Jump to content

SkyFox 1st chopper in NYC?


lookin_around

Recommended Posts

I was just watching the 40th anniversary of The Ten O'Clock News on WNYW's website. In part 2, Lew Leone says that they were the first station to have a full time news chopper. If I remember correctly, wasn't Chopper 4 the first full time news helicopter in NYC, followed a few days or weeks later with JetCopter (now NewsCopter) 7? As a matter of fact, I think 5 was the station that ran the commercial mocking 2, 4 and 7 for having choppers, saying that they (Fox) do news the way it should be done, from the ground!

 

Since Leone was with WNBC when Chopper 4 launched, don't you think he would remember all of this? I'm sure he is taking the fact that they were the first HD chopper (by the way, what's the point since no other aspect of their newscast is in HD) in the city and twisting the facts around a bit to make themselves look a bit better!

 

After watching the special, it is sad to see what a hack newscast that show has become. Someone should have called out Leone long before now since the special aired last week!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as I know, the latest generation of modern day (ie; on-board gyro-stabilized camera systems and live capabilities) news helo’s over NYC actually was led by WABC back in the spring of 1995.

 

This was not too long after the now infamous Al Cowling/O.J. Simpson low speed police chase when virtually the whole world was watching the coverage that was being provided by the relatively new gyro-stabilized ENG ships out in L.A.

 

After that, I think News Directors in NYC and around the country collectively said “ I GOTTA get me one of THOSE!”

 

I believe that WNBC was on pace to launch Chopper 4 first. However as the story goes, WABC hearing about the NBC project kicked it into hyper-drive and managed to get NewsCopter 7 in the air first by only a few days. I believe this was around the second week of April, 1995.

 

This was then followed by Chopper 2 and eventually Fox. Then WABC, in conjunction with Metro Networks, ended up with a second/back-up ship that doubled their coverage. WPIX didn’t get their bird until the summer of 2000.

 

So, that would be modern history of ENG helicopters in NYC. If the Fox piece was actually talking about the first generation of news helo’s (ie; shoot with a shoulder mount camera out an open door with no real live capabilities) then that would be different story.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chopper 4 debuted on April 18, 1995 during Live at Five doing a breaking news story about debris falling at the George Washington Bridge. It was WABC that was caught off gaurd. Even though 7 was developing a chopper, they did not expect 4 to be ready that soon. Within days, they had a chopper up, making it second in NYC.

 

As for the JetCopter name, 7 was using Metro Traffic's helicopter at first. When they did reports for ABC sister stations WABC and WPLJ, the reporter would say "From JetCopter 77" or "JetCopter 95." The name was carried over to 7 until they received their own chopper from Metro, NewsCopter 7. I am very positive "SkyCam" was not used on WABC....maybe KABC?

 

If you watch the clips, Leone doesn't distinguish 1st or next generation. I am sure he is refering to the first HD chopper, but presents it falsely as the first full time ENG chopper in NYC. I don't think they revolutionized anything by adding an HD camera. The chopper still gathers news the way it did before the HD conversion. It is a look thing only. 4 and 7 changed news gathering in the city with the first news choppers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

As for the JetCopter name, 7 was using Metro Traffic's helicopter at first. When they did reports for ABC sister stations WABC and WPLJ, the reporter would say "From JetCopter 77" or "JetCopter 95." The name was carried over to 7 until they received their own chopper from Metro, NewsCopter 7. I am very positive "SkyCam" was not used on WABC....maybe KABC?

 

 

Are you sure? I think Vlad is correct.

 

[yt=425,350][/yt]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUC-wrnbNuc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chopper 4 debuted on April 18, 1995 during Live at Five doing a breaking news story about debris falling at the George Washington Bridge. It was WABC that was caught off gaurd. Even though 7 was developing a chopper, they did not expect 4 to be ready that soon. Within days, they had a chopper up, making it second in NYC.

 

That's what I like about WNBC. They're always on top of their competitors. Even with the HD race.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KTLA was the first station in the country to have a newscopter in 1958, then known as the telecopter.

 

In LA the newscopter craze gained ground in the 80's and 90's when all the stations began using copters for news. First KNBC with the Telecopter in the 70's, then KABC in the late 80's/early 90's with NewsCopter (now Air) 7, KCBS had Chopper 2, KCOP had NewsCopter 13, KTTV had Sky11 (now SkyFox) and Sky9 at KCAL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you ABC7 Man....glad I didn't say 100 percent positive! I didn't remember the Sky Cam name...figuring since 4 calls their mounted cameras the SkyCam network, didn;t think 7 called the chopper that. However, still "fairly" sure JetCopter was in there at some point! Looking at that shot, it is nice to see how far the whole chopper thing has come since then.

 

Also, forgot about Hurst anchoring the news with Roz.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And not only that, the word "JetCopter" when you think about it just does not make sense and its sounds weird. You can't have a Jet in a Helicopter, lol.

 

-Vlad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, the Bell Long Ranger (the type that most stations in NYC fly) has an Allison/Rolls Royce turbine engine, which is a jet engine. So, it would make a lot of sense for 7 to call it "JetCopter." Turbomecca Arriel makes the engines for A-Stars. (Found this info on ask.com and the Bell website)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using TVNewsTalk you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.