Yacht owners take flight

Last fall at the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show, Eurocopter was in attendance-not to buy a yacht, but to sell a helicopter, or two or three, in a market in which helicopters are much in demand. In fact, it is rare these days to see any yacht longer than about 120 feet come off the design board without a helicopter flight deck. On larger vessels that must be anchored out rather than tied up dockside, the on-board helicopter is more than a luxury. For ship-to-shore transportation when the water is rough, and for flights to and from the nearest airport, mega-yacht owners consider it a necessity.