Five identical Agusta A109 helicopters chartered simultaneously from a limited operator pool
Non-standard landing site (farmer’s field) secured near Dover Castle with full safety provisions
Low flyover permission obtained across Gatwick’s active runway
On-site ACC coordination at all destinations ensured smooth take-offs and landings despite variable team pacing
A TV production company needed to record an episode of their popular reality show in the UK. The episode was to start at the Gatwick Aviation Museum, with a helicopter flight to Dover Castle and then to London Vanguard. The producers wanted to film four teams competing in identical tasks. ACC Aviation was appointed to charter five helicopters of the same type to ensure that the teams competed under the same conditions. One helicopter was to be used for aerial filming. The helicopters had to land close to Dover Castle, where tasks were to take place.
Chartering five helicopters of the same type is a challenge as the pool of potential operators is limited. Flying from the Gatwick Aviation Museum to Dover Castle required special permission due to a low flyover across the busy Gatwick runway. As there is no heliport near Dover Castle, ACC secured a safe alternative that could accommodate five helicopters at once. With each team competing at a different pace, the take-off and landing of each helicopter was carefully managed.
Leveraging its partner network, ACC worked with a local helicopter operator that had five suitable Agusta A109 helicopters available for charter. In addition to the helicopters for the contestants, ACC ensured that one helicopter was equipped for aerial filming. ACC liaised with the operator to ensure that the relevant permissions were obtained for the entire operation. Thanks to its proximity to Dover Castle, a farmer’s field was arranged as a landing site for all five helicopters, with fire crew and safety teams on hand. ACC team members were positioned on-site at all landing destinations throughout the operation, rapidly mitigating any potential delays and ensuring the flight program ran smoothly.
“We didn’t just look for a signal; we created a private sky-network that moved with the client.”
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Director of Operations, ACC Aviation
ACC Aviation operates internationally with teams supporting clients across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Asia.
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