On Board With: Paul Barth

If you’ve loved the gorgeous aerial pictures seen on most of our covers for the final 30 years, odds are that Paul Barth flew the photographer who shot it for us. Barth has been flying professionally for over 40 years, logging over 17,000 hours of flight time and collaborating in hundreds of boat picture shoots, together with the one for the Tiara 39 LS that graces our cowl. We caught up with Paul to be taught extra about his boating life within the skies.

How lengthy have you ever been flying for boating pictures shoots?

I’ve been chasing boats for over 40 years. I began with offshore races in South Florida within the early Eighties, chasing all these guys who have been smugglers who was powerboat racers. I used to be one of many few pilots who knew find out how to get the photographer in there actual shut. Once a cameraman will get a pilot they like, they keep on with them.

In the Nineteen Nineties, I began working with Forest Johnson (who has shot over 1,700 Boating covers) and we labored collectively for many years. I really like flying and serving to photographers get cool photographs.

What is your rig?

I used to fly all several types of helicopters, however Forest actually beloved capturing from a Hughes 500, which individuals will know because the Magnum P.I. helicopter, so I purchased one. Now it’s an MD 500D. It’s the perfect software for this job. It’s the one single-engine mild helicopter you could fly backwards at excessive speeds.

I’ve been doing it in a 500 for therefore lengthy, I really feel like I’m carrying the helicopter. I do know what the photographers like and I do know proper the place to go for them to get the shot. I can put you so you can step down onto the bow of the boat or fly you proper between a ship’s outriggers.

When did you begin flying?

I’ve at all times been a mechanic and a gear head. In highschool, I truly labored at a ship and motorbike restore store, rebuilding outboard powerheads in addition to private watercraft. At some level I made a decision I wished to be a pilot and began flying small planes out of Tamiami Airport. I wished to fly within the army however I didn’t have good 20/20 imaginative and prescient so I couldn’t move the attention take a look at. I received a job at Tamiami and labored my means into being a mechanic, and finally a helicopter mechanic.  I received my AMP (mechanics license) first and finally earned each a helicopter and sea-plane license.

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Do you boat for enjoyable?

I used to be born and raised in Miami, so I grew up loving the water—water-skiing, scuba diving, fishing. Now I nonetheless like to boat however I dwell by the previous saying, the perfect boat is your good friend’s boat. I truly get to exit on a whole lot of the boats we shoot through the down time.

How many boats shoots have you ever carried out through the years?

It must be within the hundreds now. I’ve labored with so many nice photographers equivalent to Forest, Tom King and Bill Doster. I’ve been working with Formula Boats for over 30 years, and have nice relationships with a whole lot of the businesses equivalent to Tiara and Grady-White, amongst others. Every shoot is an journey and among the boat firm persons are like household.