A pilot who filmed aerial TV coverage of the America’s Cup in Bermuda is planning to set up a new business on the island offering helicopter flights.

Michael Franck fell in love with the island after first working here covering a sailing event in 2015. He has returned many times since to film SailGP events.

Now he wants to station a helicopter on the island permanently. He and his wife Amy Franck have applied to the Minister of Economic Development to set up Azura Helicopters Ltd and also for a licence to carry on business in Bermuda.

Mr Franck, the owner of Elite Rotorcraft, based in Nashville, Tennessee, does film, television and commercial work in the United States. He is also a stunt pilot.

When Bermuda hosted the America’s Cup nine years ago, Mr Franck’s work beamed spectacular images of the sailing action on the Great Sound to viewers around the world.

“We have come to an agreement with the Dockyard to base the business at Cross Island,” Mr Franck told The Royal Gazette.

He hopes to launch the business in 2027 and anticipates hiring four to six locals to operate it. Flights around the island will typically last between ten and 12 minutes, he added. Shuttle flights from the airport to local resorts are another potential use, he said.

“The helicopter we’ll use will be different from the ones we brought for the America’s Cup, not so noisy — these meet requirements to fly over national parks in the US,” he added.

Having a helicopter based here will be an asset to the island, given the potential for uses beyond leisure. During his previous visits, Mr Franck has spoken with the Bermuda Police Service, the Bermuda Coast Guard Unit and the Royal Bermuda Regiment about the potential value of a helicopter to them.

“There have been a couple of incidents at sea off Bermuda, which showed how having a helicopter on the island could have been helpful,” Mr Franck said.

He added that the helicopter could also be used as an air ambulance.

“We want this helicopter to have value for the people of Bermuda.”

Mr Franck has worked on more than 100 movies. His impressive credits list for aerial footage includes The Batman, The Crow and Captain America: Brave New World, as well as for hit TV shows including Yellowstone and The Bear.

And his stunt pilot credits include the 2024 movie Twisters and the TV series, Chicago Fire.

Among the services offered by Elite Rotorcraft in the US are helicopter charters and industrial use, as well as aerial filming. The business also has a “camera boat” which can film at high speed on the water, using a camera attached to a remote extension that reaches out up to 16 feet.