Ulrichen was - with 1350m/AMSL - the highest active Air Base in Switzerland, being in operation between 1942 and 1999. After it's closure, it was a few times used by AgustaWestland for high altitude trials of various helicopter prototypes. Such was the case in September of 2009, when the 2nd prototype of the VTOL / Tilt Rotor AW-609 was based there for a week to conduct test flights. Seen here just about to take-off. Unfortunately, this airframe crashed in northern Italy on October 30, 2015 during high speed trials, with loss of both test pilots.

This 2002 built EC145 joined the REGA fleet as 1st of it's kind in January 2003. Four more were introduced that same year, while a 6th heli was purchased in late 2008. They operated out of the "lowland" bases Lausanne, Berne, Basle, Zurich and St Gallen. In 2019, all six were sold to the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie (Al-Darak al-Malikiy) and ferry flown to Morocco, still wearing the basic REGA colors but already registered in the CN-BZ.. range. HB-ZRA was the last delivered to Morocco and became CN-BZU in August 2020.

EAT Leipzig officially started operations at Leipzig/Halle Airport in spring of 2008. It is an aircraft maintenance center as well as a registered cargo airline, operating on behalf of the DHL Group. As such, it currently operates some 20 A300-600 Freighters, among them this former Japan Airlines airframe (built in December 1992, ex JA8562) seen here in front of Mount Ymittos. D-AEAL got converted from Pax to Cargo standard in 2010/2011 (while temporary carrying registration N4679) and joined the EAT fleet in March 2012. EAT also operates a few A330 and B757-200 freighters.

Seen here departing Andravida AB is one of some 20 Avantis used by the four branches of the Italian Armed forces since 1994. This particular airframe was manufactured in 2008 and was first operated by the Department of Civil Protection ("Dipartimento Protezione Civile") as I-DPCL, before being intergrated into the Italian AF fleet in June 2011. It is based at Practica di Mare. In early 2020, the Italian MoD announced an order for additional nine new Avantis in the version Evo+, plus the upgrade of eleven existing airframes to Evo+ configuration.

Before being converted to a freighter in January of 2019, this 2002 built B737-800 flew for American Trans Air and ATA Airlines as N329TZ. Between May 2006 and August 2018, China Southern Airlines operated it as B-5127. After the conversion, it first became G-NPTD, finally joining West Atlantic in October of 2020. Arriving here from Paris CDG, lining up for a landing on ATH's RWY03L.

Besides a large fleet of AS-350's, the LA County Sheriff Department (LASD) also operates three AS-332L1 Super Pumas. In addition to supporting law enforcement duties, those helicopters are sometimes also called for rescue missions. Unfortunately, N950SG crashed during one of those on March 19, 2022 near San Gabriel Dam (CA), luckily without loss of life. N950SG, like the LASD's other two AS332s, has been remanufactured in 2004, hence it's c/n in the 9000 range. It joined the LASD in 2013, having previously been N212AE. The AS332's replaced the LASD famous Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King.

HB-ZOZ (ex C-FYLF) was added new to Air Zermatt's fleet in May of 2018, becoming their 2nd B429 after HB-ZSU (c/n 57067). It is seen here on Air Zermatt's dedicated HEMS base near Gampel, waiting for another emergency call. This particular HEMS base is situated "off the beaten track" allowing HB-ZOZ to be on stand-by 24/7, without disturbing too many people during night operations.

I-WOOD is the 6th and so far latest AW139 Air Green added new to it's fleet in early 2020. At the time of upload, the helicopter was under contract with the "Protection Civile" of the autonomous region of Aosta Valley. The helicopter's main purpose is to provide HEMS service to this smallest province of Italy. To fullfill its duty, members of the local medical service "Azienda USL Valle d'Aosta" and the mountain rescuers of the "Unione Valdostana Guide Alta Montagna" join the flights if need be. During the winter season, skies are mounted to I-WOOD's landing gear.

In April 2021, Air-Glaciers bought two 2nd hand AS-350B2's, HB-ZYE being one of them. Air-Glaciers's B2's are mainly used for spraying vineyards in the canton of Valais and Vaude. Originally built in 1981 as AS-350B, it was at one point converted to B1 and then eventually to B2. Among the various registrations it carried over the years, the most interesting are SX-HBI when operated by Olympic Airways in Greece, after which it became ES-37 with the Algerian Gendarmerie (El Dark El Watani). Image taken during the Lauberhorn FIS Ski World Cup race, shuttling spectators to the Kleine Scheidegg.

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.

In December 2018, Zimex Aviation became the latest operator of this 1996 built ATR-42. It previously carried several french registrations such as F-WWLF and F-OHJC (with Air Tahiti), plus F-WQNJ, F-GHNS, F-WQNE and F-WKVI with different leasing firms. In addition, it flew in Holland as PH-XLS, in India as VT-ADQ, in South Africa as ZS-XCC and ZS-XCI, plus in Mozambique as C9-SAM. Seen here arriving from Geneva as flight RED160 to load material and passengeres on an ICRC relief flight to Suceava (SCV - LRSV) in Romania, in connection with the crisis in the Ukraine. Note the ICRC stickers.

First del to Singapore Airlines in October of 1997 as 9V-SJJ. Boing (!) bought it as D-AJGP and sold it to Emirates in February 2004. In may of 2013, it was registered in Portugal as CS-TQY and flew for various companies since then. With Springjet at the time of upload.

Before getting its own AS-350B3 HB-ZKZ, the police of the canton of Zurich often leased helicopters fom Heli Linth, and then applied a big "Police" label to the fuselage. It can be seen here visiting Helimission's heliport in Trogen. HB-ZBJ was built in 1999 and was operated by Heli Linth till 2012, when it was sold to Tundra Helicopters in Canada as C-GSFY.

This 1986 built IL-76 first saw service with the Soviet AF, then with the Ukraine AF before Volare Aircompany bought it in December of 1997. It was one of four IL-76 each bringing a SAAF Oryx helicopter for relief work to Madagascar, after Cyclone Gafilo hit the island severely in March 2004. It is seen here - loaded with an Oryx - departing TNR and heading back to South Africa.

This King Air has been operated by the "Seychelles Marketing Board", hence the registration S7-SMB. It was frequently visiting Madagascar and was sold to South Africa in December of 2009, becoming ZS-ZOO.

The Israel Navy operated two former US Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphins between 1985 and 1997 (one crashed in September of 1996). As from 1996, five AS-565MA Panthers, locally known as Atalef, were introduced to the Israel Navy. The aircraft are operated by the IAF's 193 Squadron based at Ramat David and of course on various frigattes. Unfortunately, 895 - which is the last of the five delivered - crashed on January 3, 2022, killing two of the three crew on board. Note the missing cabin door on the LH fuselage, as sonar and other electronic equipment is located behind it.

This 1997 built EC135 was first operated by Schider Helicopter Service as OE-XXR in Austria, before it became the 1st twin engine helicopter with Air Glaciers in 2014. It still wears the original Schider paint scheme, and has - surprisingly - only been equipped with a rescue hoist in late 2021. Note the white titles and registration over the previous black letters it carried on other images in the database. Based in Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland.

In the 2nd half of 2021 alone, Air Glaciers doubled it's rescue helicopter fleet by adding two more EC135's. Besides HB-ZRK (based in Lauterbrunnen) and HB-ZEF (Sion), HB-ZUC joined the fleet in August 2021 and was based in Collombey, while HB-ZUI pictured here was registered in December 2021 and is now flying HEMS missions out of Saanen. HB-ZUI is a 2014 built heli which was previously operated by Danish operator Uni-Fly under registration OY-HJG.

Seen here landing in Bern for the first time is Czech low cost carrier SmartWings, bringing Slowak ice hockey club "Slovan Bratislava" from the Swedish town of Borlange. This particular 2007 built airframe started it's career with XL Airways Germany as D-AXLE, before being operated by canadian operator Canjet Airlines as C-GDGT during a few winter seasons. It then joined the SmartWings fleet in May of 2013, just to be subleased to Canada again for each Winter season, alternating registration OK-TVY with canadian registation C-GTQY while operating for Air Transat and Travel Service.

This 2001 built EC135 carried test registration D-HECA and from November 2001 was based at the (now Schenk Air) Heliport in Feldkirch, Vorarlberg. It was upgraded to T2 standard in 2005 and later to version T2+. It still is active with the ÖAMTC, having served under different "Christopherus" callsigns over the years in various parts of Austria. Aslo since 2001, the ÖAMTC operates an all EC135 fleet and currently maintains 18 bases throughout Austria. So far, 34 different EC135's have been registered to the ÖAMTC (OE-XEA to OE-XEZ, OE-XVA to OE-XVF, plus OE-XVI & OE-XVL). Scanned from a slide.