Brian McMahon is a Vietnam veteran who has over 37 years of flying experience flying helicopters and has logged over 20,000 hours in the air. In the years following the war, Brian received his civilian commercial flight training and experience working for low pay at a local helicopter company, just outside of Detroit.

After years flying helicopters for construction companies, and nationally recognized photographer, Dale Fisher, Brian started a helicopter charter company for a corporate client; where he was employed as their pilot. Several years and a few thousand hours later, Brian decided to start his own helicopter charter service. Using a leased Bell Jet Ranger, Brian founded McMahon Helicopter Services, Inc., (MHS) in August of 1980.

By the mid-80’s, MHS had a dozen pilots
and eight helicopters. Brian began expand-
ing his aerial filming business through the
extensive use of Tyler and Continental
camera mounts. For special projects,
McMahon built customized mounts, as
other systems simply did not exist at the
time.

McMahon was among the first to bring the
Canadian built WESCAM, gyro-stabilized,
camera system into the United States-
used for feature films, commercials, and
live television coverage of major sporting
events. These older, gyro-stabilized cam-
era systems, were very large, side-
mounted and had to be flown with the
helicopter doors off. This put severe per-
formance limitations on the helicopter.

In the early 90’s, after covering Super
Bowls, the New York and Boston Marathons,
major events for ABC, NBC, and CBS,
countless commercials and film pro-

platform for the WESCAM. This new design allowed the aircraft to fly faster, created a larger field of view for the camera, and permitted the helicopter doors to remain on.

Soon after, Brian began developing a gyro-stabilized camera system that was specifically
designed for aerial use. The smaller, lighter, 5-axis camera system allowed the helicopter
to keep its normal performance characteristics, without compromising the image stability
or zoom capability. This new camera technology created by Brian and his development
team, set the standard for all Electronic News Gathering (ENG) cameras and helicopter
programs around the world.

McMahon Helicopter Services, Inc. owns and operates the Chopper 7 helicopter, under contract with WXYZ–TV Channel 7 Detroit, which, in 1995 was one of the first stations in the country -and the first station in Detroit- to have a full-time dedicated TV News helicopter program. McMahon provides not only the helicopter, but also all of the equipment and flight crew -consisting of pilot-reporter, Dennis Neubacher, and camera operator / systems engineer, Brian Smith. WXYZ Channel 7 Detroit is still leading the pack and was first in Detroit to broadcast in high-definition HDTV.

In 2000 the Detroit auto industry was keeping McMahon Helicopter Services extremely busy. MHS was experiencing up to 15 cargo charters and shipping up to 45,000 pounds of auto parts in a single day.

Keeping family involved, Brian McMahon employs his
son Nick McMahon, who is Chief Pilot, and has over 12
years of aviation experience, including extensive charter
and film production knowledge. Brian’s younger son,
Nate McMahon, attends college full time and is also heli-
copter and fixed-wing rated. He also works at MHS during
summer and holidays breaks.

Over the years McMahon Helicopter Services has comp-
leted thousands of door-to-door critical cargo deliveries
for the big three automakers and suppliers, hundreds of
film productions, transported several thousand people, and
aided in natural disaster relief efforts.    

From keeping frost off of tomato plants, to towing 20,000
square foot banners across a city skyline, McMahon Heli-
copter Services has a lot of history, and extensive experience
operating many different types of helicopters in commercial
service.

McMahon Helicopters is a Bell Helicopter Customer Service
Facility (CSF) and a Robinson Helicopter Sales and Service

Center. Other services include new and used helicopter sales, aircraft management, and repair of Sikorsky, Eurocopter, and almost every other make and model of commercial helicopters

We look forward to working with you on your next project, whatever it may be.