Sky 5 celebrates 40 years covering news from above
WHAT TYPE OF WHALES THEY ARE OR
HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN
STRANDED.
>>> A MAJOR MILESTONE AT THE
OREO, SKY FIVE THE
NEWSGATHERING HELICOPTER,
TURNED 40 AND WRAL WAS THE
FIRST STATION AREA TO HAVE A
TELEVISION NEWS HELICOPTER.
IT HAS BECOME AN ICONIC PART OF
OUR FAMILY.
>> WE HAVE A LOOK AT THE YEARS
THAT BROUGHT US
HERE.>>REPORTER: IT IS ALWAYS
FUN TO LOOK BACK AT PICTURES OF
YOUR YOUNGER SELF.>> YEAH THAT
WAS POPULAR BACK IN THE DAY TO
DO A LOT OF THOSE LOW PASSES
AND HIGH-SPEED TYPE OF THING.
WE WANTED THE WHOLE DRAMA THING
GOING ON.>> LIKE SO MANY OF US
SKY FIVE HAS GROWN INTO A MORE
RELIABLE, RESPONSIBLE NEWS.
>> IN THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT
VARIABLES AND HAS BECOME USEFUL
WITH THE NEWS.
>> SKY FIVE HAS GIVEN US AN
AERIAL VIEW OF NEARLY EVERY
BREAKING NEWS STORIES ROUTE FOR
DECADES.>> OVER THE YEARS THERE
HAS BEEN MORE THAN ONE AIRCRAFT
BEARING THE SKY FIVE BRAND.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN THREE, ONE
500 D AND THEN TRADED IT FOR
ANOTHER 500 D.
>> THE 500 MODEL EASILY
RECOGNIZABLE FOR ITS STARRING
ROLE IN THE TV SHOW MAGNUM PI
BUT LIKE MOST GROWING FAMILIES
WRAL FINALLY TRADED IN THE
SPORTY MODEL.>> IT WAS
SOMEWHERE AROUND 1995 THAT WAS
STARTED TO OUTGROW THE
CAPABILITIES OF THE 500 BECAUSE
WE WANTED TO PUT MORE EQUIPMENT
ON AN THE EQUIPMENT WEIGHT AND
AIRCRAFT WOULD ONLY LIFT SO
MUCH AND SO WE DECIDED TO GO
WITH WHAT IS BEHIND ME HERE
BECAUSE IT WOULD LIFT THE
WEIGHT AND WE COULD PUT ALL THE
STUFF WE WANTED IN THEIR
ELECTRONIC WISE, AND IT WOULD
FIT OUR NEEDS.
>> AND OUR NEEDS ARE GROWING
EVERY YEAR.>> WE BUILT IT SO
THAT IT WOULD BE AN AERIAL,
MOBILE NEWSROOM.
>> EVEN THOUGH SKY FIVE CAN
REACH ANY PART OF THE STATE AND
LESS THAN HALF THE TIME IT
WOULD TAKE A NEW SCREW TO DRIVE
THERE FROM AN EVENT 18 YEARS
AGO HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE
HELICOPTERS REACH.
>> 9/11.
THAT SHUT US DOWN COMPLETELY
FOR OVER A MONTH.
AND THEN ALL OF THESE RULES
STARTED CREEPING IN WHERE YOU
COULD AND COULD NOT GO>> THE
AIRCRAFT WILL CONTINUE TO
EVOLVE BUT WE WILL ALWAYS
REMEMBER THE GREAT HISTORY OF
SKY FIVE.>> THE 500 WAS LIKE
THE 1955 MG BECOME A GREAT
LITTLE SPORTS CAR, I LOVE
AIRCRAFT.
AND THIS ONE IS JUST LIKE DUDE.
IT IS SUCH A SMOOTH RIDE AND IT
HAS AIR-CONDITIONING AND IT IS
FAST AND IT IS SO NICE AND EASY