Hornet’ using the same system with a film camera and a 275mm Panavision lens. We used Helifilms’ AS350B2 helicopter which performed flawlessly, as always. Aaron Fitzgerald was the pilot, Kurt Soderling was the Aerial DP, and Peter McKernan was the Aerial Coordinator for both productions. Many thanks to Kurt and Peter for making us a part of these projects. This photo was taken by Pictorvision President Tom Hallman on Monday September 14th as we took off for a test flight in Van Nuys, CA.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 09/22 at 09:19 PM
America’s Cup Challenger
On August 20th, Airborne Images was on board with Helifilms USA shooting the America’s Cup challenger from the United States. The boat was sailing off the coast of San Diego in preparation for the upcoming race in Dubai. These photos, along with the HD video captured by Helifilms Aerial DP Mike Boidy, will be used to compare and analyze the various entries. It was a fun day and it is always a pleasure to work with David Calvert-Jones. Photos by Aaron Fitzgerald.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 08/22 at 05:14 PM
Somewhere over the Pacific…
Airborne Images spent the day ‘Feet Wet’ over the Pacific Ocean today shooting HD footage of the US Navy’s Guided Missile Cruiser, USS Bunker Hill. We worked with Air Center Helicopters from Fort Worth, TX using one of their off-shore equipped Bell 407s. The pilot was Shannon Burton and the Aerial DP was Carston Bell with Aaron along as self-loading cargo and still photographer. We can’t tell you much about the Bunker Hill’s capabilities, but it goes very fast and is VERY agile for a 567 foot vessel. We used the Cineflex V14HD and recorded to a Sony XDCam deck. The first photo is the the helicopter’s view of a flank speed starboard turn. The second is of Carston on the deck at Camarillo Airport after the completion of the mission. The third photo shows pilot Shannon Burton trying to look serious while doing some of his incredible close proximity flying. It was a very successful day.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 07/29 at 10:06 PM
Dirty Jobs goes to Hawaii
Airborne Images went to Hawaii with Discovery’s ‘Dirty Jobs’ crew to shoot host Mike Rowe learning about a high rise window washing operation in Honolulu. This picture shows Aerial DP Carston Bell working with Pilot Jedrick Squyres near downtown Honolulu on July 17th. Carston and Jedrick faced a few challenges that day because the building being filmed is situated on the final approach to Honolulu International Airport, but they did great work and captured spectacular aerial footage of Mike on the building. The helicopter is an AS350FX1 from Sunshine Helicopters in Maui and the camera system is an Angel City Air Cineflex V14HD with a 9.7x42 lens. This photo was taken by ‘Dirty Jobs’ camera assistant Ryan Walsh from the roof of the building.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 07/24 at 10:07 AM
Short Haul test
This is Aaron testing out the other end of the long line under the MD530F on July 10th. There were short haul operations underway on the Bouquet Canyon power line project so we had to join in on the fun. Flying external loads is something that requires focused concentration for the pilot, but BEING an external load is pure fun. Mark Kovaletz was the pilot flying the MD530F and provided an excellent and memorable long line ride.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 07/22 at 10:21 PM
Protest Snowboard short film
On June 4th Aaron and Carston worked with French snowboard Champion Aymeric Tonin on a hilarious short film by Caviar productions for Protest Snowboards. The shoot took place in several locations, but our scenes were shot mostly at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, California. We used two helicopters and one Cineflex V14 HD, with Carston shooting and Tim Lynn flying the camera ship. Aaron flew the story ship. Here are two still shots taken from the footage that show Aymeric and the story helicopter, which by the way, is N1231A from the Angel City Air fleet. We will post a link to the movie when it is released in the next few weeks. Thanks to John and Don at Caviar for these still frame grabs.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 06/10 at 03:14 PM
Red Bull at the Race Track
On May 4th The Red Bull traveling circus converged on Willow Springs Raceway for a day of racing and helicopter aerobatics. Red Bull Base Jumper Felix Baumgartner was in Southern California with his race car and we were there to film aerials of him racing on the track. As if low-level race car chasing wasn’t enough, Chuck Aaron was on location with the Red Bull Aerobatic B0-105 helicopter. We had the pleasure of filming some unbelievable air-to-air footage of Chuck doing his aerobatic routine with Felix in the co-pilot seat. Adding to the fun was Red Bull pro snowboarder Travis Rice who was in the mix all day flying and making everyone laugh. Aaron was the camera helicopter pilot and Curt Morgan of “That’s It, That’s All” fame was the Aerial DP. Pictured here are Travis, Aaron, and Felix in front of the AS350B2 and Felix’s car.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 05/09 at 11:04 AM
Dirty Jobs In Wenatchee, Wa.
We went to Wenatchee, Washington the week of April 20th with the ‘Dirty Jobs’ crew to shoot Rocky Reach Dam on the Columbia River. There will be two segments on the Dam and we shot all the aerials. This picture shows Aaron working as the aerial DP and coordinator with helicopter pilot Rick Dominy from World Wind Helicopters in Renton, WA. Rick looks a little startled in this picture, but we can assure you that he had a great time and the job went off without a hitch. Rick and everyone at World Wind were a real pleasure to work with. The weather was great and we saw and captured some spectacular scenery in the Cascade Mountain range. In this photo, Aaron and Rick were flying south down the Columbia River toward the Dam which is visible in the windscreen. Chuck Klausmeyner took this photo from the back seat shortly after he spotted the biggest Bear we have ever seen.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 05/04 at 09:11 PM
MD530FF
Here is Aaron in Summit’s mighty MD530FF slinging some rigging equipment on the power line project. The big 500kv towers were put in place by the Sky Crane last week and we were recovering the rigging steel and loading it back on the truck. The MD530FF is a pleasure to fly and the weather has been great lately except for a few very high wind days. This project is making progress, but there is a lot of work to do for awhile. Photo by Mike McCoy Sr.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 04/18 at 07:43 PM
Power line project
The power line construction project is up to full speed now. We are working with six helicopters on our segment of the project in Bouquet Canyon, North of Los Angeles. In this picture, Aaron is landing N888SD, an MD500E owned and operated by Summit Helicopter, on the touchdown pad at tower site 65 on April 1st. Bouquet Canyon reservoir is visible in the background, and thankfully, the weather is perfect after many weeks of challenging and cold weather. This pad is situated at around 2,800msl and has no real obstructions around it, making it perfect for photo opportunities. Aaron is flying in support one of the subcontractors on the project. Photo by Mike Mitchell
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 04/03 at 09:55 AM
2009 NBA All-Star game
Spike and Aaron doing some lens maintenance on the Sequoia camera rig at the NBA All-Star game in Phoenix. This is the newest Sequoia HD gimbal deployed on the Cablecam system. This was the third year we shot the NBA All-Star week for TNT. Blake Chapman of Cablecam took this photo on February 14th, just prior to the Skills Challenge and Slam Dunk competition.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 02/15 at 01:32 PM
Alaska Week Aerials
This is ‘Dirty Jobs’ Director of Photography, Doug Glover with the camera ship in Alaska on February 10th. Doug, pilot Dave King and Aerial DP Carston Bell were shooting some spectacular aerial footage for the show and for Discovery’s Alaska Week. Airborne Images is proud to have provided aerial assets and coordination for several shows in Alaska this season with over 40 shooting days in a wide variety of conditions. This picture was taken by Carston and shows Doug and Dave (at the controls of his helicopter) overlooking the Knik Glacier near Palmer, Alaska.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 02/14 at 01:26 PM
Airborne Images and Dirty Jobs in Alaska
Carston brings some sunshine to the Cineflex near Big Lake, Alaska on February 9th. Dirty Jobs was doing two stories in the Palmer area for Discovery’s upcoming Alaska week so Carston was busy for several days shooting aerials with pilot Dave King from Last Frontier Air Ventures. The temperature was around 10 degrees on all three shoot days. Carston actually enjoys the cold weather, but the Cineflex doesn’t, so he is applying a little gentle heat to expedite the boot up. This photo was taken by Dirty Jobs Producer/Director David Barsky.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 02/14 at 10:44 AM
Carston in Northern Alberta
Carston Bell, intrepid Aerial DP, pictured during a fuel stop on his latest Airborne Images project. This photo was taken at a fuel cache near Peace River, Alberta. Carston was shooting Aerial footage for the latest installment of Discovery’s popular show, Extreme Loggers. This episode featured the Ice Loggers of Northern Alberta and Carston was enjoying some cold but very sunny weather during the shoot. The helicopter, an AS350B2, from Highland Helicopters was flown by pilot Darry Markle and was equipped with an Angel City Air Cineflex V14. Photo by Brian Kuennen
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 01/30 at 07:43 PM
Power line project, Los Angeles County
Aaron in a MD520N on December 8. We are flying in support of a major power line construction project north of Los Angeles. The MD520N is a fun little helicopter and good fit for the type of flying that this job requires. This helicopter, N451WT, is being operated by Summit Helicopter in Pacoima, CA for the duration of the project. Dave Martin and Aaron Fitzgerald are the primary pilots for this contract and it should keep everyone busy for the forseeable future. This photo was taken by Mike McCoy Sr. at the Pumpkin Patch landing zone.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 12/09 at 08:12 PM
2008 Grey Cup, Montreal
Airborne Images provides camera operators for a variety of live broadcast events such as the Grey Cup. The Grey Cup is the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and this year, the 96th game, was held at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec on Sunday the 23rd. The game was broadcast for the first time on TSN this year after many years on CBC. This picture was taken shortly after the game, and shows a very happy Calgary Stampeder, Mike Labinjo, with me, celebrating his 22-14 victory over the Montreal Alouettes. (The Cablecam is above and behind us.) Mike is a star defensive end for the Stampeders and had several tackles, a sack, and a few batted passes in the victory. This was my third Grey Cup and I hope to shoot many more. Photo by Josh Helling.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 11/25 at 10:15 PM
Red Bull Air Force jump into Formula Drift Championships in Long Beach, CA
This is Luke Aikins from the Red Bull Air Force stepping off the skid of my helicopter on Sunday November 16th. He and Clint Clawson jumped into the Formula Drift competition in Long Beach harbor. The harbor is visible behind Luke, as is the smoke in the air from the latest round of Southern California brush fires. We were at 5000 feet AGL for this jump and, as always, Othar Lawrence was in charge of this demonstration. Alex Keller, another helicopter pilot, was in the rear seat and took this photo.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 11/20 at 09:15 AM
Mirror image taken by Luke
This is the photo from Luke’s helmet camera taken at the exact moment as the one Alex took. The helicopter is 1012K, a new AS350B2 owned and operated by HeliFilms. That is Alex Keller in the back seat taking the picture, and me in the pilot seat, pretending to be serious. Photo by Luke Aikins.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 11/19 at 09:56 AM
Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA
Watching the sunset over the marine layer at the end of the day in Monterey. I was flying the microwave relay helicopter over Laguna Seca Raceway for the season finale race of the American Le Mans Series on October 18th. This was most likely the last race that this function will be performed by a helicopter, as it is being replaced by a ground-based fiber optic system. I had fun doing this job for a number of races over the years and the Broadcast Sports guys are always a pleasure to work with. I was flying the venerable Jetranger N25AJ, operated by Orbic Air in Los Angeles.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 10/19 at 11:36 PM
Dirty Jobs shoot in Trona, CA
As the Aerial Coordinator for the Discovery show ‘Dirty Jobs’ I get to see a lot of unusual places. Airborne Images provides all the aerial production resources for ‘Dirty Jobs’ and I really enjoy working with the crew. Here we are on the salt bed at Trona, preparing to shoot Mike learning about a mineral mining operation. (l to r) Me, Sound Technician Chris Jones, and host Mike Rowe. The helicopter in the background is N1231A, a sweet-flying AS350B2 that is owned and operated by Angel City Air in Los Angeles. I was the pilot and Carston Bell was the aerial DP. Carston and I work together on the majority of the ‘Dirty Jobs’ aerial shoots. Photo by Carston Bell 
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 10/10 at 04:17 PM
Talkeetna, Alaska
Aerial DP Rich Prickett on location in Alaska, North of Talkeetna. Rich is working on the latest Airborne Images project, “Out of the Wild, Surviving Alaska” scheduled to air on Discovery in March. He will spend a little more than a month in Alaska, having a great adventure and capturing spectacular aerials. He is standing next to an AS350B2 with a Cineflex V14 HD gimbal.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 09/24 at 04:54 AM
Extreme Logging, British Columbia
Aerial DP Carston Bell used this Bell 407 from E & B Helicopters in Cambpell River, BC to shoot epic aerials for the third installment of Discovery’s ‘Extreme Logging’. Airborne Images is the provider of Aerial Production Services and aerial coordination for ‘Extreme Logging’. Carston reports that E & B Helicopters were more than up to the task and highly recommends them. Previously, he shot aerials for this show in North Carolina and Tennessee. (The next three will be shot in a very remote, as of yet undisclosed location.) This photo was taken at the Coulson logging support camp in Stewardson Inlet, B.C. by Carston Bell.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 09/22 at 04:59 PM
Carston knows the importance of looking cool
Carston setting up his new helicopter, N91NE, for a shoot over downtown Los Angeles on July17th. This is the latest AS350B2 in the Angel City Air fleet. We were out getting a shot for a corporate client that involved shooting through a window with a pull-back reveal of the Los Angeles skyline at dusk. The shot turned out beautifully and it was a real pleasure to fly a brand new helicopter.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 07/18 at 09:54 PM
Baja 500
Here is a shot from this year’s Baja 500 race in Mexico. I flew the support helicopter for Robby Gordon’s off road team and their Hummer trophy truck. Jonathan Gunn is their regular pilot, but couldn’t make it this year so I was happy to fill in for him. The team is great and it was a lot of fun working with them. The helicopter is 101HX, but everyone calls her ‘Goldmember’.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 06/25 at 04:28 PM
114MX over Hollister, CA
This was Aaron on the ferry flight home from the NASCAR race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. The picture was taken by Lance Strumpf from a Twinstar over Hollister, CA on June 23. The race was fun and it was great to work in Napa again this year.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 06/23 at 08:46 PM
U.S. Track & Field Championships
Aaron on the track at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, OR during the U.S. track and field championships. This is the Olympic trials meet. We were there doing the HD aerials for the live broadcast on NBC. Aaron was working as the aerial DP for Winged Vision of Gaithersburg MD. This photo was taken by Richard Crofton-Sleigh shortly after the finish of the women’s 100m semis.
Posted by Aaron Fitzgerald on 06/02 at 04:47 PM
