In Broadcast - September 2015 - 38

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 5 - Issue 9 | September 2015

InTech

Welk Aviation Takes Flight
With AERIGON UAVs

The purchase of two AERIGON aerial remote camera heads from Intuitive Aerial positions Welk Aviation at
the forefront of the aerial camera revolution...

elk Aviation has made a bold
move into the professional
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market
with the purchase of two AERIGON
aerial remote camera heads (ARCH™)
from Intuitive Aerial.
The AERIGON, for which Welk
Aviation has received an FAA 333
exemption, will provide an expanded
palette of HD and UHD aerial camera
capture for the helicopter company's
TV and motion picture clients.
This is a significant development
for Hollywood filmmakers and
L.A. broadcasters, who now have
access right in their backyard to the
only professional ARCH capable of
operating heavy broadcast and feature
film-ready cameras and lenses.
The AERIGON is the first serially
manufactured ARCH built for use with
heavier cameras and lenses. With
a manufacturer-approved payload
capacity of 35lbs, the AERIGON can
carry over 20lbs of camera equipment,
along with the gimbal.
The innovative AERIGON Gimbal
features a proprietary advanced
stabilisation system for cameras and
professional zoom lenses, with full FIZ
(Focus, Iris, Zoom) controls. This allows
Welk Aviation to operate whatever
equipment its clients favour, including
cameras such as the Phantom Flex4K,
Sony F55, RED Epic, and Alexa Mini.
"The AERIGON is revolutionising
aerial photography and adds a
powerful new tool to our arsenal,
allowing us to go where helicopters
can't," said Patrick McKernan, UAV
and Special Projects Production
Coordinator at Welk Aviation. "It can
fly down alleyways or split buildings in

downtown LA. It expands way beyond
what we can do with a stabilised
remote camera mount or a camera
car. It gives news producers and film
DPs the ability to get almost any shot
they dream up."
An FAA-certified helicopter pilot
and instructor, pro skydiver, and SAG
actor with credits on many feature
films, McKernan followed the UAV
industry for two years, waiting for the
technology to catch up to his needs
and expectations, before selecting
the AERIGON as Welk Aviation's go-to
system.
"Without question it's the best
all-in-one cinema and broadcast
UAV available," said Larry Welk,
Owner of Welk Aviation. "Our crew of
professional pilots and photographers
who specialise in this unmanned world
made the decision after extensive
research, not only because of the UAV
but because of the team behind it."

Aerial Photography Skills
Welk Aviation offers a variety
of services in addition to its news
gathering for NBC Los Angeles
and KTLA, including film and TV
production, inspection and patrol of
power lines and construction sites,
and flight training. Given its FAA 333
exemption, Welk Aviation can use the
AERIGON legally in all aspects of its
work.
The requirements of each TV or
motion picture project will dictate
whether the company chooses to use
the AERIGON or a helicopter. While
helicopters can carry full-size camera
gear and the personnel to operate
it, handle windy conditions, and fly
further and longer, the
AERIGON will be used
when a smaller, more
agile vehicle is needed.
"Having
remote
access to the AERIGON
means we can fly into
situations where our
helicopters can't," Welk
explained. "It can fly
under bridges, near
power lines, around
obstacles, and inside
"The AERIGON is revolutionising aerial photography,"
says Welk Aviation's Patrick McKernan
buildings whenever we

Payload:
The AERIGON
can carry over
20lbs of camera
equipment

need to gather HD or UHD footage. It's
a lot less expensive to operate and has
a lower impact than a helicopter - we
don't have to close down two square
blocks in Hollywood every time we
want to get some footage with the
AERIGON."
UAV Pilot Training
"Professionals don't have time to
play with toys or someone's science
experiment," said Eric Bergez, VP
at Intuitive Aerial Inc. "Mid-size
prosumer drones with their small
payload capacities rarely meet the
requirements for modern TV and
film production. Until the AERIGON,
precision capture using a UAV was just
not possible."
Broadcasters have been reluctant to
embrace UAVs because they've been
disappointed by unfulfilled promises
and poor-quality aerial footage.
This is where the AERIGON and Welk
Aviation's piloting experience in
the film and TV realms makes all
the difference. The company has
developed an FAA-certified Part 141
flight training course for UAV pilots
based on its proven training program
for conventional helicopter pilots.
"We're trying to set the standard for
the industry and create a structured,
safe,
and
knowledgeable
environment by training the pilots
of the future," McKernan said. "I
see so many UAVs being used in
ill-advised ways. Safety has always
been our paramount concern
and the AERIGON goes above and
beyond being safe, while meeting
the quality standards for aerial
camera capture."

Along with the power, performance,
and safety of the AERIGON, it was the
modularity of the system that sold
them.
"If we need to swap out a motor or
arm, we can replace it with a new
one within minutes instead of hours,"
said McKernan. "For professional
equipment, these kinds of details
are essential. Intuitive Aerial is the
only manufacturer that has a serial
number system for its ARCH so that
all parts are identified and can be
tracked. The AERIGON doesn't just look
professional, it really is."
"We're at the dawn of a unique
opportunity in broadcasting and film,"
said Welk. "I like to compare it to the
introduction of TV. Who knows how
many new applications we'll find using
these aircraft? We're already working
on innovations for sports broadcasting
and our production business will be
enhanced and grow as a result of our
relationship with Intuitive Aerial."
"We're excited that Welk Aviation
chose to work with us," said Bergez.
"With them, we're getting the
endorsement of some of the best
operators in the world, professionals
with decades of experience in the
feature film and broadcast news
industry."

Larry Welk, Owner of Welk Aviation

http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.intuitiveaerial.com/aerigon/ http://www.welkaviation.com/ http://www.welkaviation.com/

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