Renting a/c to movie companies

Bald eagle

You bring up some valid points.
As for qualified pilots, there are only eight of my a/c flying in Canada so to hire a pilot with a commercial license that is current on type is unlikely, secondly, I am also the mechanic that signs out the a/c.
As for being paid the contract will clearly state that payment etc is for rental of the a/c and there is no charge for pilot duties are . Still I wiil consult local Dept of Transport people.

Thanks

Also, don’t know about Canada, but any filming involving flying in the US requires an FAA approved Aerial Coordinator. I would think that this would also be true up there. Find out who it is and talk to him, he’ll be an important liason between you and the movie people (and the FAA or CAA), and he should be somebody who will be on your side when the crosswind is too much, or they ask for something ridiculous to be done.
I only have a little experience with this, but I would advise that at least the food is always great……
Also, I think that you’ll have a hard time getting around the private pilot thing, if you fly and they write you a check, the FAA or CAA will probably consider it compensation for flying no matter what you say it’s for. Surely there must be some very qualified pilots available though, but maybe you also require a full time (well-paid) mechanic to be with the ‘plane at all times.

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I’ve recently finished reading the memiors of Charles Klessig, a pre-war pilot, who in his retirement (in the late 1960s), restored a Standard J-1 (a WWI era trainer similar to a Curtiss Jenny).
For TV work in 1971, he got $200 an hour for plane rental and his piloting with a 2 hour minimum every day whether the plane flew or not.
That was lot of money then.

BTW: He flew with the RCAF in the war and his experinces test flying Mosquitos, Lancasters, LB-30s with 113 Wing might be of interest to RCAF historians.

Fleet16b,good advice here, and I`ll add a few. Get a copy of the Script and see how you are going to be used.. or abused. Have a scale of charges for static, taxiing, and flying..and for flying it should be per hour ,or part thereof. ie 3 sorties at say 20 mins each, do not equate to a 1 hr sortie…ie it`s more expensive, more starts,engine wear, t/offs/landings etc; any mods necessary to the a/c-cameras ? must be approved,and fitted by an expert..that costs money.What is required ? low-flying,dropping things, beat-ups.,formation, over built-up areas,etc, ..for all those you must speak to your Transport Canada aviation man for approval. You may be an approved display pilot, but get the advice `first`;finally, if you are not a commercial pilot, then employ one for the duration( qualified on type and known to you-suitable experienced) ,otherwise you can find that a contract can ` bite your a$$`, and the insurance people won`t return your calls ,should anything go wrong !!
Please, don`t let what I have advised put you off,as it`s a chance to show your pride and joy to the world, safely,and in keeping with it`s history,and make a few dollars to keep it that way..(commercial rate over here would be £2-300/day for a pilot alone).I wish you all the best ,but don`t cut corners/sell yourself short….Sycamore

From it, I figure that to us emy a/c for static the fee would be about $1500/day and for flying about 500-650/hr.
Would this be reasonable.
Any opinions?

Higher…..

I was getting $400/day just for motorcycles used in static shots 10 years ago…

Thanks for all the advice guys.
Many of the points made , I have already considered.
From it, I figure that to us emy a/c for static the fee would be about $1500/day and for flying about 500-650/hr.
Would this be reasonable.
Currently , I have been approached by a major Hollywood company to assist them, so I would like to be correct in my fees and not scare anyone off.

Now, when it comes to flying , it a has been stated that you must have a commercial license.
What I ahevbeen told is you cannot be hired to fly and charge a fee without a commercial license.
So whats to stop a private pilot for using a contract that stipulates that the fee is to rent the a/c and the flying is done for free ?

Any opinions?

Why can’t you just tell us what happend, I’m curious … :confused:

I hate that too 🙂 – but it does build up curiousity while Googling.

It seems the answer is here http://www.avroarrow.org/AvroArrow/replica.html.

Research what happened to the Avro Arrow replica’s.

Why can’t you just tell us what happend, I’m curious … :confused:

I was involved with a film many years ago involving the late John Jordan’s
Stearman G-AROY. Most of the time you spend bored waiting for something to happen and then there is a spurt of activity. We did all the moving of the Stearman around sets – any help in doing this was strictly supervised .

Therefore about four or five moves by road including roading her in from Cumbernauld to Lock Fyne and no damage. If it’s a flyer do the moving yourself don’t rely on others.

I hired my replica Spitfire many years ago to the Pearl Harbour production team. The money you get for hire depends on whose doing the hiring. Hollywood movies have big budgets smaller productions do not.The flying Spitfire’s were paid £3K an hour. My Replica was portrayed as RF-M with battle damage for the ground shots. You should get a written contract and insist on insurance. They can get pretty roughly treated on set, film directors move fast and the aircraft are man handled by hoards of extras into various positions. I got £3K and they had it about two weeks, they painted it and made quite a few holes which i had to repair, at one stage they put the fork of a fork lift straight through the wing so be aware and insist on being present during filming. I did get given some nice bits off the set and it was a great experiance up close to lots of Flying Spitfires.

Hire of aircraft and yourself

Fleet16b,
Best advice I can give re your aircraft, have an hour rate for flying as well as a daily rate for having the aircraft available. This becomes an honest and accurate rate for the use of your aircraft.

Now,a couple of points far greater importantance.

If you are approached for film work, make sure your insurance company clearly understands what you intend doing. You may require a representitive from your insurers to be in attendence during filming, ensuring you and your aircraft are covered for each and every shot. There will most likely be a large loading on your insurance. Make sure your quote to the film company takes this into account.

If you intend charging for your flying, you must have a Commercial Pilots Licence or ATPL. If you don’t, the CAA prosecution department WILL get you.

It can be a very interesting and rewarding time, but be very aware and astute, and never let your aircraft out of your site. Research what happened to the Avro Arrow replica’s. Your personal property is considered to be fair game and completely disposable if it makes a better shot.

And finally remember,

When dealing with the film industry, the goalposts are permanently mobile. What you are initially approached about will bear no resemblance to what the director actually asks you to finally do.

camlobe

He also states that for the Film Dark Blue World in 2001 they paid £5,300 per hour for a Spitfire.

I don’t think that’s an unrealistic amount for a Spitfire – but is that amount just for flying hours or flying AND static? The two Spits used in the film did both air and ground work.

Ooh, I might watch DBW again, actually…. 😀

I have been told many stories by classic car owners who have loaned / rented their pride and joy to TV / Film companies and from what I have heard the best advice is be very careful and definitelty make sure that you babysit your aeroplane.
One owner had spent fortunes on a car restoration and was approached to hire it (for a nominal fee) for use in a TV series. For one shot the director decided he couldn’t get the effect he wanted so he ordered the team to pull the door off to give the camera a better shooting angle. The door wasn’t removed very carefully and the car was returned with a misaligned door and much paint damage. The repairs cost more than the fee he got back.
Another owner decided to babysit his car and was able to put his foot down when the director wanted to run it into a hedge. The directors attitude was we have hired the car and if we wreck it you can always get another one.
I met some of these “film” people while they were filming a TV show when I had a shop at Brands Hatch. They do not live in the real world. One tried to buy a box of matches in the shop next door and got stroppy when the shop owner refused to allow him to pay by credit card!. He then asked how many boxes of matches he needed to buy to get to the minimum card purchase limit. When this proved impossible (not enough boxes of matches) he got on his mobile and to another rmember of the crew in the paddock. I heard the phone call “Oh Justin sweetie would you bring some money over to the shops. I want to buy some matches and the little man here won’t let me use my card”.
As a rule they appear to have no respect for hirers or their property. All that matters is what they want to do _ so Be careful.

You also have to factor in that you’l need someone there all the time to babysit your pride & joy & to stop actors from ********* things up, breaking stuff, pushing buttons that say things like “start” & pulling on levers that have “undercarriage, up/down” on them.
I know a few people at Chino who would have quite happily beaten that blithering idiot Affleck black & blue while they changed the history of what happened on Dec 7th ’41…..

In Jonathan Falconers book on the filming of the Dam Busters he quotes that the Air Ministry charged £100 per engine per hour! It was 3 lancasters, a mosquito and a Varsity = £1,600 per hour at 1954 rates. He also states that for the Film Dark Blue World in 2001 they paid £5,300 per hour for a Spitfire. (Film companies are rich, my advice is ask some outrageous fee, then they will quote you what they are prepared to pay – you never know you might get that ridiculous sum you first asked for!)

This might be a good place to start:

http://www.bianchiaviation.com/