Somewhere Between a Shared Cab and a Private Jet, It’s the Commuter Helicopter

On television, the private helicopter, like the Gulfstream, is a rich-guy prop. But the rotor blades spinning at 500 revolutions per minute add a bit of danger.

The opening credits of “The Apprentice” featured the Sikorsky owned by Donald Trump as he walked away, in slow motion, from it to the tune of “For the Love of Money” by the O’Jays. The family of media barons at the center of HBO’s “Succession” seem to travel exclusively by helicopter. To prepare for his role as the heir Roman Roy, Kieran Culkin had to learn how to emerge from a helicopter without reflexively ducking like an amateur.

Still, real-life millionaires and billionaires tend not to fall for helicopters the way they do for jets, even if they can own one for a fraction of the cost. The fanciest ones, like the Airbus model with an interior by Hermès, resemble limos on the inside (though few, if any, can accommodate amenities like bedrooms and bathrooms).

And then there’s the matter of range. “The amount of time you’re in the helicopter doesn’t make it worth it,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation industry analyst. “In the high-end business jets, you could fly to Britain and even Asia. That’s why you see the customization. A helicopter, you’re doing your crossword for 30 minutes and you get off.”

Pete Peterson, the late billionaire investor, was one person who decided the cost to time-saved ratio was worth it. Mr. Peterson splurged on a helicopter to get to his Hamptons weekend house and kept a needlepoint pillow in his Fifth Avenue apartment that said, “You never know how many friends you have until you get a helicopter.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/style/wealthy-helicopter.html?emc=rss&partner=rss