Used for VTOL research at NASA Ames. Photo by Lee Jones / NASA

Photographer: L Bill Sides

Catching the very last rays of sunshine on this beautiful day, operated by the Arizona Army Air National Guard based at Marana Silver Bell airport. Wings, rotors and wheels 2007 at Los Alamitos.

Another approach to 31 during an afternoon of circuits.

This 1961 DHC-4 served in South East Asia once, with the 1st AvnCo at Vung Tau (South Vietnam). The C-7A was damaged in 1964 while landing at Phan Thet but was repaired. Then it served the 61st AvnCo and Air America (as 430). The Caribou was damaged multiple times due to ground fires. In 1975 it returned to the USA and was assigned to the 150th TAS at McGuire (NJ) and the 135th TAS at Baltimore (MD). It returned to the US Army in 1980, serving the Missouri (MO) Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot (AVCRAD) up to 1991. In Dec 1992 it was registred to the National Museum of Naval Aviation as N6154Z, but scrapped in 2001.

Operated by 292 Aviation Company, Alabama Army National Guard. Sold to Erikson Helicopters in 12.94. Crashed during logging operations in Malaysia on 1 June 2003.

Ski-equipped Black Hawk overflying Fairbanks International Airport, presumably coming from nearby Fort Wainwright.

Still fairly new at the time, having been accepted by the Army on 30 September 1975. It is seen here proudly wearing the "Black Cats" badge of the 213th Combat Aviation Company, at the time stationed at Camp Humphreys in South Korea. This helicopter was converted to CH-47D c/n M.3319 in August 1990 and allocated new serial 89-00165. As such it crashed in Saudi Arabia on 11 January 1991, following an in-flight engine fire.