Tiny Helicopters: flying the future with your thumbs

Dale Henderson, Steadicam veteran, is flying his own squadron of remote-controlled camera platforms. Safely.
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Dale Henderson, Steadicam veteran, is now a central player in the development of remote control helicopter platforms in the Australian production sector. The camera moves are breathtaking and they are adding a whole dimension to modestly budgeted drama and documentary productions. As in this:

“I’ve been flying these things since the age of eleven and I’m 43 now,” he said on the phone. “I fly a remote controlled jet at 300km an hour. You have to be on the thumbs to bring that $10,000 model back to the ground without crashing it or blowing it up.

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David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.