Heli-Wedding” – Background of the Team-up between Private Helicopters and Bridals in the Corona Disaster
Seemingly Bubbly, but…
While the “no wedding” trend is gaining momentum, many couples still wish to hold weddings. However, the Corona Disaster has strict restrictions on the number of people that can be accommodated at the venue, making it difficult for couples to have their wedding the way they want it. We want couples to have their own wedding ceremony in the open sky without worrying about the density of the venue. This is why the helicopter wedding “Solamari” was born.
This wedding is actually a collaboration between Office Marriage, a long-established wedding production company, and the International Organization for Disaster Relief and Relief, which says that “when couples get married by helicopter, it helps support disaster relief efforts.
Why on earth would this be so? We asked the International Organization for Disaster Control and Relief.
Japan is a disaster-prone country, but there are far fewer places where private helicopters can be dropped off.
Under an agreement with local governments nationwide, the organization conducts drills in preparation for contingencies and serves as the secretariat for the “Sky Station Study Group,” which is composed of the nation’s chiefs of government. The organization also promotes joint research with various research institutions, including Keio University, and promotes disaster response support from the sky using both helicopters and drones.
In times of disaster, it is often said that “self-help, mutual-help, and public-help” are the most important factors, and the organization is engaged in the mutual-help part.
In the event of a disaster, the fire department, police, and Self-Defense Forces work together to provide public assistance. Each of them has its own jurisdiction, and they are dispatched only after a request from the local government.
What is important in a disaster is the response during the first 72 hours after the disaster occurs. During that 72-hour period, which can mean the difference between life and death, the affected municipalities may be busy trying to restore the flow of information within their departments. We are working on what the private sector can do in the meantime, with the theme of building partnerships with local governments in advance.
I see! Before the local government is able to reestablish a system and restart operations, for example, a helicopter can take pictures of the entire area from the sky and map the damage, which can be immediately linked to rescue operations. If necessary, a doctor could even be brought to the injured. But what does this have to do with weddings?
When you land at a new location, you submit a landing application to the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and once permission is granted, you are registered. Once registered, as long as you renew the registration, you can come down anytime. In the event of a disaster, you can apply at a later date, but it is difficult to find a point where you can land for the first time in a new location and obtain the landowner’s consent. Currently, there are far fewer places where private helicopters can be dropped off, and if we could somehow increase the number during normal times…”
I’m gradually getting the picture. The biggest advantage of Solamari is that “the ceremony can be held over the place of their choice. For example, if a wedding ceremony is held over the elementary school where one of the couple is from, and then the couple lands in the schoolyard for a commemorative photo at the school building, the couple will have a memorable experience, and at the same time, they can secure a takeoff and landing point for a commercial helicopter in case of an emergency. The company is also a leader in the field of
The organization works with local governments, so for example, in collaboration with municipalities that are focusing on I-turn and U-turn activities, we are beginning to promote the use of helicopter weddings to support weddings for people who are returning to their hometowns or living in their hometowns.
A partnership with the bridal industry that proved instrumental in the landslide disaster that struck Atami.
Solamari just started last year, so there are still a few places where we can drop off helicopters. However, if this becomes known to a certain extent, and if hotels and other organizations say, ‘We can handle this service,’ we can find a landing site within their premises and increase the number of locations.
In fact, in the wake of the landslide that occurred in Atami last year, the organization asked Office Marriage, “Do you know of any places in Atami where we can drop off helicopters?” and were referred to several hotels. From among them, they found a hotel that had experience in dropping off helicopters in the past, and were able to use it as a base for their activities.
If we could build a total of 100 heliports, we could refuel anywhere in the country!
Bridal operators have a wealth of information on hotels and ceremonial sites throughout the country. And most hotels and wedding halls have large parking lots. If they could use them as bases for helicopters for both sightseeing and disaster prevention, helicopters could be used for sightseeing and transportation at each facility during normal times, and pilots could improve their skills.
The disaster may have been the catalyst for the project, but we would be happy to see it used and expanded for the recovery effort.
Another thing we would like to ask for now is a campground. Campsites can be used for cooking because fires can be used, and all camping equipment can be utilized in times of disaster. We can make an agreement to open the campgrounds free of charge for 72 hours, for example, and helicopters can be used to transport supplies and doctors to the campgrounds.
The organization’s current goal is to establish 100 “off-site” helicopter takeoff/landing points throughout Japan. The next goal is to expand these to heliports with control centers, permanent staffing, and hangars. If repairs and refueling can be carried out locally, mutual aid from the air will become an even greater force.
To that end, you there who are now vaguely contemplating marriage! Now is the time for you. Don’t say “no weddings” and have more and more helicopter weddings.
International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization The organization is working on environmental improvement for utilizing helicopters and drones for disaster countermeasures, practical research with various research institutes, industry-academia-government collaboration projects related to disaster countermeasures, and technological innovation for disaster countermeasures.
Click here for the website of the International Disaster Countermeasures Support Organization
Interview and text： Chimasa Ide
