Channel 70 Productions is checking out helicopter operations for a book trailer shoot and a pilot friend recommended this operation.
If not for a great pilot and nice desk staff and dispatcher, this would get a 1 star rating. Although not marked 'no parking', don't park in front of the building or you will be asked to move your car. The reception area is ok and the wine is a nice touch. The videos on the TV's are all in poor quality SD video.The 'safety briefing' is really a video pitch to a captive audience where more stuff to buy is pushed on you to buy. Very tacky since safety is so critical to helo operations.
The ride itself was super. Our pilot, a former traffic pilot for Los Angeles TV stations, was chock full of local info. And, he was a superior stick. I was extremely lucky and got the other front seat for the flight and got some great HD footage of The Strip at night. The people stuck in the two middle seats in the back complained of lack of visibility for photo taking. One of the passengers with a door seat said he couldn't get his camcorder into position because 4 people crammed into the second row was just too much. I remain thankful for my luck.
I had to laugh at the signs posted throughout the operation warning about being prosecuted for taking photos on the ground while around the helicopters. What a joke. The airport has a public observation area available for photos, I can clearly see the area from several hotels, and for the best photos, I can use Google Earth.
Helo-USA needs a marketing makeover. They need to remove the sleaze factor. There is plenty of that in town already. Lastly, someone please get some HD video in there and remove the second rate feeling of the place.