Besides operating a few AS-350 for aerial work and tourism, Italian helicopter company Elikos also maintains a HEMS EC-135 (I-AIUT). Based at Pontives, Elikos is well established in Val Gardena and beyond and their helicopters can often be seen flying throughout the famous Dolomites mountains. I-EKOS is a 2018 built AS-350B3e and obviously covered with lots of promotional & advertising stickers in this picture.

This 2008 built A-Star first flew with Swiss Jet / Air Engiadina before joining the fleet of Air-Glaciers in 2012. It is seen here at Helimission's Headquarter in Trogen, conducting scenic flights during the festivities of Helimission's 45th anniversary.

Built in 2001, HB-ZDE flew with Air-Grischa till August of 2005, when it was sold to Rhein-Heli and based in Balzers (Lichtenstein) till July of 2012, when - unfortunately - Rhein-Heli together with many other traditional and standalone helicopter companies merged into Swiss Helicopter AG. Lichtenstein does not maintain its own aircraft registry, all its aircraft carry a HB-registration plus the flag of Lichtenstein instead of the Swiss cross required on Swiss aircraft.

Lübeck Air was founded in 2016 and operates one ATR-72 and since May 2022 this EMB-190, which is leased from German Airways. All flights are undertaken under IATA-Code 6I, which belongs to Air Alsie. Bern is one of a few destinations served from Lübeck via Stuttgart, with the ATR-72 usually, unless the passenger volume requires the bigger Embraer.

ZS-RPL was one of the first AS-350B3's introduced to the South African Police in 2002, gradually replacing the MBB BO-105's. The Ecureuil / A-Star fleet grew to 15 aircraft since, with at least one having suffered an accident. The force also operates a few fixed wing aircraft, among them eight Pilatus PC-6 and one PC-12.

Between 1962 and 1966, the procurement agency of the Swiss Armed Forces tested a piston engine powered PC-6 (S/N 530, serialled V-611), resulting in 12 units (V-612 through V-623) being introduced as from 1967. V-612 pictured here was manufactured in 1966 and the first of the initial batch. In 1980, all twelve were converted and equipped with the P&W PT-6 turboprop engine. A further six PC-6 Turbo Porters (V-630 through V-635) were added to the Swiss AF inventory in 1976. Having recently received an avionics upgrade, 14 remain in service at the time of upload, with no end in sight.

SchenkAir's "Robin 1" takes off from the elevated heliport situated on top of Dr. Schenk's sport and rehabilitation clinic in Schruns. Even though the rescue service and heliport has been existing since November 2000, it was so far restricted to which HEMS flights it could offer (basically limited to the local ski region and non life threatening accidents). Since February 1, 2023 however, «Robin 1» is part of Vorarlberg's official rescue concept, and equal to the other two EMS helis based in the region, namely «Christophorus 8» (ÖAMTC) and «Gallus 1» (Wucher).

To better cover the western part of Südtirol (Vinschgau), "Heli Flugrettung Südtirol" has based an EMS helicopter in Lasa since February 2020. What initially started as a 3 year seasonal trial program, has since developped into a permanent base. The following EC145 / H145 have so far operated as "Pelikan 3": I-SLND, I-AHTD, I-SUEM, I-ATLS and I-PTAH. I-LMBD pictured here was only based in Lana on March 1, 2023, as it was able to accomodate the night flying and spotlight equipment required to guarantee longer operating hours (between 8am and 8pm), well into the darkness during the wintertime.

Y-20's are still a rare sight but become frequent visitors to Europe it seems. Six were seen in Serbia in April 2022 while one participated in the AirPower'22 in Zeltweg. This airframe brought some 40 chinese soldiers to participe in a championship of mountain warfare experts called "Edelweiss Raid", taking place in Tirol annualy. It is seen here departing on Innbruck's RWY26 heading back empty to Urumqi in North-Western China via Tekirdag (Turkey) to refuel, taking the very same flight route it came in one and a half hours earlier.

The Y-20 is the biggest aircraft so far designed and produced by China. It first flew in 2013 and entered service with the PLAAF in 2016. Even though counting less than 40 frames at the time of upload, the Y-20 fleet already makes a difference in China's strategic capabilities. The airframe and avioincs are of modern design, the weak point being the Soviet developped Solowjow D-30KP-2 engines (also used on the IL-76), the orign of which dates back to the 1960's. The IL-76 served the chinese engieers as a model, resulting in the Y-20 having a similar look, dimensions & weights like the IL-76.

Before this 1985 built airframe joint Comores Aviation International in late February 2010, it has already been in service with several US, British and South African airlines, and as such carried six different registrations (N352PS, N172PS, G-WLCY, G-ZAPL, EI-PAT and ZS-SFZ). It's final "station Comores" was rather short lived, with D6-BJH already stored in June of 2010, a bare four month after it was put in service. Looks like I was lucky to catch it on one of only a few flights during those four month....scrapped in 2013.

Founded in 2001, Safe Air Company (S.A.C.) is a passenger and cargo airline based in Nairobi, Kenya, providing commercial and humanitarian air transport to clients in East, Central and South Africa, but also to the Middle East. Hence, Safe Air operates a small but divers fleet of aircraft, among them e.g. single engine Cessna 208 Caravan's, Fokker F50 and "heavier stuff" like this B727. The red sticker in front of the cabin door reads "Air Djibouti", suggesting the aircraft was subleased to - or operating on behalf of - the later. 5Y-GMA previosuly flew with Avianca as N200AV.

This 1994 built airframe was initially operated by the Royal Nepalese Army (serialled RAN-32), and joined Hubi-Fly in 1998, after a complete rebuilt in 1997 (due to an accident in Nepal). In August of 2022, Swiss humanitarian foundation Helimission bought this helicopter for its operation in Madagascar, were the helicopter will be operated as from late 2023. Being refurbished in Switzerland at the time of upload, it will briefly carry swiss registration HB-ZQR.

This airframe is the latest addition to Ethiopian Airlines 12 aircraft strong 737-8 Max 8 fleet. It first flew as N4022T on October 26, 2022 and was delivered to the Addis Abeba based airline on December 7, 2022. It mostlikely replaced sistership ET-AVJ, which was lost on March 10, 2019 near Bishoftu some 40km south of Addis, unfortunately killing all 157 souls on board. The crash finally grounded the entire worldwide 737 Max fleet for almost two years, with brazilian low-cost carrier GOL being the first airline to resume commercial flights with the Max on December 9, 2020.

Tsaradia started operating in July of 2018 as a joint venture of Air Madagascar and Air Austral (La Reunion). As such, Tsaradia took over three DHC-6 Twin Otter and three ATR-72 from Air Madagascar (among them 5R-EJA pictured here), plus two ATR-72 from Air Austral. The main purpose of the airline is to serve the domestic routes of Madagascar and the airport of Saint Denis de la Reunion-Gillot (FMEE). Tsaradia means "Safe journey" / "Good travel" in the local malagasy language. The DHC-6's, of which only 5R-MGD (c/n 329) received the new livery, have now been withdrawn from use.

French overseas airline Air Austral of La Reunion currently operates an all jet fleet of nine aircraft, among them three A220-300. F-OLAV seen here is the 1st Air Austral A220 and was introduced in July of 2021. The vertical fins of all Air Austral aircraft are individually painted and depict a typical landscene of La Reunion, a volcanic island to the east of Madagascar. Serving regional routes, Air Austral planes are a regular sight in Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital.

The Algerian AF became a C-130H operator in 1981, and received six stretched C-130H-30 and eleven standard C-130H by 1984. An 18th Hercules (c/n 5224, 7T-WHB, -30) was added to the fleet in November 1990. 7T-WHP seen here was built in 1982 and initially carried registration 7T-VHP. All Algerian AF C-130H versions now carry 7T-WH* registrations, while four new C-130J-30 ordered in 2018 are from 7T-WJA onwards. All carry Arabic titles on the left side of the fuselage, and English titles on the right hand side.

G-NHVI is one of ten EC175/H175's so far operated by belgian helicopter operator NHV. Built in 2016, this airframe carried registration OO-NSI till October 2019, the month it was based in Aberdeen. However, G-NHVI spent much of 2022 in Albacete (Spain), stopping in Cologne for the European Rotors exhibition on its way back to Aberdeen. Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NVH) was founded in 1997, and the relatively young company now successfully operates some 40+ helicopters in Europe and Western Africa.

In May 2022, this airframe was delivered to ZeroAvia, a UK and US based startup firm developping zero emissions propulsion engines for smaller commuter aircraft. N409VA became the 2nd testbed for the ZA600 (600kW) hydrogen-electric engine developped by ZeroAvia. The 1st DO228 used for the test and certification process is c/n 8046 registered G-HFZA. Based in the UK, G-HFZA first flew with the ZA600 engine installed on the left hand side on January 18, 2023, while the right engine still is the Jet A-1 fuel powered Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop.

Built in 1982 and delivered to US Air as N312AU, later re-registered to N268AU with US Airways and Metrojet. Imported to Indonesia in December 2003, entering service with Sriwijaya Air as PK-CJJ, then with ExpressAir as PK-TXK as from September 2012. Became PK-JRA when joining Jayawijaya Dirgantara in May 2018. Still current at the time of upload, being one of just two very loud B737-200's hauling freight into Wamena airport, thus serving the community of the Baliem Valley. The other remaining -200 is PK-JRW.