Photography Charters

Photography Charters

Helicopters can be chartered on a time basis for specialty work. St. Lucia Helicopters Crew have extensive experience in most mission profiles. Below is a brief description of some of the more common of these and some relevant issues pertaining to them. For costing, please go to the bottom of this page.


Aerial Photography

Experience Film, television and print production, have long been one of St. Lucia Helicopters staples. Company flight crew have considerable experience flying cameras, and working in-front of them too.

The Company has done a lot of work in Martinique for the European film and television markets. Production companies include AB Broadcast of France, Aspekt Telefilm from Germany, BBC Television (London and Bristol), and National Geographic (Explorer series on Montserrat's Volcano).
Camera Mounts  Medium to high end productions may not want to shoot hand-held. St. Lucia Helicopter's aircraft can be fitted with numerous approved camera mounts. These include the Tyler middle, major, and nose mounts, WestCam's system, SpaceCam, and Continental mounts - just to name a few.

Rental of mounts can be arranged through CineVideoTech in Miami (Tyler mounts), Istec in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (WesCam), and Aerial Camera Sytems in the United Kingdom (various systems). While St. Lucia Helicopters can arrange mount rental, many rental companies prefer to deal directly with Production Companies. It is therefore St. Lucia Helicopters recommendation that mount rental be handled directly by the Producers. Of course, St. Lucia Helicopters' support and assistance would always be on tap through this process.

St. Lucia Heilcopters charges a 5 hour daily minimum for mount-flown operations. Equipment can be attached on the helicopter(s) the night before, and disassembled after hours. A valid Type Certificate is required before any mount can be attached to the helicopters

St. Lucia Helicopters' hull insurance covers loss and damage of mounts once on the helicopter, however in the case of very expensive systems, such as the WesCam, additional insurance may be required. Also, most companies require transport insurance. Additional coverage for mounts can be purchased at the Production's expense.
Restrictions  Low flying, night operations, and other restricted activities must be approved by the St. Lucian Authorities. The grant of such waivers takes time so thorough descriptions of mission requirements need be provided well in advance of shooting.

Low flying, night operations, and other restricted activities must be approved by the St. Lucian Authorities. The grant of such waivers takes time so thorough descriptions of mission requirements need be provided well in advance of shooting.
Misc.
  • Please click here for specifics of the Company's helicopters;
  • Doors off for shooting is no problem;The Island's latitude puts the sun high in the sky for most of the day. Long shadows occur roughly 30 minutes after sunrise and 30 minutes before sunset;
  • Weather in St. Lucia is nice all year round but cloud cover is considerably more prevalent from August to January;
  • Shooters should be picked carefully. The feeling of exposure with doors off, next to sheer, cliffs, thousands of feet high, especially when shooting hand-held, can "freak" people out and spoil any chance of getting the shot.

Rates

AS350B AStar

The basic tariff rate is inclusive of fuel, oil, and pilot. Charges are based on running time not ground time except as specifically described below. Time is charged from George F.L. Charles Airport in Castries. Charges are:

  • US $2,000 per hour (basic) plus 10% tax. 
  • US $2,100 per hour (with mounts) plus 10% tax.
  • Daily minimum on location: 5 hours;
  • Pilot and crew per diems, hotel, and transportation when on location apply;
  • Landing fees and departure taxes may be applicable;
  • Duties, Customs Charges, Custom Brokerage for imported equipment may apply;
  • Bulk rates must be negotiated on a job by job basis.

     

Please click here for our standard rates sheet.

Please Contact St. Lucia Helicopters by filling out the Booking Form Here , or email us at: reservations@stluciahelicopters.com

Note: Minimum flight charter time - 30 minutes

 

Disaster Relief

Transport to a non-OECS country such as Martinique or Guadeloupe (both France) usually requires considerable immigration procedures. Breaching France's airspace, even in medical emergencies, cannot be done without the risk of being shut down.


Office: (758) 453-6950 
Fax: (758) 452-1553
Email: reservations@stluciahelicopters.com

Lift Work - Long Lining

Experience Lift work has been an occasional part of St. Lucia Helicopters repertoire. These include the following:
    • Material lifts for the St. Lucian Rosseau Dam Project. A mission made challenging by the hot weather and high mountains;

    • Wire pulling for Martinique's electrical utility, Norelec;

    • Mining support for GoldStar, a Canadian mining company prospecting in Guyana;

    • Material lifts, and core sampling for the Montserrat Volcano Observatory;

    • Camera and supply lifts up to St. Vincent's Soufriere Volcano for the production of "White Squall" (a movie);

    • Bird towing (magnetonomers) for Canada's Ministry of Natural Resources (before moving to St. Lucia);

  • Various lifts of air conditioners, etc. in the Toronto area prior to 1991.
Restrictions St. Lucia Helicopters currently has nets, lanyards, and long-lines. Unfortunately, it does not have hooks for its AStars. The rental or purchase of a hook(s) could be arranged if necessary. Sufficient time to arrange this would be required.

The AS350B "AStar" is approved to carry an external load of up to 1800 lbs. The actual loads carried would be largely a function of the location of a fuel source. The further away, the more flying involved, the more fuel onboard required to cover the distance, the greater the weight due to fuel, and therefore the lighter the payload. Remote refueling could be arranged with sufficient notice, and at additional cost.
Misc. Costing must be done on a job-by-job basis. Surcharges on top of the normal tariff rate may apply due to the possible need for additional equipment, crew, and extra-ordinary wear and tear on the helicopters. Please contact St. Lucia Helicopters directly to arrange for a quote.


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