helicopter for 10-15 hrs a month and I thought "Mmmm, maybe a way to get
someone else to pay for my helicopter."

Work the figures carefully. By the time you cover insurance, added
maintainence with the added hours, additional requirements for commercial
work (ie. many news stations require huge liability coverage) and other
niceity's -- can almost guarantee the 'break-even' is about 500 hrs per year
at the usual rates, after that the profits can mount rapidly.
Gaylon