Photo Contest Entries

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Leonardo AW139b Italian Air Force in exhibition during air show held in Ladispoli                                           .                                                                                                                                                                         .

Giancarlo Romeo

2

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Eskom South Africa Bell 407 delivering a linesman onto a DC High Voltage line from the Cahora Bassa hydro electric station to the Apollo DC to AC station at Rietvlei south of Pretoria, South Africa

Hennie de Lange

1

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One of Heli-Austria very famous MD902 Explorer responding to a medical emergency call during a customer demo at Bad Voslau airport near Vienna (Austria).

Adrien Dillard

21

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A Los Alamitos National Guard Blackhawk helicopter picks up water from the Crafton Hills Reservoir in Yucaipa, California to dump on the Line Fire. I positioned myself on a hill above the reservoir for the best angle and to clear the fence that was around it.

Marty Wolin

11

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French NH-90 helicopter during NATO Tiger Meet 2024 in Schleswig, Germany. The helicopter presented himself with the Dorgunner in front of the spectators.

Dennis Girmann

3

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9PJ photo taken at 11:21 at night. There was a full moon that night it. It was very bright outside. W were on call and waiting for CalFire to have us fly a night line.

Nick Harper

2

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Ground crew of Helitanker 8JS (Sikorsky S-61), assist the pilots during landing on a fuel stop at Mountain Valley Airport in Kern County, CA during the White Fire.

Alex Lipin

3

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A construction crew assigned to a helicopter pole setting operation in the backcountry of San Diego County, CA on March 9, 2024, wait as a High Performance Helicopters HP-60A finishes a fuel stop before returning to its home base in La Verne, CA.

Alex Lipin

21

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Two H175s from the NHV hover above the runway at Esbjerg Airport in Denmark. These helicopters fly daily to other oil and gas platforms in the North Sea.

Roelof-Jan Gort

2

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A H145 LUH SAR  from Niederstetten during a Training Mission with the Rescue Dogs. Nice to See such a good Teamwork between the Helicopter Crew and the Dogs.

Felix Feuchter

2

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This photo was taken on an aerial working job in Val Senales in South Tyrol. After the first snow in the mountains the crew had to bring down some stuff from the hut.

Felix Raich

1

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Los Angeles County FD Copter 22 makes a drop on the Placerita Fire in Santa Clarita on September 4, 2024.  This was one of three fires along State Route 14.  In total, around 10 acres burned thanks to the good work of helicopters and hand crews.  Among the hazards was a set of high tension power lines on a nearby hillside.

Greg Doyle

19

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An AH-1Z Viper from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 (HMLAT-303) "Atlas", kicks up a dust storm during hovering maneuver, following a fly-in event in Riverside County (CA).

Alex Lipin

2

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Belgian A109 during a MEDEVAC demonstration. During the exercise, it was accompanied by another A109, which should serve as a protector. There was several firefights while the injured soldier was saved out of the hot zone.

Dennis Girmann

2

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CH-47F Chinook over the Texas dessert with a beautiful sky in the background. I took this while on a training flight during our annual training in June.

Naomi Walsh

21

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Rescue helicopter "Christoph 23" starts with a critical patient towards the hospital. Christoph 23 is stationed at the Bundeswehr Central Hospital in Koblenz and is operated by the Bundeswehr and the ADAC air rescue.

Dennis Girmann

2

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why not a Kawasaki Vertol KV-107-II S/N. 4003 that of Heliswiss International the N185CH to get out of the woods in Bex on June 27, 2024 or the staff in full briefing?

Bessard Joël

24

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AW 139 VF-150 Vigili del Fuoco s/n 31934
Start at the Airfield Sondrio after a fuel Stop for the Flight to the Homebasis Milano Malpensa.
after a Rescuemission

Bruno Siegfried

1

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Helicopters Express’s Skycrane drops water at the Post Fire near Gorman, California. I looked at Flightradar24 to see where the helicopters were dropping and found a dirt road that got me to the perfect location.

Marty Wolin

13

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CareFlite Bell 429 on top of  Harris Methodist hospital Fort Worth Texas. Waiting for the call to aid in the transport of sick and injured. CareFlite operates two Bell 429 one located in Fort Worth and the other located in Dallas

David Magalich

1

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A Sillar Brothers owned SH-3 Sea King on contract with CalFire and a CalFire Aircrane at work on the Park Fire as it pushed towards Mineral in California

Nick Moir

19

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K-Max HB-ZTW from Rotex during a wood hauling on Martigny (CH) August 6, 2024 this helicopter is single-seater and very suitable for wood, assembly and also for forest fires

Bessard Joël

199

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I’m a helicopter pilot for the city of Memphis Tennessee police department. I took this photo when there was a thunderstorm. It just passed over and it was clearing out.

Brandon Lea

1

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A Riverside County Sheriff deputy from the department's Aviation Unit, directs a Bell UH-1Y Venom to a landing spot during the department's annual fly-in.

Alex Lipin

4

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I photograph this Air National Guard Blackhawk coming into Southern California Logistic Airport in Victorville, California after fighting the Bridge Fire in Angeles National Forest. The flight line has commercial aircraft from all over the world being stored and used for spare parts.  I like the relationship between all these aircraft and the Blackhawk landing above them.  It makes for a compelling photograph.

Marty Wolin

9

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Sikorsky MH-60 (SeaHawk) Helicopter flying in to attend the EAA  AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin USA.
Photo taken by Jeff Schneider  July 22, 2024

Jeffrey Schneider

25

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Airbus SH125 HELIWEST a supporto del tentativo di record off-shore tra Fiumicino e Civitavecchia            .                                                                                                                                                                         .

Giancarlo Romeo

3

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I was working with another helicopter when this H145 from Civil Security Search and Rescue in the French Alps took off from Chamonix. I was at 3800 meters and it was around -15°, it was quite exceptional to be able to witness this.

Vaillant Théo

128

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Erickson Aero Tanker’s MD-87 drops on the Sierra Fire in Jurupa Valley, California. I was shooting helicopters picking up water at the Oak Creek Golf Course. Usually, you can only get helicopters picking up water, or aircraft dropping retardant. This location was perfect for capturing both. There were houses on the bottom of the mountain so they were laying retardant down to prevent the fire from moving in that direction. The smoke on the far left adds an interesting visual element and helps tell the story.

Marty Wolin

12

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Air Zermatt HB-ZOY - Helicopter External Sling Load (HESLO) in the municipality of Zermatt. 
Helicopter sling load operations in a village require careful planning, skilled crews, and a focus on safety and precision to successfully carry out tasks in an urban setting.

Michael Portmann

2

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An AgustaWestland (now Leonardo) AW139 flown by Honeywell International, arrives in Anaheim, CA to be showcased on the showroom floor of the Anaheim Convention Center during an exclusive helicopter event.

Alex Lipin

20

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Photo was taken around 8:30 PM, huge storm was rolling in so we tie down the aircraft and took a couple pictures. Snapped about 20 pictures and finally got one with the lightning lighting up the huge storm cell that was coming into the Helena airport.

Chandler Swenson

20

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Many times when you go to a fire, there is normally only one side you can photograph from for a variety of reason. When you get to the correct location to capture a drop and the light is perfect, the retardant and aircraft are very vivid and clear. In this photograph, AeroFlite’s BAe Avro RJ85, drops Phos-Chek on the Columbia Fire in Riverside, California.

Marty Wolin

20

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A VRM-30 DET 5 Osprey does touch and goes at NAF El Centro, California. I got permission to go out next to the runway and the lighting when the Osprey arrived,  was "picture perfect". I used a very slow shutter speed of 1/100 of a second in order to blurred the slow moving props and still keep the aircraft sharp.

Marty Wolin

119

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Sikorsky HP-60A Black Hawk helicopter operated by High Performance Helicopters based in La Verne, CA, conducts a pole setting flight operation in a rural part of San Diego County called Harbison Canyon, CA.

Alex Lipin

20

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Prado Helitack’s Firehawk gets fuel at the Lisa Fire in Moreno Valley, California as a crew looks on. The sun had just set and it produced a nice soft light.

Marty Wolin

10

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HB-XOF EC135 T3 Air-Glaciers SA 31.08.2024
A Rescue-Mission in the Swiss-Alps Schreckhorn
The new Rescue-Helicopter in the Berner-Alps from the Basis Lauterbrunnen

Bruno Siegfried

2

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Crew Member: NH-90 HELICOPTER
The RNZAF operates a fleet of eight NH90 Helicopters operated by No. 3 Squadron.  They have been in full service since 2015.  The NH90 is a twin-engine, medium utility helicopter featuring a fly-by-wire control system, full ice protection sysem and a fibre-glass composite structure.  The central role is to provide tactical air mobility operations for the New Zealand Defence Force.  Photographed at Warbirds over Wanaka 2024

Michelle Slater

25

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During the evening hours on a Monday, a Bell 407GXI operated by the San Diego County Sheriff's Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies (ASTREA) unit, sets out on patrol with a ride along passenger for the duration of the flight.

Alex Lipin

20

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Cal Fire’s Firehawk 613 does a high drop on the Limonite Fire in Jurupa Valley, California. I was unfortunately delayed from getting into the fire, but was able to photograph various helicopters putting out the remaining spot fires.

Marty Wolin

11

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All night long for Helismur 62 and 59. This picture was taken just before take off for the next rescue mission in the north of France.
Theses two helicopters are located in Arras and Lille.

Thomas Vildary

48

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Here you can see a Police H145, the picture was taken during the police mountain flight training course in Füssen. It was great to photograph the helicopters in such an impressive environment

Felix Feuchter

4

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The most difficult thing with this photograph was trying to get to the location where Cal Fire’s S-2 was dropping retardant, and before the sunset. My son did the navigation as we drove down multiple, rough dirt roads. When we got to the right location, we had to climb a small hill so that we had a clear very and waited for, hopefully, another Phos-Chek drop. We got this photograph within seconds before the sun was obscured by a mountain. There was only a very small opening to get a clear view because of all the trees and brush.

Marty Wolin

11

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The German "Retro" SeaKing during a rescue/winch demonstration in Belgium. The rescue of an injured crew member was shown. The SeaKing shows the special paint for the 50th anniversary.

Dennis Girmann

4

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During the European Rotor convention the Agusta Westland AW-169 of the Guardia di Finanza runs up its engines before taking off from the convention parking place, which is appointed to be a temporary landing and take-off area.

Vincent Kok

2

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After all day operation in salty environment the beast need some care. 
Engine wash, and my favorite aircraft washing. Soft shampoo, and a lot of fresh water. 
We doing our best so take from it all it can.

Athanasios Giankou

1

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A Boeing CH-47F Chinook military transport helicopter of the Royal Netherlands Air Force is performing touch and go's in the snow at a low flying area.

Kris Christiaens

31

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After a busy day, it’s time to have a good rest.
Photo shots on Mulhouse Hospital helipad, quite a calm and peacefull atmosphere. What a pleasure to learn the HEMS pilot job.

Idiart Xavier

8

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San Diego Fire-Rescue Copter 3 making a drop during the San Diego County wildland drill. The drill took place for three days from April 30th through May 2nd. Various agencies throughout the county participated.

Ryan Grothe

22

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Airbus AS355 HELIWEST ​​during aerial filming of the Rome Marathon                                                          .                                                                                                                                                                       .

Giancarlo Romeo

3

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I started heading to the Post Fire near Gorman, California on the first day.  Because of heavy traffic, it took me over 4 hours to get there.  I decided to stay overnight so I could go back to the fire. I saw where the helicopters were dropping and pulled on to a dirt road to get in the right position. All of a sudden the brush flared up, at the exact time Siller’s Sikorsky SR-61A was getting ready to drop. I shot many others helicopters there, but none with the intense flame. Getting to the right location takes a lot planning, luck, and timing.

Marty Wolin

25

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Heliswiss International AG Kawasaki-Vertol V107 II N185CH 7.August 2024
Start for the Flight to the next Transport Mission. Spezial transports in the swiss-alps

Bruno Siegfried

1

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Because of heavy traffic, it took over 4 hours to get to the Post Fire near Gorman, California. I decided to go to Quail Lake where I photographed Coulson’s Orange County Fire Authority and Ventura County Fire Chinooks picking up water at the same time. The stormy cloud background was created by the massive fire.

Marty Wolin

16

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Air Zermatt Bell 429 returning to heliport Zermatt after hoist training in the Swiss alps. The bell 429 is a multipurpose aircraft from air medical missions to long line work and construction.

David Magalich

2

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Reach airmedical helicopter at Owyhee tribal airport, awaiting a patient pickup from a vehicle accident. Northern lights background when they extended farther South than normally visible.

Derrick Chaparro

2

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AUGUSTAWESTLAND A109
Operated by No. 3 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force the A-109 is a training and light utility helicopter.  The twin-engine aircraft has a modern glass cockpit and a retractable wheeled undercarriage.  This A-109 has seating for two pilots and four passengers. a maximum cruising speed of 285 km/h and a normal ferry range of 650km.  On display at War Birds Over Wanaka 2024

Michelle Slater

16

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A crew chief assigned to CAL FIRE Boggs Mountain Helitack Base in Lake County, CA, communicates with the pilot's during shutdown procedures after arriving at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA for the 2024 HAI Heli-Expo.

Alex Lipin

2

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Photo of a pilot of the South African Electricity Supply Commission hoisting linesmen and parts on 2024-11-08 at the Eskom site Apollo Converter Station. The linesmen are changing components on a long distance DC power line. The pilot is a black lady which would have been very unusual in South Africa prior to the 1994 political change. ( My old Pentax K3 camera internal date reverts to 2013-01-01 at 00h00. I assume the internal memory battery is defective. Photo taken on 2024-11-08)

Hennie de Lange

5

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Billings Flying Services CH-47 Chinook making numerous runs during the Airport fire in Orange County California. The sunset caused the orange glow of the smoke. This Chinook was working the fire for numerous days. The exact location of this photo was off of Dove Canyon Road. There were a few other aircraft that were getting water from this location as well as the Oso lake. The fire has burned over 23,000 acres and spread int Riverside county. Currently the fire is at 88% containment. The fire started in the Trabuco Canyon area by county workers.

Ryan Grothe

16

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Start in Payern Military-Airfield for a Special Mountain-training Flight  in the Swiss Alps
with the Swiss Army at 22 Mai 2024
United States Army CH-47 13-08436

Bruno Siegfried

1

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Charm 4, A legacy Bell 407 leased from PHI, Departing Caldwell to begin flying sightseeing tours at the Wall Street Heliport in New York City.

Jeremy Ellenberg

5

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Special painted Sea Lynx from the German Navy (Navy Tigers) showed itself to the audience of this year's NATO Tiger meeting in Germany. Many guests were impressed by the paintwork of the helicopter.

Dennis Girmann

3

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In June 2024, I could join a full day with the Special Forces of the French Police. This is the Eurocopter EC-145 9036/JBG of the Forces Aériennes de la Gendarmerie with the GIGN sniper on board during a training exercise.

Roelof-Jan Gort

2

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A new day of giving Helicopter rides at the Atlanta Airshow at Peachtree City, GA.  Helicopter is Huey 624 of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum.

Jerry Mellick

1

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10 Tanker DC10 at work on the northern flank of the Park Fire , California. On contract with CalFire the VLAT was slowing down the northern flank as it edges towards the mountain village of Mineral. The Park Fire was the largest arson lit fire in Californian history

Nick Moir

21

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Prado Helitack’s Firehawk gets ready to pick up water at Oak Quarry Golf Course for the Sierra Fire in Jurupa Valley, California. I got permission to photograph at the golf course and was able to walk around to get the best angle.

Marty Wolin

11

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PJ Helicopters Helitanker 2CH, operating in the San Diego County (CA) area during a rapidly spreading wildfire, dumps swamp water on the flames below during the Garden Fire in Fallbrook, CA.

Alex Lipin

1

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Cal Fire’s S-2 dives down on a steep hill to drop retardant on the Columbia Fire in Moreno Valley, California. In order to get the best angle, I was able to go on private property. The owner of the property was involved with  developing  firefighting chemicals and his house had a metal rood with all vegetation removed from around the perimeter.

Marty Wolin

12

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Gillespie Helitack crew from CAL FIRE San Diego, returning to their helicopter at the tail end of the small Scripps Fire in Poway, CA. During a wildfire, the crew is strategically inserted as an initial attack platform.

Alex Lipin

2

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1st test flight with its new Ai-Glaciers color for the first of the H135 T3s the Hotel Bravo Zoulou Echo Fox in front of the maintenance workshops 15.07.24

Bessard Joël

24

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HH-139B (15-65 MM82013) Search and Rescue helicopter of Aeronautica Militare / Italian Air Force taking off during a mountain training exercise in the Italian Alps.

Giorgio Gherbassi

24

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10 Tanker’s DC-10 does a really high altitude drop to lay a thin layer of retardant across the Lytle Fire in Lytle Creek, California. From all the fires I’ve been too, this is first time I’ve seen 10 Tanker drop this high. I also think that they dropped high because there were a lot of fire fighters below.

Marty Wolin

12

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Neptune’s BAe-146 does a drop at the Nixon fire in Anza, California with a massive smoke cloud behind it. In order to get to this location, my son and I had to drive on numerous rough, dirt roads and at the same time, keeping out of the way of all the firetrucks.  On big fires like this one, it is so difficult to get to the right location to get aircraft dropping and maintaining a safe distance from the fire.  Throughout the day, we drove on many dirt roads.

Marty Wolin

11

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Helicopters Express’s Skycrane drops water at the Post Fire near Gorman, California. I looked at Flightradar24 to see where the helicopters were dropping and found a dirt road that got me to the perfect location.

Marty Wolin

19

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TEMSCO helicopters as-350s departing the dog sledding camp high up on the mendenhall glacier just outside of Juneau, Alaska. TEMSCO owns and operates multiple bases across Alaska and operates a fleet of 24 astars, 11 MD500s, 3 bell 212s, 2 h130s, and one bell 214b1.

Logan Molaison

1

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I went to Pyramid Lake near Castaic, California to get Siller's Sikorsky SR-61A picking up water to drop on the Post Fire near Gorman, California.  I had to get permission to go into the lake due to the fact that it was closed because of the fire . I drove down the boat launching dock to get as close as I could to the helicopter.

Marty Wolin

3

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Phoenix Heli-Flight EC120B Fennestron tail rotor.

Shot with a Intrepid 4x5, Fujinon 150mm on Harman Direct Positive Paper.

Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Jakob Schmidt

1

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Air Zermatt HB-ZOY - Helicopter External Sling Load (HESLO) in the municipality of Zermatt. 
Helicopter sling load operations in a village require careful planning, skilled crews, and a focus on safety and precision to successfully carry out tasks in an urban setting.

Michael Portmann

3

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CH-47 at Fort Novosel AL located next to Headquarters building on Novosel Avenue across from the parade field and near the old Officers Club. It is part of a display of four military helicopters; AH-1 Cobra, OH-58 Kiowa, UH-60 , and CH-47

Ronald Alexander

21

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In June 2024, I could join a full day with the Special Forces of the French Police. This is the Eurocopter EC-145 9036/JBG of the Forces Aériennes de la Gendarmerie with the BRI ('Research and Intervention Brigade') during a fast-roping training exercise.

Roelof-Jan Gort

1

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Air Zermatt HB-ZOY - Helicopter External Sling Load (HESLO) in the municipality of Zermatt. 
Helicopter sling load operations in a village require careful planning, skilled crews, and a focus on safety and precision to successfully carry out tasks in an urban setting.

Michael Portmann

4

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A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk military helicopter from the 2nd Helicopter Squadron of the Swedish Air Force is using flares during a demonstration at the Sanicole sunset airshow.

Kris Christiaens

17

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The Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments work closely together.  New LAFD pilots receive initial training from LAPD instructor pilots prior to moving into the Fire Department's AW-139's.  Here a Fire pilot in training spools up Fire-6, a Bell 505, with the iconic City Hall in the background.

Greg Doyle

25

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S-64F I-CFAH “Orso Bruno” taking off from Biella-Cerrione airport for a new firefighting mission in the beautiful winter scenery of the Italian Alps; the helicopter is operated by European Air Crane

Giorgio Gherbassi

26

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Here you can see a h145M LUH SOF of the German Air Force during a training flight in the area around Laupheim. It's always impressive what the helicopter crews achieve. Be it precision landings in the wilderness or just low Level flights.

Felix Feuchter

4

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Heliventures AS350 B3+ ZK-HEN coming in for fuel while fighting Tussock fire in Tekapo, New Zealand. Photo taken by Brock Lory. Southern Lakes B3 also in the background coming in for fuel.

Brock Lory

2

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US Navy Sea Hawk during a surprise visit to NATO Tiger Meet 2024 in Schleswig, Germany. The helicopter of the HSC-21 Blackjacks was near the airfield for the international exercise "Baltops".

Dennis Girmann

4

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Firefighting operations Litchfeild National Park, Northern Territory.
A Firebird 832 was fitted with an R3 raindance and ignited along the Renyolds River to hault a fire coming from the south, while Firebird 802 (pictured) used the bucket to patrol for spot fires

Angus Farlam

6

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Helicopter Express’s Bell Textron 412 picks up water from Crafton Hills Reservoir on its way to the Line Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains. I saw that it was going to pass by the sun, diffused by the smoke from the fire, so I turned my camera vertical to include the Bambi Bucket.

Marty Wolin

12

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I found the reservoir in Highland, California where the helicopters were refilling to drop at the Little Fire, after driving on a few dirt roads.  After the Siller Skycrane was heading back to drop on the fire, I took this picture with Helimax’s Chinook dropping water in the background. The sun was diffused by a smoke-filled sky.

Marty Wolin

19

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Monte Rosa ... on top of the Alps, working at Rifugio Capanna Regina Margherita ... 4554 mtrs above seal level. Very dangerous and challenging environment ...

Damiano Gualdoni

1

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Siller’s Skycrane lifts off at Redlands Municipal Airport, California as the pilot and aircraft mechanic check to make sure everything looks ok. The fire in the background is the Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Marty Wolin

15

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Photo taken during relief efforts in Western North Carolina! This 1968 UH-1H flew supply missions to Black Mountain NC! Like the typical UH-1H she never skipped a beat and preformed flawlessly!

Drew Benton

1

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Billings Helitanker 8AJ, approaches a reservoir dip site during the massive Airport Fire, that sparked in the Trabuco Canyon area of Orange County, CA.

Alex Lipin

4

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Fire Fighting in the Midlands (UK). Calls for regular refuels! G-BIGB hard at work with a long day for the pilots taking it in turns, photographed in Doncaster (Sandtoft Airfield).

Daniel Nixon

9

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H125 of Savoie Hélicoptères compagny  working on transporting gravel with a spider excavator loading skips for ski lift work in the mountains with difficult access

Vaillant Théo

23

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I captured this H125 from the Savoie Hélicoptères company in the Mont-Blanc massif at 12,500 ft with a load of wood for a construction site for the Goûter refuge. I am a helper for the company so I took advantage of having my camera to capture this exceptional moment

Vaillant Théo

39

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A rare visitor in Germany. A Spanish Bell412 after a tank stop at a German airfield. The Bell's from the "Pegasus Aero Group" company are serviced by a German company.

Dennis Girmann

3

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Airbus H175 of the NHV photographed at one of the oil and gas platforms in the North Sea.
The H175 helicopters are based at Esbjerg Airport in Denmark and fly people to and from these platforms every day.

Roelof-Jan Gort

2

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I captured this magnificent H125 from the Savoie Hélicoptères company in the Mont-Blanc massif at 12,500 ft after dropping off technicians on a stop. I am a helper for the company so I took advantage of having my camera to capture this exceptional moment

Vaillant Théo

58

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Former German Bell UH-1D after landing. A crew member secures the landing zone and checked that nobody nourishes the helicopter. Shortly afterwards the helicopter was filled. The helicopter is now operated by a private owner.

Dennis Girmann

3

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An Airbus MH-65E Dolphin assigned to Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco, CA, arrives in Anaheim, CA for an exclusive helicopter event on Feb. 23, 2024.

Alex Lipin

29

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Formation CPL H de Mael Salaun.
Navigation : Haute-Savoie - Grenoble - Lyon - Valence
Photo prise à Valence aeroport à 23h00
Helicoptere - Guimbal Cabri G2.

Rodriguez Alexis

14

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I saw that a few of the helicopters fighting the Line Fire in Highland, California were based at Redlands Municipal Airport.  I got permission to go out on the flightline and did a variety of pictures. When Siller’s Skycrane took off to drop on the Line Fire, I positioned myself so I could get the smoke from the fire in the background. Being so close to these beautiful and powerful helicopters, is an awesome experience. This picture was taken at 145mm.

Marty Wolin

10

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Siller Helicopters Helitanker 25M and its pit crew, assist the pilots with a successful startup prior to lifting off while assigned to the raging Line Fire in Highlands, CA.

Alex Lipin

20

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on January 19, 2024 in Châble in Valais (CH) during the annual GRIMM days a helicopter demonstration for the participants as well as the public present and this one with the EC135 HB-ZUC from Air-Glaciers

Bessard Joël

18

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PJ Helicopters Helitanker 2CH passes through a smoke filled sky to deliver its 2,800 gallon payload on a large vegetation fire in Riverside County (CA) known as the Round Fire, in Summer 2024.

Alex Lipin

2

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South African Air Force (SAAF) BK117 during preparation for the Africa Aerospace and Defense Expo (AAD) at SAAF Base Waterkloof.  The AAD expo runs over a period of about 6 days where 5 days are trade days and the last two days are open to the public and includes an airshow.

Hennie de Lange

3

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Photo was taking during logging operations on the West Coast of British Columbia Canada with HeliQwests H-60 Blackhawk during the spring months of 2024.

Jay Blythman

24

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I captured this magnificent H125 from the Savoie Hélicoptères company in the Mont-Blanc massif at 12,500 ft during an approach to drop off technicians at the Goûter refuge. I am a helper for the company so I took advantage of having my camera to capture this exceptional moment

Vaillant Théo

60

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This heavily modified CH-47D Chinook operated by Coulson Aviation and part of their Quick Reaction Force (QRF), operates as Helitanker 55, during nighttime fire operations on a raging vegetation fire south of Tehachapi, CA.

Alex Lipin

30

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The sun had gone down behind a mountain when Cal Fire's S-2 did one of its last drops of the day at the Jake Fire in Beaumont, California. I opened my lens to f/2.8 so I could get a high enough shutter speed to get the aircraft sharp. I had to drive on a mountain dirt road, with sections of the fire burning in the valley below. Multiple times I had to move my car because the fire was coming close and to prevent the retardant from falling on my car.

Marty Wolin

9

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I was working with another helicopter for lifting and we needed an H215 to lift larger loads than an H125. I was at 3800 meters and it was around -15°, it was quite exceptional to be able to witness this.

Vaillant Théo

35

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Test Pilot Gerry Broberg conducting test flight on Gazelle on 24-01-17 at Wonderboom Airport at Warbird Aircraft Services. Gerry has flown helicopters now for 57 years!

Hennie de Lange

4

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07-27-2024. - CalFire Copter 604 picking up Fire Crews from the Creek Fire. The Creek Fire was a 744 acre wildfire in The Sunil area of Alameda County California. CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit

Christopher Eckenrode

26

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The AgustaWestland H169 D-HTWA, operated by HeliService, arrives at the European Rotors 2024 event in Amsterdam. These H169s fly daily from their base in Emden, Germany.

Roelof-Jan Gort

1

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CAL FIRE Copter 608 from the CAL FIRE Riverside Unit, responds to a raging 890 acre vegetation fire dubbed the "Lisa Fire" off Highway 60 in Riverside County, CA.

Alex Lipin

19

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Duran De Villiers about land his incredible EUROCOPTER EC 120 against the breathtaking backdrop of the Knysna Heads at the renowned Simola Hotel helipad.

Jeff Latham

3

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Alouette 3 of the Austrian Air Force gives a rescue demonstration during the airshow before the farewell of the Alouette 3. 
With this airshow, after 57 years of loyal service, the Alouette 3 was symbolically said goodbye within the Austrian Air Force

Harrie Kraaijeveld

19

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AS350B Working on Fertilizer Spraying for Cattle Pasture Maintenance, 500 Liters Product Per Flight, Great Tool For Farmer, 3000 Acres Per Crop. Better result and performance than airplane, great work in mountains or rough terrain.

Fabiano Oliveira

21

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We had to drive up a steep dirt road to get a view of the valley below where the Nixon Fire was. Cal Fire’s S-2 came  in dropping retardant and because we were on a small mountain, we got an excellent view of the valley below and the smoky mountain background.

Marty Wolin

12

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Ready for our riders at the Peachtree City, Georgia - Atlanta Airshow the last weekend of October.  Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum.

Jerry Mellick

3

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Two Los Alamitos National Guard Blackhawk helicopters, 830 and 831, pick up water from the Crafton Hills Reservoir in Yucaipa, California to dump on the Line Fire. I positioned myself on a hill above the reservoir for the best angle and to clear the fence that was around it. The sun was diffused by smoke clouds which made the light very warm.

Marty Wolin

15

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I saw that a few of the helicopters fighting the Line Fire in Highland, California were based at Redlands Municipal Airport.  I got permission to go out on the flightline and did a variety of pictures. When Siller’s Skycrane came in after dropping retardant on the Line Fire, I positioned myself so I could get the smoke from the fire in the background. Being so close to these beautiful and powerful helicopters, is an awesome experience. This picture was taken at 75mm.

Marty Wolin

17

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Helimax Aviation Helitanker 7CH flies in tandem with a sneaky Erickson Aero Tanker 107, on a large vegetation fire in Riverside County (CA) known as the Round Fire, in Summer 2024.

Alex Lipin

2

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Getting ready for Hoist mission. Crew was checking the helicopter. Did their walkaround as usual to check everything. When one of the crew spotted the sunrise he decided to take this beautiful picture and took off for a hoist mission in a wind farm in the North Sea.

Manuel Mai

22

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Aerial Firefighting, Alice Spings.
HM Air Services B3 FireBird831
Combination of aerial ignition, remote entry and bucketing, used across multiple ignitions along the Western Ranges

Angus Farlam

6

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3 Black Hawks and 3 Chinook USA came to carry out training flights for a few days in Switzerland from Payerne aerodrome (CH) photo taken on May 15, 2024

Bessard Joël

16

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Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Search and Rescue MH-60S Blackhawk practices out in the Southern California desert. A crew member looks out as the Blackhawk does a low and fast turn.

Marty Wolin

13

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The last visit of the German SeaKing at Belgium. Together with the former Seaking of the Belgian Air Force, she flew in formation in the belgium sky. A nice and sad moment. A few weeks after this photo, the German SeaKing was taken out of service. The photo shows the special retro paint.

Dennis Girmann

2

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Cal Fire's Firehawk drops water at the Hawarden Fire in Riverside,California. It was really hard getting to the right location to capture the aircraft dropping because it was in a large residential area. I had to navigate around heavy traffic and in a very large area. Unfortunately, the fire destroyed 6 homes and burned about 527 acres.

Marty Wolin

4

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PJ Helicopters Boeing CH-47D Chinook operating as Helitanker 2CH assigned to the massive Line Fire in Highlands, CA, a crew chief checks the underbelly of the aircraft during start-up procedures at the Redlands Airport in Redlands, CA.

Alex Lipin

18

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An AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat military helicopter of the British Royal Navy is performing a demonstration during the RIAT 2024 airshow at RAF Fairford.

Kris Christiaens

31

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I was working with another helicopter for lifting and we needed an H215 to lift larger loads than an H125. I was at 3800 meters and it was around -15°, it was quite exceptional to be able to witness this.

Vaillant Théo

42

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PJ Helicopters Helitanker 2CH, a heavily modified Boeing CH-47D Chinook, making it rain on a 344 acre vegetation fire dubbed the "Round Fire" in Moreno Valley, CA.

Alex Lipin

21

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A rapidly spreading wildfire near Campo, CA sparks a multi-agency wildland response to extinguish the Posta 3 Fire from encroaching 450-acres, as a Bell 205 helicopter from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department lays waste to the flames below.

Alex Lipin

2

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Just finished all the day duty. And place it for a nap under the summer full moon. 
The beast is ready now to continue it's mission for the next morning or even this night. 
Nothing can stop us ....

Athanasios Giankou

1

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An AH-64E Apache hovers over a flooded area at a Dutch Army Training Area. The Netherlands is upgrading its legacy AH-64D fleet to the ‘Echo’ (E) Version 6 standard and operates a fleet of 28 airframes

Ron Kellenaers

242

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Australian Helitak FT4250 at work dumping its 4250L water load from a AS332 Super Puma from European Firecats (HeliAustria/LionsAir) during a live demo at Bad Voslau airport.

Adrien Dillard

18

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Air Zermatt HB-ZOY / Columbia 107-II Vertol. Helicopter sling load (HESLO) operations in a village require careful planning, skilled crews, and a focus on safety and precision to successfully carry out tasks in an urban

Michael Portmann

2

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Airbus H175s from the NHV during a night shoot at Esbjerg Airport, Denmark. The H175 helicopters of the NHV fly daily to the oil and gas platforms in the North Sea.

Roelof-Jan Gort

2

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A Belgian Air Force A-109 on its way to the Sanicole Airshow in Belgium. Here photographed behind the Skyvan while on an air to air flight with the Aviation PhotoCrew.

Giel Sweertvaegher

1

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...without maintenance personnel nothing could fly! There is talk around the HB-ZEF H135 T3 from Air-Glaciers just before its first test with its new colors on July 15, 2024 in Sion (VS) Switzerland

Bessard Joël

19

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NH500 supplied to the Carabinieri corps loading water during a firefighting operation near Rome                                     .                                                                                                                                                                               .

Giancarlo Romeo

6

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This photo was taken from the biggest fire we had in Attica this year and i was one of the biggest ever.The Bell's did a great work.I managed to get close to the drop zone and this is the result

Vasilis Kranitsas

1

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This Photo was taken of HeliQwest’s UH60 A+ Blackhawk on July 2024 near Golden BC Canada in support of a fire that was burning close to the community.

Jay Blythman

2

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Two UH-72 Lakota helicopters hover at a training airfield at Fort Novosel, Alabama. The Lakota is the primary training helicopter for the United States Army and is utilized for the entirety of Initial Entry Rotary Wing training for Army officers and warrant officers.

Hannah Lamb

23

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1st year of Bell 429 with U.S.F.S. Photo was taken at the WIse River Helibase in Montana, located just SW of Butte. Aircraft spent 3 months on the road between TX, MT, ID and MN and is a year round contract at Smokey Helibase in the Ocala National Forest FL.

Marty Kydland

1

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Cape Fear ValleyAir on the helipad at Lumberton Rescue. It is waiting for a patient from the hospital which is a couple of miles down the raod to be transport to another facility..

Travis Gentry

20

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Three TEMSCO helicopters AS350s departing a dog sledding camp high up on the Mendenhall glacier on a beautiful Alaskan day. Background is mount stroller white.

Logan Molaison

20

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Heliswiss International AG Kawasaki-Vertol KV-107 II N185CH 7.8.2024
Start in Bern-Belp Airfield for a Spezial-transport Mission in the Citiy of Bern
nice Helicopter in the European.

Bruno Siegfried

2

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There was a fire on a recycling factory only a few kilometres form the center of Athens and for the 2nd time i was able to get some different  photos of S64 fighting fires not in the forrest byt in the city.

Vasilis Kranitsas

1

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I had to drive on a mountain dirt road get to the Jack Fire in Beaumont, California.  Sections of the fire were burning in the valley below and I had to move my car four times because the fire kept creeping up the hill next to me and to prevent my car from getting covered in Phos-Chek . I was politely advised by fire personnel to be really careful and keep my eye on the direction the fire was moving. Right before the drop, I saw the bright moon and composed my picture accordingly to include it as the S-2 dropped retardant. This picture was taken right before the sunset and produced really beautiful light.

Marty Wolin

9

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HB-XOF EC 135 T3  Air-Glaciers SA 
the new and the old Rescue-Helicopter in Lauterbrunnen
Start for a Rescue-mission at Heliport Lauterbrunnen. 31.08.2024

Bruno Siegfried

3

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Kilimanjaro mountain rescue @15000feet.
The client was suffering form pulmonary edema and required evaluation off the mountain. Weather conditions where constantly changing we had to shut down and wait for cloud break which came soon the mist can be seen moving off to the left of the photo.

Dale Jardine

1

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In June 2024, I could join a full day with the Special Forces of the French Police. This is the Eurocopter EC-145 9036/JBG of the Forces Aériennes de la Gendarmerie with the GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) during a fast-roping training exercise.

Roelof-Jan Gort

1

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Hoist Rescue Training in Pemberton, British Columbia with Blackcomb Helicopters Bell 212HP aircraft, SR3 trainers and Cougar Helicopters Rescue Techs.

Nicola Horsfall

17

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Heaps Peak Helitack BellUH-1V Iroquois heads towards the Line Fire in Highland, California after picking up water from Crafton Hills Reservoir. The sunlight was diffused by the smoke-filled sky, so the light produced was very soft and warm and really brought out the background.

Marty Wolin

13

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Belgian A109 during a MEDEVAC demonstration. During the exercise, it was accompanied by another A109, which should serve as a protector. There was several firefights while the injured soldier was saved out of the hot zone.

Dennis Girmann

1

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Nice and smooth cruising over local sand/salt haze on H125 during long ferry flight to new mission spot. First leg from UATE to Shalkar. 6000 ft. 2000 km ahead.

Andrey Feofanov

17

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9PJ preparing for take off. The acft and crew where  heading out to drop water on the Crozier fire in Aug 2024. The flight occured at night on NVG's. The aircraft in the air belong to Heli Max and they were performing in flight operational checks. Photo was taken just before sun down.

Nicholas Harper

3

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AgustaWestland AW169 MM82055/507 of the Guardia di Finanza arrives at the European Rotors 2024 event that took place in Amsterdam in November 2024. During this rotors show, this helicopter was shown at the stand of Leonardo Helicopters.

Roelof-Jan Gort

1

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Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Search and Rescue MH-60S Blackhawk practices out in the Southern California desert. A crew member can be seen in the door with the blurred blade in front of him as the Blackhawk does a low and fast turn.

Marty Wolin

7

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In the eye of the eagle. The 50th year Retro Seaking ends up at the military airport in Koksijde, Belgium. The visit took place as part of a family day of the Belgian Air Force.

Dennis Girmann

1

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Search operation in the Dolomites with Maya and Mountain Rescue CNSAS
Good job 

Operazioni di Ricerca in Dolomiti con Maya e Soccorso Alpino 
Ottimo lavoro

Denis Costa

1

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Autumn in the dolomites
Hovering with Aiut Alpin Dolomites
Rescue operations with Mountain Rescue CNSAS
 Hovering con Aiut Alpin Dolomites
Operazione di recupero con Soccorso Alpino Cnsas

Denis Costa

1

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Kaman K-Max from the "Rotex" company is preparing for tree felling work on the train tracks along the river. For several days, many trees were felled and flown from the rough terrain with the helicopter.

Dennis Girmann

2

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I always wanted to get a photo like this one...I am "hunting" the S64 Aircrane as often as i can and  some times i get my bonus.I did not felt the water on me byt for sure it was a very special moment.

Vasilis Kranitsas

1

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Los Angeles City FD Fire-4 makes a drop on a brush fire in the Sepulveda Basin on June 28, 2024.  This fire began in a homeless encampment and included exploding propane tanks, so water drops were more appropriate than hand lines.

Greg Doyle

20

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An American AH-64E Apache helicopter out of Fort Novosel, Alabama flies down the Gulf Coast over the Atlantic Ocean. The AH-64 is the primary attack helicopter of the United States Army.

Hannah Lamb

21

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Air Zermatt HB-ZVS - Helicopter External Sling Load (HESLO) in the municipality of Zermatt. 
Helicopter sling load operations in a village require careful planning, skilled crews, and a focus on safety and precision to successfully carry out tasks in an urban setting.

Michael Portmann

2

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I looked on Flightradar24 to see where the helicopters were picking up water for the Bridge Fire in Azusa Canyon, California, and saw it was Morris Dam. After driving for about two hours, I positioned myself as close as I could, to get the best angle of Helicopter Transport Services’ Skycrane picking up water. The temperature was 110°F and it really made it more difficult for the fire fighters to work.

Marty Wolin

19

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Maryland State Police Trooper 5 landing at WVU Children’s Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. MSP Trooper 5 is based out of Cumberland, Maryland. The Maryland State Police flies these helicopters out of 7 bases throughout the state of Maryland.

Christopher Parks

20

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Crew Member lights a flare to draw attention to itself. A short time later, he was "saved" using a helicopter. The Belgian Air Force performed this as part of an exercise.

Dennis Girmann

2

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South African Air Force (SAAF) Oryx Helicopter demonstration of extraction of troops. The demonstration was photographed at AAD 2024. The Oryx helicopter is a South African built helicopter.

Hennie de Lange

2

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During a raging 37-acre wildfire along Montezuma Rd in San Diego, CA, a Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk (operated by the San Diego Fire Department) douses a hot spot part of the Montezuma Fire.

Alex Lipin

3

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I was at the Record Fire on a road where the fire was on both sides.  I watched where the helicopters were dropping water and I drove a little way up the road, hopefully to put myself in the correct location. I put on my Nikon 24mm to 70mm lens and started shooting when Helicopter Transport Services, Skycrane flew over. I have to say the overspray of the water landing on me was very refreshing because I was in my full fire gear and the temperature was over 100°.

Marty Wolin

27

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Here you can see an H145 from the DRF. This machine flies under the nickname Christoph 88 (Nuremberg). The helicopter was photographed at the airfield in Ellwangen during a secondary mission on a clear night.

Felix Feuchter

3

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Hoist Rescue Training above Pemberton, British Columbia with Blackcomb Helicopters Bell212, SR3 Rescue Concepts trainers, and Cougar Helicopters Rescue Techs.

Nicola Horsfall

26

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Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Search and Rescue MH-60S Blackhawk practices out in the Southern California desert. A crew member is lifted up along a rock formation as the skilled pilots hover above.

Marty Wolin

24

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Remote insertion firefighting operations 2024 Alice Springs, HM Air Services B3 with bucket. Fire occurred in area containing the Blackfoot rock rat near MT Zeil

Angus Farlam

7

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Sikorsky made MH-60T Jayhawk assigned to Coast Guard Air Station San Diego, CA prepares to launch on a rescue mission off the San Diego coast during a break in wet weather.

Alex Lipin

20

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EC 135 T2+ on Strasbourg Hautepierre Hospital, France. HEMS unit based in Mulhouse and operated by Mont Blanc Hélicoptères. This photo was shot after a night rescue flight. A great and quick team work so the victim is fine today.

Idiart Xavier

55

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An Italian CH-47F (EI-709 MM81786) of Aviazione dell’Esercito landing on a snowy plateau during “Volpe Bianca” exercise; the helicopter is equipped with snow landing skids

Giorgio Gherbassi

28