I have enjoyed R/C flyers from afar since I was a kid. I was facinated, but never had the money....the time, etc. Last week I stumbled on to a website (RCWirlybird.com) and was blown away by what these guys do with video equipment and a heli. I'm thinking.......I want to do this...I can do this. I live in a resort town in Delaware and I can't find anyone doing anything close. The possibilities seem endless. Here's the catch.....I have never flown an R/C aircraft, let alone a heli. Some say this may be an advantage, that its harder to make the transition from fixed wing to heli, than just starting with a heli. I have a little money to invest in this, but probably not enough to purchase a "turnkey" aerial photography heli. Go easy on me...am I crazy??? Help me out....how should I start? Obviously, I need to start with a heli. What would be a good, reliable, stable system, keeping in mind I eventually want to mount video/photo equipment. I've researched enough to get totally overwhelmed at the choices out there. I would appreciate any help.

THANKS,

Wannabe Heli Pilot

To get a decent R/C heli in the air... you will have an appx $700 investment. Then count on $200 to $400 in repair parts while learning to fly it. (better to count on that cost and be happy when nothing breaks, than to be unpleasantly suprized by the cost of your first crash...)
AND you'll need fuel, starter, glow ignitor, remote glow adapter (on most helis its a good idea...) Expect about $150 in field support equip, tools, fuel...
(we haven't even come close to putting a camera on the thing...yet.)

If you don't have assistance with the setup and initial trimming of the heli, you can double the repair costs estimate. You'll be likely to crunch the thing with no clue what happened 3 or 4 times just getting the thing trimmed out.
(get help... it WILL save you $$$$$)

It will take 2 months to 5 years for you to learn to control the heli sufficiently to get it up high enough to do any aerial photography.

Almost any .30 powered or larger heli could take a disposable camera up and use a servo to actuate the shutter. Occasionally you'll find a cheap 35 mm camera that has a self-winder. (I picked one up for $10 2 yrs ago. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]) That would allow taking more than one frame per ascent. The camera and its servo need to be mounted in a manner to somewhat isolate them from the vibration of the heli, or all you'll get is a blur from any photo...

I've successful done aerial video and photography using both airplanes and helicopters. I also give flight instruction on both.
I've trained many to hover a heli within couple of hours and within a month they were doing 3D manuvuers.
I could probably train you to hover well enough in a week to be able to go into business doing RC aerial photography right away. I could almost guarantee that on both fixed wing airplane and heli. You don't even need a heli as I train on my heli. Haven't lost one yet.

Take care,
CCR
http://www.kites.org/rc_instructors