Press Release

Issued by .

December 10, 2012

The Jet Services Group's Falcon 50 camera is continuing its tests to obtain EASA certification. This Falcon 50 is specially modified for aerial photography with a camera pod under the aircraft and a workstation in the cabin. It is equipped with the latest photo and video technology.

A dedicated tool for cinema production companies and aircraft manufacturers

Aerovision has put sister company BCA, a Part 145 approved maintenance centre, in charge of all the modifications required for the aircraft. The system comprises a pod fairing, a gyro-stabilised pod which can be angled and retracted containing a digital camera and video camera, and connectors which link this equipment to the control, recording and broadcast system located in the cabin.

Aerovision, the only European operator of this type of aircraft, allows air-to-air or air-to-ground images to be shot at high altitudes and high speed. Broadcasting can be live or recorded. A rotation of 360° in all directions can be combined with a rotation of 20° up or 120° down.

Aerovision's many prestigious references include flights on behalf of Airbus (photos of the A380 and A400M in particular), of Dassault Aviation, feature films (Tomorrow Never Dies etc) and special operations (TGV speed record) with another type of airplane. The Falcon 50's performance will allow the company to enter new markets.

Swiftly convertible to a VIP version

The Falcon 50 has a quick-change set up offering dual use: certified for aerial work as well as maintaining public transport approval to carry out business flights, to complement Aerovision's other Falcon, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft jets. The gyro-stabilised pod and camera piloting system are easily detached to transform the cabin into VIP configuration.

Certification process

Very soon Aerovision's Falcon 50 Flying Camera will be EASA certified and operational, ready to meet the needs of TV and movie producers, photographers and manufacturers wanting exceptional in-flight images.

The aircraft carried out its first flights with the modified cabin (workstation set up in the cabin, but without the outer pod) in 2012 in the Paris region and then from Toulouse to Marrakech. The tests are being successfully carried out and BCA's teams are showing great efficiency in the certification process. The technical modification of the pod fairing has just received EASA certification and has a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The airplane is now waiting for the final certification for the whole pod before completing a series of tests.