All language subtitles for Modern.Marvels.S22E03.Ultimate.Helicopters.1080p.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H264-BTN_track3_[eng]

- [Narrator] They can go
anywhere and see everything.

- You can run, but you're
only gonna go to jail tired.

[helicopter rumbling]

- [Narrator] They can
bring death from above.

[bomb explodes]
[dramatic music]

- The most devastating killer
for ground force commanders.

[helicopter rumbling]

- [Narrator] Or they can
be an aerial lifeline.

[helicopter whirring]
[dramatic music]

- [Pilot] Roger, looks
like we found our survivor.

[water sloshing]

[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] They're
heavy lifters.

[helicopter whirring]

And firefighters.

[helicopter whirring]

Start your preflight
checks and buckle in,

because now it's ultimate
helicopters on "Modern Marvels".

[helicopter rumbling]

[upbeat music]

[gears cranking]

[water bubbling]

[gentle music]

[helicopters whirring]

Helicopters, our skies
are full of them.

Unlike airplanes, they
offer the unique ability

to fly in any direction
or just hover in one spot.

[helicopter whirring]

And when this ability is
combined with lethal firepower,

you get the Apache
AH-64D Longbow.

[upbeat music]

One of the deadliest helicopters
in the army's arsenal.

[upbeat music]

- The AH-64D, it's primarily
an attack helicopter

or a gunship as we call it.

Its primary mission
is to attack.

And what it does is it
actually goes to where

the tracers are coming from
and actually engages the enemy

that are engaging our
friendly forces on the ground.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] With a top
speed of 166 miles per hour,

the Apache gets there fast.

Ready to unload an
array of deadly fire.

[missile wheezing]

- These are the
19-shot rocket pods.

Inside each we can fit 19,

2.75-inch folding
fin aerial rockets.

They come in multiple
configurations.

And on the inboard pylon,

you have the Hellfire
missile rack.

These are laser-guided
anti-tank missiles.

[missile whirring]

[missile booming]

- [Narrator] The Apache
could be configured

to hold multiple rocket
pods or missile racks,

depending on the mission.

[helicopter whirring]
[pilot speaking indistinctly]

The last of the AH-64's
weapons is located

right underneath the cockpit.

[upbeat music]

- If you ask most Apache pilots

this is their favorite weapon
system on the aircraft.

This is a 30-millimeter
chain cannon.

- [Pilot] And fire.

[cannon popping]

- [Narrator] Carrying up to
1,200 rounds of ammunition,

the chain cannon
can fire 600 to 650

anti-personnel rounds a minute.

They explode on impact and
can punch through trucks

and even light armored vehicles.

[gentle upbeat music]

To control the cannon, the
pilot uses a monocular eyepiece

attached to the helmet that
displays targeting information.

This connects to
the chain cannon

and automatically aims
where the pilot is looking.

Sensors track the movement

and direction of
the pilot's helmet

and direct the cannon
where to point.

[dramatic music]

- So if I happen to
look at a target,

left, right, up and down,

this gun will move left and
right up and down and follow it.

All you gotta do is
pull the trigger.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] The
Apache is also equipped

with state-of-the-art sensors
located on top of the rotor

and on the bottom of the nose

that allow pilots to see any
enemies that can see them.

[helicopter engine roaring]

- The part on top of
that is a new site

for the Longbow radar.

It's the Fire
Control Radar system.

We can look out with a
millimeter wave radar,

look for tanks in the open.

Get all that data
to our computers

that'll translate to
a firing solution.

[pilot speaking indistinctly]

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] Night combat
presents few problems

for the Apache Longbow.

- This is the Target Acquisition
and Designating System,

also known as the TADS.

It's on the bottom
side of this turret

and we have a night
system right here

which is Forward
Looking Infared.

It uses different temperatures
and heat to detect targets.

This side is the day TV
side for day television.

Also has a laser range
finder and designator

for designating targets
for laser-guided munitions.

On the top here is the
pilot night vision sensor.

That's purely for
flying at nighttime.

- [Narrator] These sensors
allow the Apache pilots

to see everything.

Even who is friend
and who is foe.

[dramatic music]

- We don't indiscriminately
just shoot at people.

With this aircraft because
of it's digital capability

we can zero in on
just those people

that are doing bad things.

[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] The Apache's
extreme lethality

also makes it a
threat deterrent.

The mere presence of
the Apache in the sky

is often enough to
dissuade the enemy

from attacking
friendly ground forces.

- [Jerry] Sometimes all
takes is for us to show up

and the enemy stops
shooting and they disappear.

[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] But the
Apache isn't the only tool

in the military's
fleet of helicopters.

Different missions required
different kinds of abilities.

Like those found in
the UH-60M Black Hawk.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

Unlike the Apache
that's designed

for the specific
purpose of attack,

the Black Hawk serves
a multipurpose role.

[helicopter whirring]

- This is a UH-60
Mike model Black Hawk.

And the UH-60 is a
utility helicopter.

The UH-60 is probably one
of the versatile aircraft

in the army and it can
conduct mission from ranges of

air assault
operations in combat,

which we can take fully
loaded combat soldiers

and air assault missions
onto the battlefield.

And then we can turn around
and pick up logistical supplies

from swing loading water,
pallets or MRE pallets

or ammunition to help
resupply soldiers.

We can do a medevac missions,

which is picking up
casualties on the battlefield,

delivering to the medical
treatment facilities,

which has drastically
increased their survivability

on the battlefield.

- Number one and
number two battery,

battery utility bus,
circuit breakers are in.

- [Narrator] The Black
Hawk helicopter crew

includes two pilots.

[helicopter whirring]

To fly it the pilots must
use both hands and feet.

The helicopter's
superior maneuverability

comes with complexity.

[helicopter whirring]

The key to understanding
how to fly a Black Hawk

or any helicopter
starts at the hub.

- The hub is the central
portion of the rotor system.

It's the part where all four
rotor blades hook together.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] The
hub or rotor disc

tilts to give the helicopter
directional flight

and it's controlled
by the cyclic.

[helicopter engine roaring]

- This is the cyclic.

This provides us directional
control either at a hover

or in a cruise flight mode.

With the cyclic, I'm actually
tilting the rotor disc

in the direction that
I'm pushing the cyclic.

So therefore, if I'm at a hover

and I move the
cyclic to the right,

then the aircraft rotor disc
is gonna tilt to the right

and I'm gonna
drift to the right.

[helicopter whirring]

If I push the cyclic forward,

the rotor system is
gonna tilt forward,

the aircraft is gonna
go into the descent

and I look outside and
the houses on the ground

are actually getting bigger

because I'm getting
closer to the ground.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] To control the lift

or thrust of the helicopter,
the pilot uses the collective.

- The flight control that
I have in my left hand here

is called the collective.

And it's called the collective

because it collectively
puts blade pitch angle

into all four rotor
blades at the same time.

The more pitch I want
in the rotor blade,

the higher up I pull
the collective.

[upbeat music]

- The pitch angle
determines how fast

the helicopter will lift
off the ground in a hover

or how fast it
will fly in flight.

[helicopter whirring]

A zero angle will
produce zero lift.

As the pitch increases,

the blades will push
more air downward,

resulting in greater lift.

[helicopter whirring]

Once in the air, the pilot
pushes the cyclic forward

to start the helicopter
in a forward direction.

[upbeat music]

[helicopter whirring]

[indistinct]

- [Pilot] Slow down
you're in the orbit

and just let you catch
up to us, how about that?

- [Narrator] As the
pilot flies the aircraft,

he uses the tail rotor

to keep the nose of the
helicopter pointing forward.

- The purpose of that tail
rotor is to provide thrust

in the opposite direction
of the main rotor turning

so that we can maintain
our direction on flight.

[upbeat music]
- Since the main rotor system

turns counter-clockwise,

there's an equal and
opposite reaction

that forces the
fuselage clockwise.

Tail rotor counters that.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

It works the same
way as the main rotor

in that its blades increase
pitch to gain thrust.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

To maintain a pitch
that will keep

the helicopter moving forward,

the pilot uses his feet
to control the tail rotor.

- If I push left pedal,

then that causes the nose of
the helicopter to turn left.

[helicopter rumbling]

And then I use counter
pressure on the opposite pedal

to stop that motion.

[helicopter rumbling]

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The Black
Hawk has two crew chiefs

who are responsible
for everything

that happens from
the cockpit, back.

- We have two crew members

that sit in the
back of the aircraft

and they're predominantly
crew chiefs and door gunners.

[upbeat music]

And they assist with the loading

and unloading of the aircraft.

We're a utility helicopter

so we want to get
in and get out.

And the door guns are
predominantly there to assist

in the suppression of the enemy
and provide area coverage.

[helicopter rumbling]

- [Narrator] The UH-60M
Black Hawk helicopter

is the successor to the old
UH-1 Huey from the Vietnam war.

[helicopter whirring]
[dramatic music]

The Hueys became the
workhorses of the military.

And much like the Black Hawks,
held many different roles.

They evacuated wounded
soldiers, transported troops,

dropped supplies and were
even used as gunships.

[missiles whirring]

But while the Huey pilots flew

using only visual references
on the ground and maps,

Black Hawk pilots fly with
state-of-the-art instruments.

[helicopter engine roaring]

- This aircraft really
takes the technology we have

in the civilian sector
and moves army aviation

to the 21st century.

It really does two things.

It increases our
situational awareness

so that when we have
the moving map displays,

it's very easy for an
aviator to know where he's at

and to know what's going
on the battlefield,

whether it's an enemy situation
that's graphically depicted

or the GPS technology of
knowing his exact location

at all times.

[upbeat music]

- Along with modern
navigation systems,

the Black Hawk incorporates
an onboard autopilot system

known as a flight director.

[dramatic music]

It allows the helicopter
to fly itself.

[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]

- And you actually control the
airspeed, altitude, heading

or course to make the
aircraft fly a flight plan

with the flight
director and never touch

the conventional
flight controls.

That reduces the pilot workload

and allows the pilot to focus
his attention in other areas.

[helicopter rumbling]
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] These
Black Hawks are used

for many different operations.

But sometimes there's a mission

that even a versatile chopper

like the Black
Hawk can't handle.

[dramatic music]
[helicopter rumbling]

[upbeat music]- [Narrator] Helicopters,
they're sleek machines

able to quickly fly
in any direction

and a crucial component
of our nation's arsenal

on the battlefield.

[missile explodes]

[dramatic music]

While the Army's Apache
is primarily designed

to be a lethal killing machine,

and the Black Hawk, a
multipurpose combat helicopter,

when it's time to do
some heavy lifting,

you call in the Marines.

[dramatic music]

The workhorse of the
military's helicopter fleet

is the CH-53K King Stallion.

[dramatic music]

And it's older brother,
the CH-53E Super Stallion.

A Black Hawk weighs just
over 10 1/2 thousand pounds

and stands 16 feet,
10 inches high.

[upbeat music]

The Apache weighs in
at nearly 11,500 pounds

and stands 12 feet,
seven inches high.

[upbeat music]

But the Super Stallion
weighs over 33,000 pounds

and towers nearly three
stories high at 28 feet.

[upbeat music]

It can carry internal loads
of up to 20,000 pounds

in the cargo hold or external
loads of 32,000 pounds

hung underneath the aircraft.

[dramatic music]

It can carry everything
from armed troops

to armored vehicles.
[helicopter whirring]

- Well, the primary
mission of the helicopter

is assault support.

Carrying troops and
equipment around the theater

or wherever we're operating at

to make sure that they get
the supplies they need,

the equipment, the ammunition

and basically moving
Marines around.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] To
complete these missions,

it takes two pilots
and three crew chiefs

who are responsible for
loading up the inside.

[upbeat music]

- We call it beans,
Band-Aids and bullets.

We can take anything
in the back.

- [Narrator] Or hooking up
external loads underneath.

[helicopter whirring]

- It's either a single point
lift or a dual point lift.

Dual points are usually
for longer, wider loads.

So that you can keep
the load from spinning.

[pilot speaking indistinctly]

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] The seven
rotor blades that sit on top

of this metal monster are
the reason the Super Stallion

can carry so much weight.

They're so strong that the
blades create downward winds

in excess of 85 miles an hour.

[helicopter rumbling]
[upbeat music]

- We're up on the rotor
head on the CH-53 Echo

and from here out
is about 400 pounds.

To put things in perspective,
there's seven of them.

That's up to 2,800 pounds.

2,800 pounds can
lift 73,500 pounds.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The mechanical
muscles that move these blades

come in the form
of three GE engines

that produce 12,000 horsepower.

[upbeat music]

- We're not worried about how
much power we have to pull

to make a turn or
climb or descend.

We've got it there
at our fingertips.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

When you're operating
in environments

where it's very difficult
to travel over roads,

especially in the environments
where we've seen IEDs,

explosive devices, roadside
bombs become a major issue,

we're able to move a lot
of equipment over the air

without that threat
to worry about.

[upbeat music]
[explosion]

- [Narrator] Nevertheless,
in these environments

there's a real threat
of being shot down.

[upbeat music]

If the worst happens
and the engines fail,

CH-53 pilots rely on an
aerodynamic phenomenon

common to all helicopters
called auto rotation.

As the helicopter falls,

the upward flow of
air through the rotor

provides enough force to
keep the blades turning,

much like a pinwheel.

The pilot will
lower the collective

decreasing the
angle of the blades.

This creates just enough lift

to slow the descent
of the helicopter.

And in ideal conditions, allows
the pilot to land safely.

[dramatic music]

- [Man] The problem with this
aircraft is it's very heavy.

It falls like a rock
if the engines are out.

And if you get that one shot,

it's gonna be a hard landing
no matter what you do.

- [Narrator] But while
the Super Stallion

carries the heaviest loads,

and the Apache can rain
death on the enemy.

[missile whirring]

It's the helicopters ability
to hover over a sinking ship

or a survivor
floating in the ocean

that makes it an
essential rescue tool

for the men and women
of the US Coast Guard.

And it's this capability
that sets it apart

from the planes and boats
the Coast Guard uses

in conjunction with
the helicopter.

- Well, the helicopter
allows the Coast Guard

to do the rescue part
of search and rescue.

We can always go
find somebody with,

with some other kind of asset.

But the helicopter is
really what lets us go out,

get somebody and bring 'em home.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] For over 75 years,

the helicopter has
been an essential tool

in the Coast Guard's mission
to save lives on the high seas.

[upbeat music]

At the US Coast Guard
Aviation Training Center

in Mobile, Alabama,

pilots and crews learn
to fly and operate

one of the most technologically
advanced helicopters

in the fleet.

The MH-60T Jayhawk.

[helicopter whirring]

It's a variant of the
Navy's SH-60 Seahawk.

[upbeat music]

With several key modifications

that allow it to fly
in extreme weather,

to perform water rescueS.

- It's a very safe aircraft.

I know we can go out
in any kind of weather,

do any kind of mission.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] These helicopters
are made to take off

and fly in winds that can
exceed 100 miles per hour.

[helicopter whirring]

Flying in a hurricane
can be scary,

but doing it at night
can be even scarier.

- We have a term,
dark and stormy night,

you really have to rely
on the capabilities

of the helicopter
to a certain extent

because nighttime over the ocean

if there's no illumination
out there, whatsoever,

it's like flying in a closet.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Pilot] Survivor is coming up.

- [Narrator] Pilots must
rely on the helicopter's GPS

and infrared systems to
show them where they are

and how close they
are to surging waves.

The typical Jayhawk crew
consists of two pilots,

a rescue swimmer.

[upbeat music]

And a flight mechanic
that operates the hoist

during a rescue and
maintains the rear cabin

during operations.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

The Jayhawk conducts
a number of missions,

including security patrols
and disaster relief.

But it's primarily responsible

for search and rescue missions.

"Modern Marvels" joined
this training exercise

in the Gulf of Mexico.

- [Pilot] Guys we've
been diverted to go

search for a person
in the water.

We're gonna show up on
scene and do a sector search

and standby to recover
anybody we find in the water.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] After
the command center

receives a distress call, it
dispatches a rescue helicopter.

Who will then either give the
helicopter exact coordinates

of a ship in danger or its
last known coordinates.

- The primary job
of myself as a pilot

is to get the aircraft on scene.

Once we show up on scene,

the avionics system and
the glass cockpit here

and this new helicopter
will actually fly

the search pattern for me.

And so it me the ability to
use my night vision goggles

to look out the window and
actually search for the survivor

or the subject vessel that
we might be looking for.

- [Pilot] Roger, looks like
we found our survivor there

at two o'clock.

Let's go ahead and do
rescue check part two

for free fall [indistinct]
rescue swimmer.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] Once the crew
spots the distressed ship

or floating survivor, the
rescue swimmer gets the call.

[helicopter whirring]

- First thing that'll happen
is they'll survey the scene

If the conditions are met, then
the swimmer will free fall.

- [Flight Mechanic]
Swimmer away.

- [Omar] Once the
summer free falls

they'll go down to the victim

and based upon their evaluation,

they'll give hand signals
to the flight mech.

- [Flight Mechanic]
Please ready for evac two.

Recovery of the rescue
swimmer and survivor.

- [Narrator] Unlike its
military counterpart,

the Jayhawk is equipped
with another modification,

the hoist, mounted on the
right side of the aircraft

to aid in survivor rescues.

[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]

The Coast Guard's Jayhawk
also lets the flight mechanic

fine tune the rescue.

[helicopter whirring]

- This aircraft has the
capability that if I need to,

I can control from the back,

small movements either
left, right, forward or aft.

- [Narrator] At this point,

the flight mechanic takes
control of the operation

to bring the survivor
on board the helicopter.

- [Flight Mechanic]
Target's at two o'clock,

beginning to hoist.

- [Pilot] Roger--

- I'm gonna hook the
hoist hook to the basket

and then I'm going to
send it out the door.

And I'm gonna be advising
the pilot as it's going down

as to whether it's halfway down,

or holding five
feet above the water.

Halfway down.

The pilot's gonna tell me
to direct him to that person

and I will give commands as
far as increments in feet,

where to go.

[indistinct]

Once we get to that person,

I'm going to set the
basket in the water.

I'm going to advise the
pilot that they're in

and ready for pickup.

- [Pilot] Survivor out of
the water on the way up.

[upbeat music]

- [Jonathan] At that point
I will hoist the basket.

And they'll be on their way up.

[indistinct]

[helicopter whirring]

When they get to the door,

I'll bring them
inside the helicopter.

- [Narrator] The flight mechanic

will then send the basket
down to retrieve the swimmer.

[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]

Coast Guard crews
are responsible

for hundreds of miles of ocean.

So fuel can be a
major consideration.

- The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter
maximum load of fuel

is just over 6,000 pounds.

With 6,000 pounds of fuel,

you can probably plan on flying

for about five and a half hours.

We can go 300 miles off shore,

remain on scene for 30 minutes

and return back to
where we started.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] Sometimes their
missions aren't far out at sea,

but on land.

When Hurricane Ida hit
the Gulf coast in 2021,

and hurricane Katrina in 2005,

the Coast Guard helicopter
crews got the call.

[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]

- And we showed up on
scene in New Orleans

and we started seeing flickers
of light coming from roofs

and windows and stuff.

And those were people
that were trapped

in their flooded houses.

So we immediately went
into a hoisting situation

where we start picking
people up off their roofs.

We went to the
first people we saw,

put the basket down, they
even climbed in the basket,

got them in the aircraft

and then we took them to
the nearest, safe place

that they weren't gonna drown.

We unloaded 'em, went right back

into the neighborhood
we got 'em from

and went to the next
house down the line.

We did this all
night until daylight.

And in one day we would
pick up over 100 people.

And I did that for the
first four days straight

over New Orleans.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The Coast Guard
led the way as military

and civilian helicopters
saved thousands of lives.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

- [Brian] The sky
was literally filled

with helicopters everywhere.

[upbeat music]

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] The US Coast Guard
effectively uses helicopters

to save people from water.

But one helicopter
saves people with water.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

It's called the
Erickson Air Crane.

With its unique
dragon fly appearance,

it's never mistaken for
any other helicopter.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter rumbling]

The Air Crane is built for
one thing, heavy lifting.

It has two turbine engines

that provide 9,000
horsepower to the shaft.

Allowing the 19,500
pound helicopter

to carry an additional
20,000 pounds.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

This capability makes the
Air Crane a perfect tool

for fighting large
forest and brush fires.

[helicopter whirring]

The Air Crane can be fitted
with a 2,650 gallon tank

that can be filled with
a suctioning device

called the ram scoop hydrofoil

that can fill the tank
in less than 40 seconds.

[upbeat music]

This tank empties over a
265,000 square foot area

and can extinguish fires
that might take ground crews

precious hours to
control and put out.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] This is the
helicopter that dominated

the civilian market
for nearly four decades.

It's called the Bell Jet Ranger.

- The Bell helicopter was the
first helicopter that really

was successful in
the commercial market

and the ones that you
see on TV, for instance,

in the old movies.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Born in 1967,

it soon became a favorite
of police departments,

news stations and wealthy
businessman all over the world.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

But these jet turbine
driven helicopters

came with a high price tag.

By 1971, they cost
nearly $115,000.

The equivalent of
nearly $800,000 today.

[upbeat music]

Ex Bell engineer, Frank Robinson

decided he could
make a helicopter

that would be cheaper
to fly and maintain.

In 1979, Robinson Helicopters
started to manufacture

the two-seat R-22.

Selling them for the same
price as a high-end luxury car.

About $40,000.

[upbeat music]

Then in 1992, Robinson
began selling the R-44,

a four-seat version
for $235,000.

[upbeat music]

Robinson started with a
cheaper, more efficient engine.

The R-22 model uses a four
cylinder piston engine

instead of a jet turbine.

While the larger R-44 uses
a six-cylinder engine.

[helicopter whirring]

- That is by far the most
practical type of engine to use

in a small light
helicopter like ours

because it burns a lot
less fuels than a turbine.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] Though less
powerful than a turbine engine,

the piston engine
still pushes the R22

to a top speed of
117 miles per hour

and a range of almost 300 miles.

[helicopter rumbling]

The R-44 has even
better performance

with a top speed of
125 miles per hour

and a range of almost 350 miles.

Finally, Robinson also
introduced the R-66 in 2007.

Which seats five and has a top
speed of 160 miles per hour.

[upbeat music]

- Well we've kept the design,
very simple, very lightweight,

and yet very, very reliable.

The features of our helicopters
are designed for efficiency,

for speed, to keep
the noise level down.

And that you'd
probably recognize

if you see when flying over,

it tells you that
it's one of ours.

It has a tall mast.

[helicopter whirring]

The rotor is up
considerably higher

than the rest of the fuselage.

And we do that because
it allows us to use

a large diameter rotor,

which is more efficient than
a smaller diameter rotor.

- [Narrator] The larger
mast allows the blades

to extend over the aft rotor.

[helicopter whirring]

But before they fly, they all
start out as nuts and bolts.

And sheet metal.

- [Frank] The raw
materials come in one door

and they end up going
out another door

as a finished,
flying helicopter.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Nearly every part
of every Robinson Helicopter

is made in house and
entirely built by hand.

[upbeat music]

That process starts
with cutting and shaping

the metal into specific sizes

to be sent to the
sub-assemblies.

[upbeat music]

This is where all the
parts are constructed

before being sent
to final assembly.

[upbeat music]

Here, parts like the tail boom,

rotor blades, cabin
and landing skids

are assembled into a
complete helicopter shell.

[upbeat music]

- And then the helicopter
is moved on its landing gear

on down the assembly line,

getting it's electrical
harness installed.

Its gearbox put in and
engine is installed.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] After
the helicopter is

completely assembled,
it's painted, flight tested

and ready for the
customer to fly it home.

[upbeat music]

Of course they cost
a little more now.

The R-22 sells for
about $300,000.

And they R-44 for
nearly $500,000.

And the R-66 will set
you back over $900,000.

[helicopter whirring]

One agency that realizes the
value of a Robinson Helicopter

is the El Monte California
Police Department.

[upbeat music]

They maintain two
R-44 helicopters

that have been converted
for police use.

- You have a high candle
power searchlight,

which is used to illuminate
ground person at night.

We also have the FLIR,

which is the forward
looking infrared,

which enables the observer
to see heat signatures

on the ground at night
and even during the day.

We also have a
different radio package

which allows us to talk to a
wide variety of police agencies

within the Los Angeles County.

And there's other
equipment such as LoJack,

which has a vehicle
locating device.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Even with
these extra add-ons,

Robinson Helicopters operate
for a 1/3 of the cost

of larger, more expensive
police helicopters.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Jeff] That allows
us to stay in business

and do what we do best.

[helicopter rumbling]

And that's providing
a safe aerial platform

and a safe environment
for the citizens we serve.

[helicopter rumbling]
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Having that
helicopter in the sky

is equivalent to having anywhere

from five to eight ground
officers in the area.

It also gives the police
a significant advantage.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

The police pilot relies
on ground communication

to get the helicopter
into the right position.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

Once he locates the
fleeing suspect,

the co-pilot or
tactical flight officer

directs the ground forces.

[helicopter rumbling]
[upbeat music]

He will also monitor
the FLIR System

and searchlight at night until
the suspect is apprehended.

[helicopter whirring]

[upbeat music]

- Regardless of how much
time and effort is put forth

in trying to escape from
the police officers,

they already know that
the helicopters is there

they're gonna go
to jail eventually.

You can run, but you're
only gonna go to jail tired.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

- [Narrator] The
police departments

aren't the only organizations

taking advantage of Robinson
Helicopters' low costs.

[helicopter whirring]
[upbeat music]

- We have other versions of
that same basic helicopter

which are used for TV broadcast.

So the TV stations can
buy that particular model

and all the equipment for
their gyro-stabilized cameras

and microwave
transmissions are all built

right into the basic helicopter.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter rumbling]

- [Narrator] These helicopters
fly all over the world.

From Europe to Africa
to New Zealand.

Look up and you just might see
a Robinson buzzing overhead.

[upbeat music]

[NARRATOR] Helicopters aren't
just for police forces

and the military,

some individuals
and corporations

like the luxury of
commuting as the crow flies.

For that, many people
turn to Bell Helicopters.

- We offer any
helicopter for any need.

Whether that's
corporate or VIP travel

to and from the golf
course and boardroom,

any of our products
in our line currently

can suit any of those needs.

[upbeat music]

Once you decide on a helicopter,

Edwards and Associates is

Bell's completion
house of choice.

- [Narrator] Edwards
and Associates

takes a Bell helicopter like
this, right off the line

and customizes it
from the inside out.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

- When a customer wants
to buy an aircraft

the first thing we need to know

is what kind of
configuration do they need?

Is it corporate?

Is it utility, VIP?

Just what type of
equipment do they need?

We figure out what
would best suit

their mission requirements

and then we build the
aircraft from that proposal.

- [Narrator] And
that can be costly.

Up to $2 million
just for customizing.

[helicopter whirring]

It starts with an
800 mile flight

from Bell's manufacturing plant.

Using only a basic
instrument panel,

the helicopters make their
way from Mirabel, Canada

to a facility in Piney
Flats, Tennessee.

- This is what we start with
when we begin our completion.

It's what we call
a green aircraft.

It has no avionics,
nothing installed

just the bare bone
of the aircraft.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Edwards
disassembled the helicopter

to start the
customizing process.

The helicopter then goes
into the completions hangar

where workers install the
wiring and flight instruments.

- Avionics installation
is done in this facility.

This aircraft is
probably about 30%

into the customizing
at this point.

We have begun to
install all the wiring

and all the equipment.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] One piece
of high-tech equipment

going into this helicopter

is what's known as
a glass cockpit.

[upbeat music]

- This puts about five
gauges into these two panels

and they're redundant.

So if one fails, you have
the backup on the bottom.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The glass cockpit,

as opposed to the traditional
analog instruments,

is just one of the
avionics options

that customers can choose.

Their choices also
include 3D map displays

and even an advanced
warning system.

[upbeat music]

- It gives you warnings if
you're getting close to aircraft

or antennas.

- [Narrator] Workers run
wiring through the helicopter

to connect the instrument
panel in the front

to the computer systems
that control it,

placed in a rear compartment.

- After we finish the
installation of the avionics

and all the wiring and we've
buttoned up all the panels,

this is when we start
to install the interior.

- [Narrator]
Customizing the interior

starts with a plastic trim kit.

It will cover any
wiring or equipment

that was previously installed.

[upbeat music]

Next comes carpet.

- And if you don't
want a solid color,

we can have something
such as this or this,

all we gotta do is get
your design that you want,

have a computer
rendering done of it

and sent to the carpet company

where they can manufacture it,

whatever your logo is,
however you want it to look.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The seat covers
come with the same options.

Once the customer
has chosen the colors

and materials for the seats,
they're handmade and installed.

- The next step is plating.

We have several examples
here of some plating.

Here's some door trim,

this goes around where
you open the door.

There's hundreds of colors
of plating, different styles,

fresh aluminum, brush gold,
whatever you would like to have.

We put reclining seats in,

add cabinets up where
they could talk on the phone

or work on their laptop.

And monitors that
actually would rise up.

The sky's the limit.

Anything you want to do.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] But they
aren't finished yet.

The last step is the paint.

And this is where the customer

can really make the
helicopter his or her own.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

In just four months, the workers
at Edwards and Associates

take a helicopter
straight off the line

and turn it into a
hovering luxury suite.

[upbeat music]

For those who can't afford
an Edwards conversion,

there's still hope.

Just do it yourself.

[helicopter whirring]

In 2021, Rotor X Aircraft
Manufacturing acquired RotorWay.

Creators of an
experimental helicopter

that you build on your own.

- An experimental
helicopter is a helicopter

that is within easy reach
of anybody to purchase

and it allows them to build
the helicopter themselves.

It also allows them
to invest their time

and save exponential dollars.

- [Narrator] RotorWay's
innovation is a

two-seat helicopter
called the A600.

[helicopter whirring]

- [Mark] It can fly as
fast as 100 miles per hour.

It can reach a ceiling
height of approximately 8,000

to 10,000 feet.

And it is designed
to give everyone

the satisfaction of
flying in a helicopter.

- [Narrator] The
company makes it easy

on the garage mechanic.

They assemble some of the
more complex components

for the customer, including
the drive assembly,

tail boom, but most
importantly, the engine.

One man who knows all about them

is helicopter flight
instructor, Chris Strachan,

who built three in his
hangar in Van Nuys, California.

[upbeat music]

- It's a very simple process.

They do most of
the difficult stuff

and it's this 49%-51% rule.

The 49% that they do is
all the difficult stuff

and then the other 51 is you
just putting bolts together

and brackets and actually
putting it together.

It's almost like you
just need normal tools

that you have in your backyard,

that's pretty much all you need.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The idea
is to carefully plan

each step of
construction in advance.

All the buyer has to do is
follow the instructions.

[upbeat music]

- Here are the factory
we make the parts cards

where we take each
part that you need,

put it on the parts
card, laminate it.

[machine whirring]

Put it in your crate
and you're good to go.

Each parts card has a
specific label on them

with our new blueprints
explain to you exactly

where each part needs to go.

- What I really like is rather
than getting a box of bolts

they kind of shrink
wrap them onto the card.

Each bolt with a number,
exactly where it goes.

- As a first-time builder,

we supply you with
construction manuals and videos

which take you step-by-step
through each phrase.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The process
begins with ordering

the first of four
shipments of crates.

Then the customer decides when
to receive the next shipment.

[upbeat music]

- When you are ready for stage
two of your helicopter kit,

it will include some
very high-end components,

which are the drive and main
drive systems and the body.

The main drive system
is a very intricate part

of the helicopter and that is
the second step you will take.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The drive assembly
is what links the engine

to the rotor blades.

The helicopter begins to
take shape at this stage.

[upbeat music]

- Once you receive group three,

that will include your
tail rotor system,

some of your main drive pulleys,

your oil system and your
engine cooling system.

Four will include your
engine, your rotor blades

and your ignition system.

Once you receive
this final stage,

you will pretty much be able
to complete your helicopter.

[indistinct]

- [Narrator] It typically
takes about 400 to 650 hours

from start to finish to
complete the helicopter.

- We will not allow you
to go to the next stage

of your build until
we feel confident

that you've reached the
goal or accomplished

what we are asking
you to accomplish

before the next
stage is taken on.

- [Narrator] But once the
helicopter is completely built,

it still can't be flown.

The customer must contact
a local FAA representative

and have them look
over the helicopter.

[upbeat music]

- They will take you
through a sign-off procedure

where they will inspect
your helicopter.

Be sure it's built correctly.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Finally, it's given
an airworthiness certificate.

Then the owner is free to
fly his brand new helicopter.

- Most people don't realize that

for the price of a good
Corvette I can have a helicopter

that can fly pretty
much anywhere.

Why even drive somewhere
where you can fly?

- [Narrator] So perhaps you too

will be flying a
helicopter soon.

But in this age of rapidly
changing technology

flying a helicopter
can also mean

you don't need a pilot at all.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Today, not all
helicopters have a pilot inside.

Take the Fire Scout
from Northrop Grumman.

At a length of nearly 24 feet

and a height of almost
10 feet, the Fire Scout

was developed for use by all
branches of the military.

But it's the Navy that has
become the primary customer.

It's linked to a
ground control facility

that will give it coordinates.

Once programmed, it can
fly to assigned area,

perform its mission
and return home.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

It can even autonomously
take off from

and land on a moving
aircraft carrier.

Northrop Grumman modified
a full-sized Schweizer 333

to create the Fire Scout.

It has a top speed of
145 miles per hour.

[upbeat music]
[helicopter whirring]

Although the original intent
was to use the Fire Scout

to provide reconnaissance,

it can be outfitted
with rocket launchers

and laser-guided missiles.

But while these breakthroughs
in pilotless technology

began with the military,

today, there are more than
250 companies around the world

who manufacture UAVs or
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Now anyone can own and fly
these remotely operated drones,

which use that same
helicopter technology.

[upbeat music]

Companies like the award-winning
DraganFly Innovations

in Saskatoon, Canada
are at the forefront

of this new wave
of consumer drones.

[upbeat music]

The secret behind
these high-tech fliers

is the carefully
calibrated computer

which calculates every
move the drone makes.

- It's virtually
a flying computer.

There's very complicated
software on board

to make it fly very stable

that typical
helicopters don't have.

Flying a full size helicopter

it's like balancing
a ball on a needle.

Now this is unique in that it
senses acceleration and angles

and it always wants
to keep level.

So right now we
have full control.

We have yaw, which
is this movement.

We have pitch forward,
pitch backward.

And roll left and roll right.

So what I'm gonna do here is
I'm going to take these sticks

and smash them around
and you'll notice

how that always levels itself.

If you ever get confused or in
trouble, let go of the stick.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The operator
flies the DraganFlyer drone

by manipulating it
six separate rotors.

- [Zenon] It changes
direction by speeding

and slowing up the RPM
of the individual motors.

So if you wanted to go forward,

you would speed up their
rear motors to push forward.

- [Narrator] To yaw right,

he would speed up
all the top motors

and slow down all
the bottom motors.

On the contrary, to yaw left,

you would speed up the bottom
motors and slow down the top.

- [Zenon] So just the varying
RPM of the individual motors

will make this go in
a different direction.

- [Narrator] A typical
helicopter uses the pitch

of the rotor blades
to increase speed.

This drone has a fixed pitch.

Speed is controlled
by simply increasing

the power of the motors.

[drone whirring]

[upbeat music]

Drones can make anyone feel
like a helicopter pilot

in a matter of hours.

It's even outfitted
with safety features

that allow it to auto land
if anything goes wrong.

[upbeat music]

Today, the main reason
many people operate drones

is to get images from heights

that used to require a
traditional helicopter.

[upbeat music]

- [Zenon] It can lift
approximately 500 to 600 grams.

That's more than enough weight
to carry most consumer digital

and video cameras.

- [Narrator] But the
DragaFlyers size and mobility,

given many different
photographic applications.

[upbeat music]

- [Zenon] The civil
applications are anywhere

between aerial photography,
aerial videography.

Police work, fire inspection.

Archeology.

So there's a huge range
of civil applications.

We've even done
studies on bird nests.

So you can actually
fly it to a tree

and take photographs of birds.

- [Narrator] Drones
may not have the size

of some of their
helicopter big brothers,

but like them, they
have the versatility

to serve in multiple roles.

From fighting in
the battlefield,

to reporting traffic
on city streets,

the helicopter has
transformed our world.

They're a unique
type of aircraft

and an indispensable
tool in aviation today.

[upbeat music]