[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPride MonthAmerican Black Film FestivalSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

L'escadron volant

Original title: Chopper Squad
  • TV Series
  • 1977–1979
  • 50m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
65
YOUR RATING
L'escadron volant (1977)
Drama

The series was based around the work of a helicopter rescue team operating on Dee Why beach in Sydney. It has been said that the American series Baywatch was based upon Chopper Squad.The series was based around the work of a helicopter rescue team operating on Dee Why beach in Sydney. It has been said that the American series Baywatch was based upon Chopper Squad.The series was based around the work of a helicopter rescue team operating on Dee Why beach in Sydney. It has been said that the American series Baywatch was based upon Chopper Squad.

  • Stars
    • Dennis Grosvenor
    • Tony Hughes
    • Robert Coleby
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    65
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Dennis Grosvenor
      • Tony Hughes
      • Robert Coleby
    • 6User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Episodes27

    Browse episodes

    Photos

    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Dennis Grosvenor
    • Jebbie Best
    • 1977–1979
    Tony Hughes
    • Tim Gray
    • 1977–1979
    Robert Coleby
    Robert Coleby
    • Barry Drummond
    • 1977–1979
    Eric Oldfield
    • Phil Trayle
    • 1977–1979
    Graham Rouse
    • Roly
    • 1977–1978
    Jeanie Drynan
    Jeanie Drynan
    • Dr. Georgie Beattie
    • 1978
    Noel Trevarthen
    Noel Trevarthen
    • Dr. Edward Allen…
    • 1978
    Suzanne Church
    • Sue
    • 1978
    Willie Fennell
    Willie Fennell
    • Rodney Coombes
    • 1978
    Tom Richards
    • Derek Price
    • 1978–1979
    Vincent Gil
    Vincent Gil
    • Captain Doo-da…
    • 1977–1979
    Gordon Piper
    • Port Officer…
    • 1977–1979
    Chantal Contouri
    Chantal Contouri
    • Diana Baker…
    • 1978–1979
    Greg Kelly
    • Daryl Evans…
    • 1978
    Richard Gilbert
    • Fisherman…
    • 1979
    Rebecca Gilling
    Rebecca Gilling
    • Georgia Batie
    • 1977
    Tony Bonner
    Tony Bonner
    • Frank
    • 1977
    Alwyn Kurts
    Alwyn Kurts
    • Richard Hayle
    • 1978
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews6

    7.365
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    tactical71

    Chopper Squad, Correction.

    I would like to point out that Chopper Squad was NOT filmed in Western Australia or set in Western Australia. It was in fact filmed and set entirely on Sydney's beautiful Northern Beaches, based predominately out of the Dee Why Surf Club, then later at the Palm Beach Surf Club. The show was instrumental in raising the profile of the fledgling Wales Rescue Helicopter Service that was based out of the COllaroy Communication cente nearby and staffed by volunteer surf lifesavers and other staff.

    For factual info of the old Wales Rescue Helicopter Service, now known as the Westpac LifeSaver Rescue Helicopter Service (flying several BK-117's), I recommend the book "Helicopter Rescue" by Dr. Ken Wishaw, Australia's first full-time helicopter doctor. You can get the series on DVD through Ravetv.co.uk Regards.
    Victor Field

    An Australian cross between "Emergency!" and "Baywatch." Sounds great, huh?

    From the same folks that also gave us "Sons and Daughters," "Prisoner: Cell Block H" and "Neighbours," "Chopper Squad" was set around the Australian coastline, but it was more in the footsteps of "Emergency!" than "Baywatch" - that is, the stories dealt more with the rescues and the people than with the bronzed beauties of either sex (in any case, the main cast was predominantly male).

    As the only other person to comment on this pointed out, this did have a splendidly funky theme (by Mike Perjanik, who also wrote the more romantic themes for "A Country Practice" and "Home and Away" - oh for the days when you could settle with something cosy and Australian on ITV in the afternoons), and it remains the most memorable thing about the show. It passed the time, but in spite of the reliably beautiful Australian scenery and the Squad having a lower success rate than the Baywatch crew or Gage and DeSoto (in one episode the youngest member's female friend was injured on an island, and she died before he could get to her) you can see why this is less widely or fondly remembered than Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.

    This followed a 90-minute pilot movie produced by the O-Ten Network (now Network Ten, and the network that showed "Chopper Squad" in Australia) with different cast and characters; both movie and series made it to the UK on ITV, and the movie was on TV here not that long ago. The movie starred Rebecca Gibney some years before she did "Return To Eden." That was dire as well.
    10Joxerlives

    Fantastic series!

    I think in many ways the ultimate Aussie fantasy the world over. Australia has always been essentially Britain transferred to the sun, with lots of wilderness and gorgeous weather. Chopper Squad was always the epitome of this, saving beautiful young girls from the various evils the wild and untamed antipodean wilderness offered. That said, it had its' darker aspects, the psycho who would burn sunbathing beauties with acid, the elderly mountaineer who would succumb to a heart attack whilst scaling a cliff and the squad would be forced to just leave him to die, the old friend of the crew who would try to fake his own death in order to win an insurance payout. Ultimately it's a fairly lightweight series but just so amazingly entertaining.
    skunktwist99

    budget was low

    Despite having the funkiest theme tune on a tv show ever this is poor quality tv.The acting was wooden and the sets cheap on the plus side though it is unintentionally funny the clothes the hairdo's all make for a laugh an episode tv show.You can see why it only had one series though.to sum it up budget was low.
    SAChoover

    Background info

    Just thought I'd add a few details I can remember about the show. Bear in mind I only saw the show as a young fella at it's original screening(and I was young at the time). The series was shot around the Northern Beaches and Pittwater area of Sydney. A previous commenter stated it was based in Western Australia, I can't comment on that as I was too young to take note of these details at the time(I was more interested in the action and seeing local scenes on TV) however given the harbor and other local attractions it would surprise me. I grew up in the area around that time so here are my recollections. The series used the Dee Why Surf Lifesaving Club clubhouse as their base of operations. Can't remember if they used actual place names or had some fictitious location. The hospital they used was Mona Vale Hospital.

    Looking back it wasn't too bad a show, might change my mind if I saw it now. And yes it did have a funky theme tune.

    More like this

    Skyways
    6.9
    Skyways
    Homicide
    7.5
    Homicide
    Division 4
    8.2
    Division 4
    Snapshot
    5.4
    Snapshot
    S.O.S. hélico
    7.0
    S.O.S. hélico
    Matlock Police
    7.4
    Matlock Police
    Cop Shop
    7.0
    Cop Shop
    The Sullivans
    6.9
    The Sullivans
    Rush
    8.3
    Rush
    Blue Heelers
    7.0
    Blue Heelers
    Holiday Island
    7.3
    Holiday Island
    Darby and Joan
    7.6
    Darby and Joan

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Tubi link has nothing to do with the drama series
    • Connections
      Referenced in Rewinding Puberty Blues (2013)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 15, 1978 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Official sites
      • Classic Australian TV
      • Nostalgia Central
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Chopper Squad
    • Filming locations
      • Dee Why Surf Club, The Strand, Dee Why, New South Wales, Australia(season 1)
    • Production companies
      • Australian Corp.
      • Network Ten
      • Reg Grundy Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    L'escadron volant (1977)
    Top Gap
    By what name was L'escadron volant (1977) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit pageAdd episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.