Kevin,
I think I understand what kind of situation you are facing. You have a goal wich is new for you and try to evaluate and get information on different possibilities, and maybe trying to take the train on a solution that can be more or less familiar-comfortable to you.
PS extended that I know allows a lot of work on image, that can be very elaborate, but the thing is that when it comes to motion behaviour, you'll find limitations. I've been playing a bit with it and it is without doubt a tool to acheive elaborate tasks but within its nature, it is not going to replace your NLE either.
You have a goal to acheive: this helicopter pics, and you are logically looking wich solution could bring a satisfactory answer. What you want to do has been done extensively and most of the editors are able to acheive that task. Then the PS extended option question.
I can tell you that what you want to acheive, this full control on the zooming visual effect can be done in Premiere Pro. Can This effect ( acceleration or smoothness of the displacements etc...) be done in PS extended? That I know, no or not at least in a straightforward manner. But there I can't say it 100% sure, maybe it is possible but it's not its nature. This can be done in Avid? in Edius? Yes! Can it be done in FCP? I don't know but would be very surprised if it couldn't, although FCP is, well...FCP...
PS extended should be seen as an alternative or complement to an FX software, resuming, working on your images themselves, but it should not be seen as a real video editor nor a realñ fx program. In other words, Adobe allows you to edit videos in Photoshop, to wich extend and for what purpose? Does the learning involved worth the time or should I invest my time in more specialized softwares?
Where do I want to go with all that? is that you have noticed that even wanting to acheive a rather simple motion effect, within PS extended, or Premiere etc...it can take hours and hours to find the proper way to do it. It's like walking in an unknown land without the confidence to be able to reach the goal and get to realised: I've spend long hours and in the end it can't be done. Frustrating!
I'd go for a secure solution for those editing tasks: PREMIERE, FCP with reservations, AVID, EDIUS, AE...
This is an example of where to look for training:
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/devis_andrew/Pan-Zoom_Corner-Pin_Premiere-Pro/video-tutorial This video asnwers to your goal, but in the specific Premiere system.
IMHO.