Our Team
Will Banks
Camera Pilot
Will started his helicopter flying career in the Royal Navy, where he flew the Westland Lynx. Following his departure from the Navy, he went on to fly commercial airliners and private jets. Turns out that flying passengers back and forth to Ibiza wasn’t all that thrilling so he returned to his roots in the rotary world and set up GB Helicopters. GB Helicopters grew to encompass an impressive fleet of 11 helicopters in a very short time. Flying cameras for film & television has become a staple of Will’s career, and he’s always striving to offer new perspectives. He thrives on putting helicopters in difficult places and developing shots which push the limits of both man and machine.
Phil Arntz
Aerial DOP
An office in the sky seems like a natural fit for someone with a career in film and penchant for the more extreme side of sports, such as wingsuiting and skydiving. With a background as a specialist camera technician and lighting cameraman in commercials, Phil now specialises as the Aerial Director of Photography at The Aerial Film Company, marrying his love of film and aviation. Over the last ten years, Phil has explored the creative possibilities of a huge variety of aerial camera platforms on projects with some of the most renowned directors and DOP’s, helping bring concepts and ideas to life in the air.
Abi Hensby
Operations Manager
Abi joined the team in March 2012 as an operations assistant. As a Warrant Officer in the local air cadets squadron, Abi has a keen interest in all things aviation. This passion is apparent in her work and she soon became our Operations Manager. She is responsible for ongoing audits, risk assessments and is instrumental in the safety of operations and obtaining ISO9001, 14001 and 18001. When the company is audited by external sources such as Achilles, she has obtained a 100% score for the company over the last four years showing her keen eye to detail. Abi is skilled in obtaining permissions from National Civil Aviation Authorities, ensuring our aircraft have the legal ability to fly the exact shot required without compromise.
Jane Bennett
Finance & HR Management
Jane has been with the company for over 7 years and is a highly diligent Finance & HR Manager.Throughout her long career, she has worked in various industries and this knowledge and experience is invaluable to The Aerial Film Company.Jane is more than willing to turn her hand to whatever is required in the business to ensure smooth running.