This DHC-3T Turbo Otter was originally delivered to Stanolind Oil & Gas Company of Fort Nelson, BC. in March 1960 as CF-NFI. It mostly operated in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario for the next 54 years until converted to turbine in about 2010. Exported to Alaska in about May 2024 as N379PM and entered service with Key West Seaplane Adventures by early 2015. More more historical info, see http://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_379.html

DHC-3T Otter N435B was one of three DHC-3T Turbo Otters flying for Key West Seaplane Adventures in May 2023. The aircraft mostly fly tourists between Key West Airport and Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas, 70 miles to the west. Otter msn 183 was delivered to the RCAF in Dec. 1956 as 3743 and served with 115 Air Transport Unit, a UN support unit based in Egypt between about 1955 and 1961. Retired by the RCAF in 1965, it became CF-WJB. Converted by Airtech Canada to a Pezetel 3S engine in 1980. For more history, see http://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_183.html

This DHC-6 Twin Otter was original delivered to the U.S. Army - Alaska Air National Guard as a UV-18 in May 1980 and was based at Fort Richardson outside Anchorage where it initially operate alongside Sikorsky CH-54s. It was later assigned to the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team and then in 2019 re-assigned to the US Navy Research Lab at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, MD which operates Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1 equipped with this Twin Otter, a NP-3C Orion and a Beechcraft RC-12M King Air.

This Héli Mistral Service Airbus AS350B-2 was photographed taking off from the Mirabel Helico Heliport (CMH4) located immediately north of the Bell factory in Mirabel, Quebec. This Ecureuil was originally built as an AS 350BA and later upgraded to a AS 350B-2. It was originally delivered to Heli-Max in 1991 and has been operated by at least 10 different Canadian helicopter charter companies including Black Tusk Helicopters before joining Héli Mistral in July 2022 which operates 8 rotorcraft (2 R-44, 2 x 206B JetRanger; 3 x AS 350BA/B-2; one EC135P2)

DHC-2 Beaver CF-JBP was delivered new to B.C. Yukon Air Service Ltd. in Watson Lake, Yukon on June 21, 1956 and has spent its entire career flying with airlines in the Yukon and British Columbia operating on floats. During this period it was substantial damaged in accidents in 1964 and 1988 and rebuilt. It was owned by Harbour Air and flying in Whistler Air colours when photographed in 2022. It was photographed from the dyke beside River Road in Richmond which on the south side of the Fraser River opposite the YVR seaplane base.

This 2006 Model Bell 407 now owned by Bell Textron was visiting the Bell factory in Mirabel, Quebec. According to Rotorspot.nl, the aircraft was delivered new as N37EA and later carried the registrations TG-CCA, TG-OCA, N799BH and N17DF before being registered N17DE.

This new Bell 407GXi, msn 56400 was seen in primer on the apron at the Bell helicopter factory in Mirabel, Quebec. Bell customers have the option of taking delivery of their new helicopters at Mirabel or at Bell facilities in Hurst, Texas or Piney Flats, TN.

This new Bell 407GXi on popout floats was in the Bell helicopter delivery center at Mirabel, Quebec during a factory tour by visiting members of the Vertical Flight Society. The flight test registration C-FZFX has been used at least 14 different times on new Bell 407s, 429s and 505s produced at the Canadian factory. The 6,000th Canadian-made Bell helicopter will be delivered sometime in 2024.

Bell Helicopter opened its Mirabel manufacturing facility in 1986. On display in front of the main office entrance is this Bell 430 with the fictitious registration C-BH86. Originally Bell 222UT N3177U (cn 47503), it was converted to a Bell 230 development aircraft in 1991. A further conversion in 1994 saw the machine stretched into Bell 430 C-GEXP (assigned new cn 43902) with a four blade main rotor. The other 430 prototype on skids was allocated to the Bell training center in Hurst, Texas.

This factory new Bell 505 (msn 65544) was displayed at the Vertical Flight Society's 80th Annual Forum held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, Quebec. Bell started transferring its commercial helicopter production from Fort Worth, Texas to a new factory in Mirabel, Quebec in 1986 starting with the 206B JetRanger final assembly and followed by the Bell 206L3 LongRanger, Model 212 and Model 412 with later models (230, 430, 407, 427, 429 and 505) all making their first flights in Canada. Mirabel now builds the 505, 407, 429 and 412EPX, but the new Bell 525 will be assembled in Amarillo, TX.

In 2020 DC-3 N28AA was acquired by the Shannon Air Museum and flew to its new home at Shannon Airport (KEZF) near Fredericksburg, Virginia on January 6, 2021. The aircraft was delivered new to Braniff Airways in June 1940 as NC25666, then joined Trans Texas Airways in April 1953 which operated the aircraft until 1968. To Air Midwest in 1970. To Air New England 1971-1977. To Cryderman Air Services 1977. To Century Airline 1978. To Provincetown-Boston Airline/Naples Airlines in 1978 as N139PB. To Bar Harbour with PBA purchase 1987 and retired in 1988. To Alexander Aeroplane Co. 1991-2017.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) Air Operations operates 10 aircraft - 5 Sikorsky S-70 Firehawks (three S-70A and two S-70i) and 5 Bell 412s (three 412EPs and two 412HPs) - for paramedic transport, hoist rescues and wildland firefighting. Based at Barton Heliport at Whiteman Airport, each morning, a minimum of three regional air squads are operational including deployments to the North (Fire Station 129 Lancaster), East (Brackett Field) and, in fire season, to the West (Fire Camp 8 in Malibu). It received two S-70As in 2001, one in 2005 and two S-70i's in 2020, including N821LA.

Four of the 16 Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks (N492DF, N484DF, N451DF & N478DF) ordered by Cal Fire to replace 12 Bell UH-1H Super Huey helicopters. The first Cal Fire S-70i was delivered in Oct. 2019 and represents a major upgrade in wildfire firefighting capability. The S-70i's are built in Poland, completed by United Rotorcraft in Colorado, and fitted with a Kawak 1,000 US gal. belly tank. Cal Fire has 10 helicopter bases: Kneeland, Bieber, Vina, Howard Forest, Boggs Mountain, Moffett, Columbia, Hollister, Prado and Hemet Ryan. Two bases were still flying Bell UH-1Hs in early 2024.

SkyLife commenced air ambulance operations in June 1991 serving central California. In 2018 Bell 430 N430UT was one of three Air Methods helicopters flying for AirLife from Fresno - Yosemite International Airport (KFAT) and Visalia Municipal Airport (KVIS). N430UT was built by Bell Helicopter Canada in 1999 and test flown as C-GLZH. Flew for the University of Utah (U of U) AirMed program between July 1999 & April 2014. Then to American Airborne EMS flying for AirLife between May 2014 & April 2017, then to Air Methods. To South Africa in 2021 or 2022. Now flies with NetCare 911 as ZT-RNA.

The Benioff Children's Hospital is a hospital system in Oakland affiliated to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). This 2013 Airbus EC135P2+ N838CS is now operated by Reach Air Medical Services and serves Benioff Children's Hospitals rooftop helipads in Oakland and San Francisco. Prior to the opening of the new UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay (and a roof top helipad) in 2015, air ambulances flying to San Francisco hospitals had to land at SFO and transfer patients to a ground ambulance. REACH Air Medical Services bought CALSTAR's 14 helicopter EMS program in Oct. 2014. Ex-N135KJ and D-HECN.

The City of Oakland Police Department Helicopter Unit operates two MD Helicopters 500Es, N510PD (pictured) and N220PD built in 1990 and 1993 respectively. The Oakland Police have operated helicopters for more than 50 years and previously flew Hughes 269s. On October 2 1973, an Oakland Police Hughes 269C crashed on Fruitvale Avenue as a result of a mechanical failure and claiming the lives of two officers.

The Sikorsky S-72 Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) was funded by NASA and the US Army to test advanced helicopter rotors in flight and featured detachable wings. Two S-72s were built and first flown in Stratford, CT on Oct 12, 1976. The first aircraft was delivered in July 1977 to NASA Wallops Island Flight Test Facility, VA and made its first full compound flighton April 10, 1978. The second S-72 was delivered to the NASA Ames Research Center in Fall 1978 and late joined by aircraft No. 1 in Sep 1979. Later used for RSRA/X-wing program 1986-1987. Msn 72-002 was NASA 546, 741 and N741NA.

This 1998 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan of Skylink Express flies courier flights across the Gulf of Georgia between Vancouver Airport and the Vancouver Island communities of Victoria and Nanaimo. It was imported new to Canada in October 1998 and has flown with Air Georgian (1998-2007), Cargojet Airways (2007-2008), Prince Edward Air (2008-2009), Sontair (2012) and Skylink Express (2009-2012 & 2012-Present). Skylink Express was first formed in 1995 by Skylink Group and the former CEO of Simo Air. Today, it flies 18 aircraft: 1 Piper Navajo, four Cessna 208B Caravans, 11 Beech 1900Cs & 2 1900Ds.

This 2006 Airbus EC145 (BK 117C-2) N145SU of Stanford Life Flight is based on the roof of the Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA. It is one of three EC145s operated by Air Methods in California (i.e. Fresno and Children's Health of Orange County). Stanford's first helicopter was an Alouette III, N607RM, operated by Rocky Mountain Helicopters in May-August 1984, followed by a TwinStar N57898 (Aug 1984 to Sep 1986), a BK 117 (1986-2007) and a EC145 (2007-present). N145SU will be replace in Spring 2024 by a new Airbus H145 (117D-3) N1984S, msn 21114. Seen departing after refuelling at PAO.

DHC-3 Otter N90575 (msn 302) was delivered new to the US Army as U-1A, 58-1692, in December 1958 and later served in Vietnam. One of two Harold Hanson bought from Stockton, CA in 1974 and restored at Boeing Field. I photographed it a couple times in 1975-1976 at Boeing Field before and after Hanson sold it to Frontier Flying Service in Alaska. In December 1976 it was on amphibious floats parked in a tight spot next to Hanson's hangar. Now flies as DHC-3T, C-GMDG, with Fort Frances Sportsmen Airways at a float base east of Ft. Frances, Ontario. See http://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_302.html