Built in 1968, this airframe was first operated in Norway as LN-ORY and then sold to Lapplandsflyg Lap-Air AB in Sweden in 1981, which did operate it till 2012. Sold to HLK Fjällnära Transporter AB in September 2012 and stationed in Ammarnäs. In 2016 / 2017, it was operated by HeliAir Sweden for about one year and eventually joined Heli Lapland, a company not much known of.

2014 built HB-ZNR entered service with Air-Glaciers on June 26, 2015 and almost 10 years later to the day was involved in a landing accident on June 28, 2025. Unfortunately, the incident claimed the life of one passenger and caused significant damage to the helicopter. Air-Glaciers currently operates four EC135's in the HEMS role plus twelve AS-350 Series helicopters for aerial work (three AS-350B2's, six AS-350B3's and three AS-350B3e's).

Since late 2016, Westpac Rescue operates four AW139 helicopters from three bases, which are located at the airports of Belmont, Tamworth and Lismore. Covering the northeastern corner of New South Wales, three AW139 are on a 24/7 stand-by, while the 4th is either in maintenance or serves as a back-up. VH-ZXA pictured here was the first delivered in May 2016, followed by VH-ZXB (c/n 31733), VH-ZXC (c/n 31737) and finally VH-ZXD (c/n 31738). The yellow / red c/s stem from the beginnings with "Surf Lifesaving", while the white c/s represents the partnership with NSW Ambulance and NSW Health.

CargoAir commenced operations on September 9, 2008 with one converted Boeing 737-300 Freighter (registered LZ-CGO). Over the years, Cargo Air has owned or leased a total of 20 B737 freighters of the versions -300, -400 and -800. LZ-CGX shown here on approach to Athens International is one of six -400 freighters operated by Cargo Air as of April 2025, and is still wearing the basic paint scheme of it's former owner Enter Air. Previous registrations were B-18671, EI-TVA, VH-VGA, OO-VEP, SP-ENI and N489VA. Joined Cargo Air in March of 2018.

As one of six C-295 operated by the Czech AF since 2010, this airframe was the 2nd delivered. The badge above the main landing identifies this aircraft to be part of the Multinational Force & Observer (MFO) mission in the Sinai. In 2009, the Czech Republic started to become partner in that peace keeping mission between Egypt and Israel, and since 2013 provides a CASA 295 to support MFO operations. The aircrafts tasks are Passengers and cargo transport (up to 60 pax or 6,000 kg), reconnaissance and verification flights, VIP and Treaty Party transport, plus CASEVAC and SAR flights.

During it's 12 year of existence between 2001 and 2013, Batavia Air operated - among other types - not less than fourteen -300 Series B737's, among them PK-YVW pictured here in the airline's last but quite attractive livery. A few month after this picture was taken, Batavia filed for bankruptcy on January 31, 2013, grounding PK-YVW for good. Delivered new to USAir as N369AU in July of 1986, re-registered N397US in November of 1988, before Batavia bought it in August 2006. In December of 2016, this airframe was scrapped in Pontianak.

4X-AHA "Eilat" was the 1st DHC- 7 delivered new to Arkia on September 29, 1981. Two more new built airframes followed shortly afterwards, with 4X-AHB (c/n 64) and 4X-AHC (c/n 82) joining Arkia's fleet in October 1981 and May 1982 respectively. Ten additional Dash 7's (registered 4X-AHD through 4X-AHM) were bought or leased 2nd hand, the last two entereing service with Arkia in June of 1996. By early 2011, the one's not having already been sold earlier were either broken up in SDV or TLV, except 4X-AHG (c/n 33), which was sold to Canada in airworthy condition as C-GNUY.

This 1977 built DHC-6 was Arkia's sole Twin Otter and flew for the airline between April 1989 and May 1997. Founded in 1949 as Eilat Airlines, Arkia's initial main purpose has been, as the name suggested, to serve the domestic Tel Aviv - Eilat route. Later, additional domestic destinations were added, and Arkia did operate many different a/c types, mainly in small numbers. Arkia's most popular and longest serving a/c type was the four engined DHC-7 Dash 7, of which the airline did operate no less than 13 airframes between September 1981 and early 2011, a span of almost three decades.

Between 2000 and 2005, a total of four A319 have been delivered to the Italian AF and assigned to 31° Stormo / 306° Gruppo tasked with VIP transport duties. While the 1st A319ACJ (serialled MM62173) had already been sold to the Turkish Government by April 2005 as TC-TCB, the three remaining (MM62174, MM62209 and MM62243) as of May 2025 are soldiering on from their base at Roma/Ciampino airport (LIRA). MM62243 shown here on a rare state visit to Switzerland's capital was the last of the four airframes and was delivered on July 21, 2005.

The "original" Cyprus Airways, founded in September 1947, ceased operating in January of 2015. In due course, the Ministry of Finance of Cyprus signed an agreement with Charlie Airlines Ltd in July of 2016, for the latter to use the national carrier trademark "Cyprus Airways" for a decade. In March 2017, the "new" Cyprus Airways started operations from Larnaca International Airport, using two A319. The airline transitioned to two bigger A320's in 2022 and has since also added four Airbus 220-300 to it's fleet. As of May 2025, Cyprus Airways does not serve any airport in Switzerland.

Seen on a charter flight to/from Bern. This 2009 built airframe joined Germania Flug AG in 2015 as HB-JOG and was transferred to CHAir on June 11, 2019, which operated it till May 2023. It currently serves with Romanian airline Carpatair as YR-ABB. Germania Flug AG, an independent Swiss airline founded in August 2014, declared insolvency in February 2019 and the assets were in due course bought by Albex Aviation & Enter Air. The new owners renamed the airline to CHAir but kept operating under the former "GM" (Germania) IATA Code till April 29, 2025, when the new code "CS" was assigned.

Aer Lingus Commuter operated ten Short 360-100/-200 Series aircraft between 1984 and around 1992. It looks like I was lucky to catch EI-BVM during it's last month with Aer Lingus Commuter, as the airline did retire this particular airframe by the end of August 1991. Sold to BAC Leasing as G-TBAC in October 1992. The 1986 built airframe was then registered in the US as N419SA, before being converted to a C-23B+ Sherpa in September 1995, with new msn SH3402 and US FY 93-1318 assigned for it's service with the US Army (till 2013). Since April 2021, the aircraft is registered in Canada as C-GSHP.

CN-AOR seen here taking off in beautiful atumn light had just dropped moroccan civil servants for emergency response training in Switzerland. This airframe is one of two KC-130H tankers delivered to the Royal Moroccan AF in late 1981, the other one being CN-AOS (c/n 4909). Morocco had already introduced 17 standard C-130H's between May 1974 and August 1981. They were either identified with the construction numer or with registrations CNA-OA through CNA-OQ, or a mix of both. Later, the c/n's were dropped completely and all surviving C-130's (three were lost) got CN-AO.. registrations.

This 2008 built A109 was till November 27, 2019 operated as I-FACM in Italy, the day it was registered to Karen SA as HB-ZQQ and based in Lodrino. Unfortunately, only a few month after it was seen in the snow covered Engadin valley, the helicopter collided with a fix structure while taxing at Padova Airport in Italy on May 2, 2021. It was subsequently declared BER (Beyond Economical Repair) and cancelled from the swiss register on December 21, 2023. Karen was founded in 1999 and mainly focuses around operating and maintaining Agusta / Leonardo helicopters.

Refer to picture ID 800852 for the history of "Blue Islands", which over the years has operated six ATR-42's, among them G-ISLF which was a 1997 built airframe (test registration F-WWLE). Originally operated by EuroWings as D-BMMM till November 2003, when it was sold to Contact Air, keeping the same registration. Joined Blue Islands in May of 2011 and sold to FlyBe in 2016, which used it till the end of September 2018. WFU in Malta, where Aviation Cosmetics Malta has been using this airframe as a paint trainer.

With a DOM of 1979, this S-76 was an early production airframe (test registration N5009V). Delivered new to KLM Helikopters as PH-NZN, which did operate it till around 1986. Next "stop" was Northwest Helicopters (as N9007N), before Heli-Union did operate it as F-GILD and LX-HUD. When pictured here under contract with the Pecten oil company in Cameroon, LX-HUD had already been upgraded to a S-76A+ (Turbomeca Arriel 1S engines). Next stops were w/ the South African Police as ZS-RKE, then as D2-EXG w/ SonAir Angola, w/ EagleCopters as C-FLRQ and finally w/ Jayrow Helicopters as VH-XHJ. Broken up.

N932PH pictured here on approach to PHI's base at Houma-Terrebonne, is one of at least 10 PHI S-92's based there in Mid March 2025. In total, PHI has operated close to 40 S-92's since the 1st production S-92 joined PHI's ranks in 2004, and about half remain as of March 2025. In November of 2006, PHI was the 1st S-92 operator to reach 10'000 hrs on the type, and had already logged 20'000 hrs by December of 2007. N932PH is a 2011 built airframe and joined PHI in March 2012.

This 2017 built Bell 407 is one of some 150 HEMS helicopters of different types operated by Air Evac Lifeteam across 18 US states. Air Evac Lifeteam is part of America's largest air ambulance membership network, called Air Med Care Network, an alliance which also includes other HEMS programs like Guardian Flight, Med-Trans Corporation and REACH Air Medical Services. The network operates 350 aircraft (fixed-wing and helicopters) and currently maintains 320 bases in 38 US states.

In early 2008, the Swiss AF started to get its first PC-21's of which six units (serials A-101 through A-106) were initially ordered. A-103 is seen here wearing the original red / white livery, which was later traded for an overall red paint scheme with just a thin white cheatline. In December of 2010, two additional PC-21's were ordered, which became A-107 (c/n 153) and A-108 (c/n 154). The 1st and so far only mishap the Swiss AF encountered with a PC-21 occured on November 28, 2023, when A-105 (c/n 107) suffered a landing accident at Emmen AB, with both pilots ejecting safely.

After the French armed forces were kicked out of Madagascar in the mid 1970's, the country turned to and came under the influence of communist states. Thus, Madagascar started to receive at least twelve Mig-21's from the USSR (to defend itself against an "apparent aggressive" South Africa, so the explanation goes). Of that batch, two were dual seater MiG-21UM, and 291 shown here is in relative good shape (but far from airworthy) when pictured at the "Base Aéronavale d'Ivato - BANI", the military section of TNR International. The 2nd MiG-21UM "339" is preserved at the Hatzerim Museum, Israel.