Shooting from helicopter with open door

I've flown in conventional high wing aircraft with the door off while covering golf tournaments and such. I get a nose bleed standing on a step ladder, but somehow that goes away when I'm holding a camera. Helicopters are another thing. Every piece of a helicopter is subject to scheduled replacement, whereas conventional aircraft require only inspection for most parts. There is a reason for that, and it's not especially reassuring.

On the other hand, my drone has no doors, and invokes no fear of flying (other than economic).

Seriously, no part of your upper body should contact the airframe. My flying experience predates image stabilization by decades, but IS can't even overcome vibrations in a moving automobile. Secondly, you will probably want a much wider lens for aerial landscapes than imagined, and little opportunity to swap lenses with one foot on the landing rail.

...experience shooting stills and or video from an open-door on a helicopter, using a monkey belt,...

Hmm... forget the inferior

monkey belts... use a Great

Ape belt...

http://bayouline.com/o2.gif

Helicopters vibrate, a lot.

High shutter speed is essential.

Mosi-oa-Tunya is probably a better name for the falls

Try to book a flight to Baile Atha Cliath and see whether you get a funny look or end up in Dublin ;)

Try to book a flight to Baile Atha Cliath and see whether you get a funny look or end up in Dublin ;)

True, true, :cool:

BUT much depends on where you ask. In Zambia or Zimbabwe, the Queen-Empress is not as popular as in England.

Try to book a flight to Baile Atha Cliath and see whether you get a funny look or end up in Dublin ;)

BUT much depends on where you ask. In Zambia or Zimbabwe, the Queen-Empress is not as popular as in England.

Not sure what you are trying to get at but booking a flight to Victoria Falls (VFA) is rather straightforward.

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It's as easy as booking a flight to Dublin, if you call it by a name recognized in the Western world for over 150 years.

It's always better to look up the IATA airport code when searching for a flight. A fancy name may lead to a circuitous waste of time if it works at all. ;)

Not sure what you are trying to get at but booking a flight to Victoria Falls (VFA) is rather straightforward.

Too literal, I was responding to the locally unpopular use of colonial era names...

If you value your life, stay out of helicopters. They are the most dangerous form of transportation known to man.

Why? I always thought they were much safer than conventional small aircraft.

Why? I always thought they were much safer than conventional small aircraft.

I found this through a google search:

"Looking at all aviation types — including commercial — there's a slightly higher rate of fatal accident for helicopters than aviation overall, according to FAA data cited by the Telegraph. The data show 0.84 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours across all types of aviation in the US, versus 1.02 for helicopters."

quoted from

Despite a few high-profile incidents, helicopters are generally safe to fly — as long as proper safety procedures are followed

If you value your life, stay out of helicopters. They are the most dangerous form of transportation known to man.

Arthur, you scared me a bit. Then I researched - yes it can be more dangerous than regular plane flights, but riding a car is more dangerous as far as statistics are concerned. Now this is interesting. I also wrote to the tour operator, who in turn checked with the helicopter operator. She said these flights are safe when operated by reputable companies. The helicopter operator thinks the monkey-belt should not be a concern. Hwvr, they can provide a clean panoramic glass panel as Plan B in the event it does not work out.

Thanks everyone.

Mary, I had worked in the offshore oil business for a several years and have flown in a variety of helicopters a few thousand times in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea and off the coast of Brazil. They always felt safe to me. I am sure the monkey harness will be very secure, more secure than the seat belts I wore (although there usually were doors on the helicopter). The windows on a regular helicopter are made of thin plexiglass so they were not very clear for photographic purposes. I would prefer to shoot without windows or glass.

Enjoy your trip.

...I had flown through Nepal on a helicopter on a non-photographic occasion and it was tremendous....

Hmm... I don't get on any-

thing that leaves the ground,

except for my treehouse...

http://bayouline.com/o2.gif

The OP should be discouraged from taking unnecessary risks (and costs) in order to take such a cliched photo.

Think helicopters should be banned then? :eek:

There are much more photographic opportunities in East Africa than waterfalls. Buy a decent postcard or license JDM’s pic.

Yes, postcards galore everywhere. Hwvr, nature and wildlife photographers do not have the habit of buying postcards of nature and wildlife. What's wrong with them? :(

Btw, the Victoria Falls are not in East Africa.

You want to waste our time and your money fretting over taking a cliched shot, up to you.

 

Almost everyone I know who has been to the falls consider East Africa as the main photo attraction in that part of Africa.

Generally, It is a good idea for one to do some homework before wasting one's time (and others' for having to respond to clarify matters).

The Victoria Falls is in South Africa, shared by two different countries: Zambia to the north and and Zimbabwe to the south. You are right that East Africa is the main wildlife photo attraction. First time African-safari visitors often choose Tanzania and Kenya (both in East Africa) as first destinations. I had been there 3 times. Have you been there? If not, I would highly recommend it.

I have no experience with an open helicopter door or with a monkey belt. Just saying that I truly wish I had your opportunity! My 2 cts: just go for it and enjoy the 'rush'. I would do it tomorrow. Have faith in the professionals who maintain and fly the helicopter and rig the 'monkey belt' for you.

It occurs to me that mountain and sea rescuers aboard helicopters over the whole world do the 'open door/leaning out/belted in' thing regularly. As - I suspect - do many US media cameramen. And of course, as do all 'gunners' aboard military helicopters worldwide.

There are some articles about using 'monkey belts' or 'monkey harnesses' online via google. Unless you're undertaking a flight which no-one else has taken, they well be references/quotes on the website of the helicopter service provider.

Would someone who has had experience shooting stills and or video from an open-door on a helicopter, using a monkey belt, tell me something about the experience? I will be booking one of these over the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe unless it is too intimidating. I had shot from a helicopter before but through enclosed windows, and from a Cessna sticking my camera out of the window, but not open door with a monkey belt. Please let me know something about the experience, do's and don'ts, or even if this is advisable at all. Thanks.

Happy New Year Mike. I had been on helicopters and Cessna's before, not to mention the small planes in Africa and sea-planes in Alaska. But not shooting from an open door harnessed by a belt.

Yes I have ordered the flight already. I was asking about the "open-door with monkey belt" experience and, quite frankly, I was surprised that someone here (at Photo.Net") suggested that everyone should discourage me from riding a helicopter (never mind "monkey-belt), and that I should just buy a postcard and not take this "cliched" shot. It was interesting. ;)

Hi Mary. Enjoy the exhilarating opportunity. In the 80s I was a videographer and was hired to shoot videos over SF from an open helicopter. The only intimidation was thinking about it before the first flight. The policy of the company I flew with was to have a 2nd and to always have their hand on the harness. For safety I never felt that it was needed. The only issue I had was with the weight of my equipment. Professional video cameras back then were big, heavy and cumbersome... The 2nd operator was normal & needed for what we were shooting. We rigged a secure line for the camera.

It was fun and a good memory.... Not to worry, enjoy!

Hi Mary. Enjoy the exhilarating opportunity. In the 80s I was a videographer and was hired to shoot videos over SF from an open helicopter. The only intimidation was thinking about it before the first flight. The policy of the company I flew with was to have a 2nd and to always have their hand on the harness. For safety I never felt that it was needed. The only issue I had was with the weight of my equipment. Professional video cameras back then were big, heavy and cumbersome... The 2nd operator was normal & needed for what we were shooting. We rigged a secure line for the camera.

It was fun and a good memory.... Not to worry, enjoy!

Thank you Inoneeye. It is encouraging to hear from your experience; I do remember the big camcorders that videographers used to carry on their shoulders. So thinking about it was more intimidating than the actual shooting? LOL! Truthfully I am a little apprehensive about the open door but my camera will be much lighter, I am leaning toward using either the Nikon Z6 or Z7 with a zoom lens. The added advantage of using either of these cameras is one can capture a low-res still image while shooting video. However, it would not take much to switch to still-photo mode to capture a hi-res image.

Thanks again. Happy New Year!