If you’ve enjoyed the stunning aerial photography seen on most of our covers for the last 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 participating in thousands of boat photo shoots, including the one for the Tiara 39 LS that graces our cover. We caught up with Paul to learn more about his boating life in the skies.
How long have you been flying for boating photography shoots?
I’ve been chasing boats for over 40 years. I started with offshore races in South Florida in the early 1980s, chasing all those guys who were smugglers who turned into powerboat racers. I was one of the few pilots who knew how to get the photographer in there real close. Once a cameraman gets a pilot they like, they stick with them.
In the 1990s, I started working with Forest Johnson (who has shot over 1,700 Boating covers) and we worked together for decades. I love flying and helping photographers get cool shots.
What is your rig?
I used to fly all different types of helicopters, but Forest really loved shooting from a Hughes 500, which people will know as the Magnum P.I. helicopter, so I bought one. Now it’s an MD 500D. It’s the best tool for this job. It’s the only single-engine light helicopter that you can fly backwards at high speeds.
I’ve been doing it in a 500 for so long, I feel like I’m wearing the helicopter. I know what the photographers like and I know right where to go for them to get the shot. I can put you so you could step down onto the bow of the boat or fly you right between a boat’s outriggers.
When did you start flying?
I’ve always been a mechanic and a gear head. In high school, I actually worked at a boat and motorcycle repair shop, rebuilding outboard powerheads as well as personal watercraft. At some point I decided I wanted to be a pilot and started flying small planes out of Tamiami Airport. I wanted to fly in the military but I didn’t have perfect 20/20 vision so I couldn’t pass the eye test. I got a job at Tamiami and worked my way into being a mechanic, and eventually a helicopter mechanic. I got my AMP (mechanics license) first and eventually earned both a helicopter and sea-plane license.
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Do you boat for fun?
I was born and raised in Miami, so I grew up loving the water—water-skiing, scuba diving, fishing. Now I still love to boat but I live by the old saying, the best boat is your friend’s boat. I actually get to go out on a lot of the boats we shoot during the down time.
How many boats shoots have you done over the years?
It has to be in the thousands now. I’ve worked with so many great photographers such as Forest, Tom King and Bill Doster. I’ve been working with Formula Boats for over 30 years, and have great relationships with a lot of the companies such as Tiara and Grady-White, among others. Every shoot is an adventure and some of the boat company people are like family.
