Aerial photography company perspectiveAerials has released some extraordinary 360-degree footage of the Gulf Oil spill captured with a Canon 5D Mark II attached to a radio-controlled helicopter.

The mini-helicopter, which uses four propellers to increase stability and mobility, was hand launched off the back of a boat in the Gulf of Mexico. The camera mount on the copter has remote controlled tilt and pan capabilities.

"Although we are able to hand launch our drones in very confined space, we've never done this from the back of a very unstable pitching and rolling boat...in rain and drizzle," the company stated on video-sharing site Vimeo.

"Over $10,000 in equipment can be lost in an instant! Between boat movement and gulf winds this was an extreme challenge! What a great show of talent!"

We first wrote about perspectiveAerials, operated by former Getty Image Editor Anthony Jacobs, a year ago during a test of the helicopter drone above the High Line in New York City. That test run cleared the way for something even more amazing and far more risky in the Gulf.

Check out the spectacular aerial footage of the devastating oil spill by clicking here.

Here's a video of the launch.

Canon 5D Mark II Aerial Drone Over the Gulf Of Mexico Captuing Oil Spill from perspectiveAerials on Vimeo.