TT TECH Wrote:It more like the Duke/Greenlight helicopter cant film as it was sugested a few years ago by one of the pilots, they call the shots as much as the rescue choppers these days....

Thats why there is so much disruption to the practice and racing....

Absolute rubbish. Race Control has no contact with the Filming Helicopter during the sessions other than via one of the AirMed helicopters talking to them on the Aviation VHF radios. The AirMed helicopters broadcast over the radio that they are flying from the 32nd to Nobles etc and the Filming Helicopter has to keep well clear of them - the AirMed ones have priority in the Air.

If the Clerk of the Course is concerned about the weather conditions, then he may ask one or both of the AirMed helicopters to check around the course to ensure they can reach it all. If any of the course is unreachable by the helicopters, then practicing/racing can't go ahead unless in exceptional circumstances. In the past if the mountain section has become unreachable, the bikes have been red flagged in Ramsey and then led over the mountain on convoy by the TM's.

Andrew.