Project Showcase: Big D Party Rentals' tents withstand helicopter downwash

For the launch of Robison Helicopter’s new R88 model at the Astoria Event Venue in Irving, Texas, Big D Party Rentals installed a clearspan structure able to withstand the downwash of three smaller helicopters’ approach and liftoff. All photos courtesy of Clark Cabus, Clark Cabus Photography.

Tent and event companies are used to calculating wind ratings on engineered clearspan structures to ensure they can withstand possible storms. But when helicopters landing near the structure is going to cause wind shear, the installation must resist exceptionally heavy strain on its walls and roof panels.

For the launch of Robinson Helicopter’s new R88 model at the Astoria Event Venue in Irving , Texas, in March 2025, the company tapped into Big D Party Rentals’ expertise. Big D Party Rentals, located in Carrollton, Texas, installed a clearspan structure able to withstand the downwash of three smaller helicopters’ approach and liftoff, while the star of the show—the larger R88—was unveiled inside.

“When a helicopter takes off or lands near an event, the rotor blades push a massive volume of air straight down and then outward in all directions,” says Pete Willis, president of Big D Party Rentals. “On the ground, this feels like a hurricane-force gust of wind hitting tents, draping and staging.”

*The 15-by-30-meter BT model tent clear top featured solid glass wall panels and three sets of double glass doors. The crew secured the structure from under the scaffold with a concrete anchor.*

Downwash proximity

To accommodate this unusual challenge, Big D Party Rentals selected a structure manufactured by Liri Tent US for the main event. It was designed to host a cocktail hour and provide a venue for the sales and marketing team to pitch the new R88 model in an informal setting. The 15-by-30-meter BT series tent was secured from under the scaffold with a concrete anchor and featured a clear top with solid glass wall panels and three sets of double glass doors.

The scaffold floor was raised approximately 6 feet, with a vinyl floor, a custom access ramp for catering and a custom staircase for attendees to enter the tent. Big D Party Rentals provided the subfloor and a vinyl wood floor, while United Rentals in Irving, Texas, provided HVAC units and generators. A 20-by-20-foot Aztec Festival high peak frame tent in the parking lot welcomed the 450 guests at the front entrance of the venue.

To understand what the wind-shear demands would be on the structures, Big D Party Rentals first asked for information about the number and types of helicopters that would be landing and taking off from the event site—understanding that the heavy strain on walls and roof panels of a clearspan can be devastating if a helicopter lands too close.

“A Black Hawk^® helicopter can generate wind gusts of 70–90 mph at ground level, and even smaller helicopters can create 30–50 mph winds close to the ground. That’s more than enough to move unsecured tents, blow pipe and drape over or send linens, signage and decor flying,” Willis says.

For this event, Robinson Helicopter had one R44 and two R66 models land on-site—light, single-engine turbine helicopters with downwash in the 30–40 mph range. The showcased R88—the company’s largest helicopter to date—did not physically land on-site but was displayed inside the venue.

*One R44 and two R66 model Robison helicopters landed on site for this event, creating downwash at the ground in the 30-to-40mph range.*

Unveiling

The big reveal began with Robinson Helicopter having attendees exit the venue approximately five to 10 minutes prior to the expected flight arrival time. The pilots flew the R44 and R66 helicopters in one by one and landed in the secured safe landing zone, monitored by spotters on the ground to help navigate the safe hovering and landings for each unit. “This was an exciting way to kick off the unveiling event for the new R88 helicopter,”
Willis says.

After the smaller helicopters landed, attendees returned to the inside of the venue for the R88 unveiling, which allowed the CEO of Robinson Helicopter, David Smith, to share the new features and innovations that went into the model. Robinson Helicopter played a prerecorded promotional video of the R88 on a flat screen nearly 40 feet wide. The 40-foot-wide LED wall then slowly opened from the middle, and as each portion of the screen moved to the left and right, a platform supporting the new R88 moved toward the audience while a smoke machine produced a thick haze that surrounded the helicopter.

“It was truly one of the best unveilings I’ve ever witnessed,” Willis says, “and the crowd cheered loudly as the haze dissipated and the lights hit the white and orange paint of the R88.”

Responsiveness

Everything went according to plan and Big D Party Rentals was able to satisfy last-minute on-site requests from the client, including adding a luxury restroom trailer and door stays to keep the glass doors open for guest entry. Additionally, Big D Party Rentals decided to use an HVAC system that could provide both heat and air conditioning, anticipating cool nights would not necessarily be on the client’s mind as it was very hot during the day.

“The client was happy that we decided to include heat, as the temperatures dipped down that evening into the low 60s and the structure needed heat to remain comfortable,” Willis says. “But the most satisfying part of the Robinson project was how happy the client was once it was completed. The client asked if Big D Party Rentals would be willing to consider traveling outside of Texas [for other reveals] because of the quality of the build.”

Sigrid Tornquist is a Minneapolis, Minn.-based writer and editor and former InTents editor.