The incredible stunt helicopter behind dramatic fireworks display over Shropshire manor house
The team behind the incredible stunt helicopter which lit up Shropshire skies with fireworks over the weekend have shared details on how they do what they do.
Shropshire villagers were wowed by a spectacular lightshow over the weekend as a firework shooting helicopter lit up the skies after it was hired for a wedding at Burlton Manor.
Burlton Manor is situated in the village of Burlton in northern Shropshire, set among the countryside with picturesque grounds.
Pilots of the purple twilight, the firm behind the firework spectacular, are a Kent-based company that offers unique aerial pyrotechnic spectaculars for special events.
The company has highly experienced pilots that tailor their displays to the event, including weddings and even funerals, which they call, 'from ashes to heaven'.
Their aircraft has been specially modified for pyrotechnic displays and have been certified by the relevant aviation regulators. As part of the O’Brien’s Flying Circus team, they are also members of the British Air Display Association.
Brendan O'Brien, who has over 14,000 hours of flying experience on over 300+ types of aircraft, is a pilot of OTTO the helicopter said they can do all kinds of events.
He said: "We do shows all over the country, and we're currently on the way to Bournemouth for the airshow there.
"The couple got in touch with us and told us what they wanted for their wedding at Burlton Manor, and so it is a process of getting the aircraft delivered to the site, which all contributes to the overall cost of the package.
"The cost all depends on the distance of the event from our base, as we have to travel there and back, shipping the aircraft and the fireworks are not cheap.
"A container of pyrotechnics that we have shipped from China has almost increased ten-fold in recent years.
"We do a lot of weddings, corporate events, and funerals too, which we call ashes to heaven, and you would be surprised how many of these we do."
A video taken by Petton resident Simon Mewett at about 8.30pm showed the chopper firing golden streams of shattering sparks into the evening sky.
In the video, comments can be heard comparing the spectacle to like "something out of a sci-fi movie", and "never seen anything like this".
The video and images show the fireworks being shot out of the helicopter, which wowed the spectators.