Could James Bond REALLY fly a helicopter upside down?

Could James Bond REALLY fly a helicopter upside down?

Photo © EON, United Artists, Danjaq LLC

Leading scientists and engineers have studied stunts in James Bond films.

“SPECTRE” (2015) had everyone talking when a helicopter, presumably with Bond in the cockpit, performs a 360° corkscrew stunt.

Helicopter pilot Mike Buckley from the British Airline Pilots Association says that it is possible to fly a helicopter upside down for a short period of time.

‘Helicopter pilots are highly trained and this footage appears to be a Bo105 undertaking a very skilled manoeuvre with an expert pilot at the controls.’

Bond, being Bond, has obviously undergone rigorous training.

Buckley explains the Bo105 has a rigid rotor head which makes it possible to fly these amazing routines.

‘The Westland Lynx, as flown by the UK Army Air Corps and the Royal Navy, also has a rigid head and is often seen in air shows around the UK doing rolls and occasionally loops,’ he says.

Buckley admits it’s difficult to tell if this footage is a real flight or a CGI recreation, because the film makers may have filmed a real flight and tinkered with the images afterwards.

‘There are strict rules about low flying, so if it is real footage, the backdrop [of the city] may have been added later,’ he says.

Source: James Bond 007: 7 Bond stunts – E & T Magazine

Spectre’s upside-down helicopter: POSSIBLE