Teledyne FLIR Airborne Imaging Systems Bring New Perspective to Storytelling in Paramount+'s Summer Hit Series, CHOPPER COPS

Teledyne FLIR Defense will sponsor show premiering June 18 and serve as official airborne camera system

BOSTON, June 5, 2024 ― Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), and developer of the most advanced airborne imaging systems in the world, will play a pivotal role in transforming the narrative of the highly-anticipated television series, CHOPPER COPS. As the official airborne camera of the series, Teledyne FLIR's cutting-edge thermal technology has enabled a breath-taking perspective on the exploits of the Marion County Florida Sheriff’s Department’s elite aviation unit.

Premiering on Paramount+ June 18, CHOPPER COPS will feature 10 half-hour episodes showcasing the Marion County Sheriff’s Department’s state-of-the-art helicopters and highly skilled crews. Known as Air One, these ‘chopper cops’ operate 24/7, equipped with FLIR’s advanced thermal cameras and augmented-reality mapping capabilities that provide deputies in the air and on the ground with high-definition imagery day or night. Air One’s stories are vividly brought to life through in-aircraft cameras, radio transmissions, and gripping first-person interviews with law enforcement.

The incorporation of Teledyne FLIR’s multi-spectral imaging systems into the helicopters has elevated the storytelling capabilities of CHOPPER COPS, capturing all the action with clarity and precision.

"The very thermal imaging technology FLIR has pioneered since 1978 will now allow TV audiences to watch the brave efforts of the Marion County aviation unit from an entirely new perspective,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “Bad guys can’t hide from today’s high-definition infrared cameras, and good people in harm’s way can be found much easier. We’re immensely proud to support the airborne law enforcement community and honored to see our life-saving technology spotlighted in CHOPPER COPS.”

“Teledyne FLIR’s thermal camera systems are incredibly versatile, allowing us to steady our lens on the action, both day and night, and to capture and share the story of an incredible group of people, the Marion County Aviation Unit,” said W. Hulsey Smith, executive producer, and aerial director of CHOPPER COPS. “For the first time ever, the audience will see exactly what these deputies see from the air and on mission, literally riding beside these everyday heroes as they serve and save lives in their community.”

“In CHOPPER COPS, if you want to know fear and whether these brave cops are going to come home at night, you’re about to see it,” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods. “To us, failure is never an option.”

In 2023, Teledyne FLIR became the official airborne camera system of V1 Productions and W. Hulsey Smith, the company behind CHOPPER COPS. Since then, FLIR technology has been integrated into several V1 production efforts, including Straight and Level, the most-watched aviation lifestyle program on Amazon Prime Video, and the aerial production of the soon-to-be-released feature documentary ‘A Race to the End,’ chronicling the final Reno National Championship Air Races.

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About Teledyne FLIR Defense

Teledyne FLIR Defense has been providing advanced, mission-critical technology and systems for more than 45 years. Our products are on the frontlines of the world’s most pressing military, security and public safety challenges. As a global leader in thermal imaging, we design and build sophisticated surveillance sensors for air, land and maritime use. We develop the most rugged, trusted unmanned air and ground platforms, as well as intelligent sensing devices used to detect chemicals, biological agents, radiation and explosives. At Teledyne FLIR Defense we bring together this expertise to deliver solutions that enable critical decisions and keep our world safe – from any threat, anywhere. To learn more, visit us online or follow @flir.

About Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne's operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne's website at www.teledyne.com.

About V1 Productions: V1 Productions is a premier full-service media house that has built a reputation for delivering compelling, humanistic stories through its unscripted and live productions, as well as breathtaking cinematography. V1 steadies its lens on real stories that evoke humanistic and truth atoms that inspire. Its flagship three-season docuseries, Straight and Level, currently on Amazon Prime Video, is the most watched aviation-based lifestyle program in the 21st Century, chronicling some of the greatest aviators of this generation. V1 Founder and Executive Producer, W. Hulsey Smith, was recognized with a 2022 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award from the National Business Aviation Association for his personal contributions to the growth of the aviation industry through his business acumen and passionate work of capturing the golden age of aviation on-screen. Based in Texas with locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, V1 has projects currently under development and in production across multiple genres.