What is Black Ops?
Your mission should you choose to accept it…
is to strap yourself into one of the most exciting helicopters ever built. The jet powered McDonnell Douglas 500E (MD500E).
In an Australian first, this is no ordinary helicopter flight, you will experience the legendary aircraft made famous in so many feature films including Apocalypse Now, Black Hawk Down, The Italian Job & Mission Impossible.
Immersing yourself in a cinematic style experience your Black Ops flight is an adrenalin-filled doors off option where your experienced pilot will manoeuvre your military-grade helicopter at an impressive 130 knots (240 kph) over Sydney!
You’ll be equipped with a personal GoPro enabling you to capture not only your mission experience but the full walk up and action around the aircraft prior to departure.
Upon landing, the footage can be taken home (optional purchase) for you to keep as a memento of your time spent in the “500”.
- Totally unique! Sydney’s only Military style MD500E helicopter.
- Operating from Sydney Airport (Mascot).
- Same helicopter used by covert Special Forces, Law Enforcement & Military from around the world.
- A true airborne adventure. Highly manoeuvrable and extremely fast – you’ll travel further during the flight.
- GoPro 9 option for each passenger to capture the cinematic style experience (complete with pilot/ATC comms and a movie soundtrack) to take home after the mission (optional purchase).
Aircraft Seating
The MD500E can seat up to 4 passengers… The standard “Share with Others” configuration is 3 passengers (i.e A couple sitting together and a single passenger). If operational considerations permit, we may configure the aircraft to fly two couples (i.e two in the front next to the pilot and two seated together behind). If we fly 4 passengers on a shared flight (it will only ever be in a configuration of two couples, never a couple and two other singles unknown to each other. (Definition of a couple? Known to each other).
Groups of two, three or four can also take a “Private Flight” option by purchasing all 4 seats for the price of 3. (When booking for 4, one passenger must weigh 60kg or less) Note: Individual & total weight limitations apply for all flights.
Who is Black Ops?
The founder & owner of Black Ops Helicopters is Chief Pilot, Mark Fitzsimmons. Mark was the founder of Sydney Airport’s longest established Helicopter Company, Blue Sky Helicopters.
Mark, started his flying career as an aerial photographer in the UK, before emigrating to Australia in 1991. It was here that he saw the opportunity to take up the “other seat” and become a helicopter pilot, combining two passions, aviation and photography. Blue Sky was established in 1996 and Black Ops in 2015.
In August 2019, Mark sold the Blue Sky brand to be able to focus more on the Black Ops experience, aerial firefighting (during the summer months) and his Wildlife Photography Black Ops is a fully certified Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) accredited Air Operator. Air Operating Certificate (AOC) number: S551971.
Mark states “I wanted to come up with a new flight product that took it to the next level for some time… an experience that ticked all the right boxes with regards to safety, adrenaline and an airborne adventure over one of the greatest cities in the World. With the introduction of the BLACK OPS MD500E to Sydney, we have morphed the popular culture of computer games and Hollywood movies into an experience where you are part of the action, it’s no longer “just” a helicopter flight”.
Our MD500E HELICOPTER is unique to the market and is truly an experience that you will never forget.