From scoutto final take.
Aerial coordination, helicopter and jet stunt flying, and camera systems, all under one safety-first lead.
FIG. — Aircrew, ramp
Aerial coordinator
On-set logistics and coordination of all aerial choreography.
Kevin plans and runs the full aerial unit: scouting, airspace and permits, aircraft and crew selection, pre-flight briefings, risk mitigation and on-set coordination between the director, DP and every pilot in the air.
Helicopter stunt pilot
Certified in a wide range of commercial and military helicopters.
From close-proximity camera work to on-screen flying, Kevin flies the Airbus AS350 and AS355, Bell 407, JetRanger and LongRanger, Leonardo AW109, Sikorsky S-76 and the UH-60 Black Hawk.
Jet stunt pilot
Certified in a wide range of modern and vintage jets and warbirds.
ATP-rated with type ratings in multiple Learjet models and the C-130/L-382 Hercules, Kevin flies camera jets and on-screen jets, including the work behind Top Gun: Maverick.
Camera ship & systems
Phoenix, Shotover F1/K1/M1 and Cineflex.
Stabilized remote camera systems on helicopters and jets, including the Phoenix high-speed head, the fastest remote camera head in the world.
Military-look aircraft
MovieHawk® ESSS Black Hawk.
A special-operations look on screen with the MovieHawk®, the only UH-60A ESSS Black Hawk of its kind available to the industry.
What is an aerial coordinator?
The person responsible for everything that flies on a production: the design, the planning, the safety and the execution.
Design the sequence
Works with the director and director of photography to shape what the aerial shots need to show, and how to fly them.
Plan the flights
Plans each flight: the aircraft, the pilots, the permits, FAA waivers and the airspace.
Choose the camera platform
Picks the camera ships and the remote heads / gimbal systems that suit the shot.
Brief for safety
Runs the safety briefings and is responsible for the safety of everything that flies.
Coordinate the departments
Works alongside stunts, VFX and the ground units so the air and ground work fit together.
Lead the aerial unit
Leads the aerial unit on the day, from first briefing to the debrief.
Cleared to film.
Waivers, the filming manual, FSDO and airspace coordination: Kevin handles the regulatory work that lets a production fly lower, closer and over locations that would otherwise be off-limits.
When a production calls for drones, his company XBRAND provides them at the highest level.