Castle Air
Encyclopedia
Castle Air is a British
helicopter charter and sales company which specialises in the use of helicopters in TV and film. It is based in Trebrown, near the town of Liskeard
, Cornwall
.
Castle Air Charters Ltd holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type B Operating Licence, it is permitted to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with fewer than 20 seats and/or weighing less than 10 tonnes.
The company began as what has been described as a 'glorified hut', home to a single Bell LongRanger. Castle Air enjoyed a growth spurt in the 1980s, as a number of ex-Navy pilots wishing to continue flying professionally joined the team. Among these are the company's two most famous pilots, Keith Thompson and Michael Malric-Smith, both of whom are now company directors. The company's inventory began to grow and change, acquiring Agusta A109
helicopters and Bell JetRanger aircraft (built under licence by Agusta).
Today, Castle Air is largely given over to aerial filming charter work, but it is also a helicopter sales business, importing aircraft from around the world and adapting them for British CAA certification. It also takes in aircraft for servicing, and is an authorised Agusta service centre. On occasion, the aircraft and pilots are called upon to do simple passenger flights - an occurrence rare enough to be a treat, as it is a rare opportunity to fly with all of the aircraft's doors on. Even more rarely, the company provides operational conversion training for experienced pilots wishing to certify on different aircraft.
Principal among these is the game show Treasure Hunt
, which saw Castle Air providing two aircraft - both Agusta-Bell JetRangers - and their peripheral crew. One aircraft, piloted by Keith Thompson, ferried the 'Skyrunner' to her destinations; a second helicopter, piloted by Jerry Grayson, Geoff Newman, Michael Malric-Smith, and finally Kevin Grey in the 2002 BBC2 series, chased the Skyrunner aircraft, serving as a communications relay between location and outside broadcast station, which was patched through to the studio via the telephone system.
Castle Air would contribute aircraft and pilots to Treasure Hunt's descendant, Interceptor
. One helicopter, piloted by Jerry Grayson, would deposit the contestants to their start locations, while the other, an Agusta 109 piloted by Michael Malric-Smith, known forever to fans of the show as "Mikey" provided the main transport for the show's titular character.
Other projects with which Castle Air has been involved include the BBC series The Flying Gardener, Time Flyers and much of the filming for the video of the Robbie Williams
track Angels.
Castle Air are also currently contracted to operate a helicopter service to Lundy
Island during the months of November to March. Flights depart from Lundy's own heliport at Hartland
.
's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
helicopter charter and sales company which specialises in the use of helicopters in TV and film. It is based in Trebrown, near the town of Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
Castle Air Charters Ltd holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type B Operating Licence, it is permitted to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with fewer than 20 seats and/or weighing less than 10 tonnes.
Origins
Castle Air was founded in 1979 by Cornish entrepreneur Roy Flood as an offshoot of his Castle Motors car sales business. Flood entered aviation after losing his driving licence through speeding, and, in order to sidestep this inconvenience, learned to fly a helicopter.The company began as what has been described as a 'glorified hut', home to a single Bell LongRanger. Castle Air enjoyed a growth spurt in the 1980s, as a number of ex-Navy pilots wishing to continue flying professionally joined the team. Among these are the company's two most famous pilots, Keith Thompson and Michael Malric-Smith, both of whom are now company directors. The company's inventory began to grow and change, acquiring Agusta A109
Agusta A109
The AgustaWestland AW109 is a light-weight, twin-engine, eight-seat multi-purpose helicopter built by the Anglo-Italian manufacturer AgustaWestland...
helicopters and Bell JetRanger aircraft (built under licence by Agusta).
Today, Castle Air is largely given over to aerial filming charter work, but it is also a helicopter sales business, importing aircraft from around the world and adapting them for British CAA certification. It also takes in aircraft for servicing, and is an authorised Agusta service centre. On occasion, the aircraft and pilots are called upon to do simple passenger flights - an occurrence rare enough to be a treat, as it is a rare opportunity to fly with all of the aircraft's doors on. Even more rarely, the company provides operational conversion training for experienced pilots wishing to certify on different aircraft.
Notable projects
Such is the volume of Castle Air's work, that on an average night's viewing of British TV, one is likely to see at least three pieces of their work. Much of this is behind camera. However, there are some projects with which Castle Air is intrinsically associated.Principal among these is the game show Treasure Hunt
Treasure Hunt (UK game show)
Treasure Hunt was a popular UK game show, based on the format of the French show La Chasse au Trésor, created by Jacques Antoine. It appeared on Channel 4 between 28 December 1982 and 18 May 1989 and was revived by BBC Two between 16 December 2002 and 2 August 2003.-The game:A team of two...
, which saw Castle Air providing two aircraft - both Agusta-Bell JetRangers - and their peripheral crew. One aircraft, piloted by Keith Thompson, ferried the 'Skyrunner' to her destinations; a second helicopter, piloted by Jerry Grayson, Geoff Newman, Michael Malric-Smith, and finally Kevin Grey in the 2002 BBC2 series, chased the Skyrunner aircraft, serving as a communications relay between location and outside broadcast station, which was patched through to the studio via the telephone system.
Castle Air would contribute aircraft and pilots to Treasure Hunt's descendant, Interceptor
Interceptor (TV series)
Interceptor was a British game show created by Jacques Antoine and produced by Chatsworth Television for Thames Television in 1989, and shown on the ITV network during that summer, with the hosting its last show on 1 January 1990 for a New Year bonanza...
. One helicopter, piloted by Jerry Grayson, would deposit the contestants to their start locations, while the other, an Agusta 109 piloted by Michael Malric-Smith, known forever to fans of the show as "Mikey" provided the main transport for the show's titular character.
Other projects with which Castle Air has been involved include the BBC series The Flying Gardener, Time Flyers and much of the filming for the video of the Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
track Angels.
Castle Air are also currently contracted to operate a helicopter service to Lundy
Lundy
Lundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel, lying off the coast of Devon, England, approximately one third of the distance across the channel between England and Wales. It measures about at its widest. Lundy gives its name to a British sea area and is one of the islands of England.As of...
Island during the months of November to March. Flights depart from Lundy's own heliport at Hartland
Hartland, Devon
The town of Hartland, which incorporates the hamlet of Stoke to the west and the village of Meddon in the south, is the most north-westerly settlement in the county of Devon, England....
.
Fleet
Castle Air operates a fleet of 5 Agusta 109's and 4 Bell 206Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
's