When Israel started to explore it's own natural gas as from March 2004, the country's dependance on importing this energy source slowly turned around. With the discovery of more gas fields around 2010, Israel's offshore helicopter activity saw a steep rise. In due course, local operator Lahak Aviation leased several S-76 and Bell 412 helicopters from PHI Inc. 4X-BDO shown here was manufactured in 1981 and got delivered to Lahak on July 17, 2013. Previous registrations were N3911L and N412UM. Operated for PHI Inc. Israel.

Date of photo by well-known photographer given as 1 April 1938, but this should be a Canadian-built Tiger Moth, RCAF 8851 and CF-CTB, which did not go to Palestine until 1947. Behind two veteran Tailorcrafts, including VQ-PAI, a second Tiger Moth is visible, which should be VQ-PAT (c/n DHC1747). Both Tigers saw action with Sherut Avir from late 1947, but were lost during 1948. Note: an unknown Tiger Moth at Hatzerim is painted as VQ-PAU. Photo by: Zoltan Kluger / National Photo Collection of Israel

435 was delivered new to Israel in May 1976 under the Peace "Bata IV" Foreign Military Sales Program (US FY # 75-0536). The civilian registration 4X-FBT was sometimes applied for international trips. However, this was most certainly not the case when it took part in a clandestine operation called "Kadur Ra'am" in hebrew (Thunderbolt) on July 4, 1976, a bare two month after being delivered. On that day, an israeli "delegation" of four C-130's and an undisclosed number of IDF special forces paid a surprise visit to Entebbe, Uganda and rescued some 100 Jews held hostage by terrorists.

First del to Hazelton Airlines in Australia as VH-MJH, later as G-KBAC with BAC - Gill Airways. Then as S7-PAL with Air Seychelles before being bought by israeli charter company Ayeet Aviation in April 2010. Still wears the basic Air Seychelles livery in this picture.

Opening of Sde Nov airport. Aviation initiatives in British Mandatory Palestine came from the side of Jewish immigrants. In 1937, Palestine Airways began to fly between the port of Haifa and Lydda, now Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion, but road travel between Tel Aviv and Lydda was unsafe and thus a landing ground close to the city was sought. SDV closed in 2019. Photo from: Library of Congress