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

In November 2023, the Dublin-based aircraft lessor announced it had acquired 16 Dash 8-400s from Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC). Fifteen of these turboprops (built between 2006 and 2015) were assigned "N" numbers in late 2023 and 2024 with at least seven stored by March 2024 by Smart Aviation Maintenance Solutions (AMS) which has MRO facilities in St. Thomas (CYQS) and Barrie (CYLS), Ontario, Canada. Msn 4408 was delivered new to NAC in 2012 and operated by Eurolot and LOT as SP-EQC until wfu Poland June 2022. Registered to Nordic as OY-YFF in May 2023. N4408F arrived at CYLS on Dec 20, 2023.

In November 2023, the Dublin-based aircraft lessor announced it had acquired 16 Dash 8-400s from Nordic Aviation Capital. Fifteen of these turboprops (built between 2006 and 2015) were assigned "N" numbers in late 2023 and 2024 with at least seven stored/maintained by March 2024 by Smart Aviation Maintenance Solutions (AMS) which has MRO facilities in St. Thomas (CYQS) and Barrie (CYLS), Ontario, Canada. Msn 4407 was delivered to Eurolot in 2012 and transferred to LOT in 2015. Retired in Sep 2022 and stored in Poland until ferried to Canada and arriving at CYLS on Dec 14, 2023.

This Med-Trans Airbus EC135P-2, N450MT, supports the Medical University of South Carolina's Medicare air ambulance program which has operated an Airbus H145, N946MT, as its primary helicopter since July 2022. At the time it was photographed, the EC135 was making frequent patient transfer flights to the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in downtown Charleston, SC.

In 1981, a helipad was constructed next to the Lumberton Rescue and EMS headquarters to transfer patients from Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton to major trauma centers in North Carolina, such as Duke Medical Center and UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. In August 2019, Life North Carolina, a division of Air Methods, opened a new base at the heliport with Airbus EC135 N135CJ to provide lifesaving services throughout southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. The base is staffed by 12 crew, including 4 pilots, 3 flight nurses, 3 flight paramedics and 2 mechanics

EA-6B Prowler on display at the Point Mugu Missile Park adjacent to California Highway 1 carries the markings of VAQ-134 and "USS George H W Bush CVW-8".

Carolina Air Care is an air ambulance provider serving North Carolina with bases in Burlington, Aberdeen, Goldsboro and Rocky Mount, with helicopters operated by Air Methods. The program was established in 1986 as an extension of the University of North Carolina Memorial Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center located in Chapel Hill. Today, the program flies Airbus H135s and Bell 429s and has transported more than 120,000 patients.

CALSTAR (California Shock Trauma Air Rescue) was founded in 1983 and commenced air ambulance operations with a leased BK117 in 1984 in San Mateo. The non-profit company operated MBB Bo 105LS and MD900s in its early years and ordered eight EC135s in 2012. CALSTAR was acquired by for-profit competitor REACH, a subsidiary of Air Medical Group Holdings, in 2016. Then, Air Medical Group Holdings merged with American Medical Response to form Global Medical Response in 2018. CALSTAR and REACH have about 32 EMS helicopter bases in CA, including the Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center in Modesto.