The six-acre Niagara Helicopters heliport (CPQ3) at the corner of Victoria Avenue and the Niagara Parkway in Niagara Falls, Ontario opened in 1964. Pan Air bought the business in 1978. Swiss-born Ruedi Hafen learned to fly there in 1982 and bought the company with to partners from Pan Air in 1985. The tour fleet was upgraded to five new Bell 407s in 1996. In December 2011, Helicopter Transport Services founded by Luc Pilon bought the company and upgraded the fleet to new Airbus H130s. More than 150 pilots learned to fly with Niagara here between 1964 and the mid-1980s when the school closed.

CH-47D, N49CU, has fought fires in the US, Chile and Bolivia. Seen being prepared at KTRM Thermal Airport, CA for a new firefighting contract in Argentina. This Chinook was the last of 12 Royal Australian Air Force CH-47C's (A15-012). In 1993, seven surviving RAAF CH-47Cs were sold to the US Army and four others upgraded by Boeing to CH-47Ds. This CH-47C, msn CE012, 73-21981 became US Army CH-47D, msn M3461, 93-00934. Based in Hawaii in 2007. To Unical Aviation in 2017 as N160CZ. To Coulson-Unical as N49CU in April 2020 and modified by Coulson Aviation at its HQ in Port Alberni, BC, Canada.

Boeing CH-47D, N47CU is one of the oldest operational Chinooks in the world, and the oldest in civil use. Built as CH-47A msn B017, 61-2413 for the US Army and later upgraded to a CH-47D, msn M3440, 92-00299. It was sold to Unical Aviation Inc. in California and registered N160EB in April 2017. In March 2019, Coulson Aviation partnered with Unical to put some of its ex-US Army CH-47s and UH-60As to work fighting wildfires in the US, Australia and South America. Reregistered N47CU in Sep 2019. Coulson-Unical renamed Coulson & Tan. N47CU went to Chile by sea in Nov 2022 to fight wildfires.

This Coulson Aviation USA Canadair CL-600 Challenger was delivered new to the Clinton Aviation Group as N29867 in April 1982 and re-registered N600TT a couple months later. It became N500LS in Nov 1983 and N600LS in Nov. 1985 and N601LS in Sep. 1988. The aircraft returned to Canada in Dec. 1988 and became C-FSIP with Intera Technologies in Calgary, AB. To Pal Air in Calgary in 1995 and re-registered C-GDDR in Jan 1996. To the Coulson Group's Executive Transport Airways division in Port Alberni, BC in Sept 2015. To Coulson Aviation's US unit in Sep 2017.

Coulson Timber of Port Alberni, BC entered the aviation business in the late 1980s when it bought a Sikorsky S-61N for heli-logging, then won S-61N firefighting contracts in the Canada, the US and Australia. In 2007, Coulson bought Flying Tankers' two Martin JMR Mars flying boats and won a USFS contract in the US. When the Mars contract was cancelled, Coulson started converting C-130Q/Hs and later Boeing 737-300s into air tankers. Four Cessna 550s with sensors retired by the US Customs & Border Protection are now used to support fire ops in the US and overseas, including N552CG, ex-N4614N.

The new Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global 6000 was photographed on Runway 13-33 at Toronto's Downsview Airport prior to a test flight. All Global business jets are assembled in Toronto andf then flown to to the Bombardier factory in Montreal (CYUL) for interior completion, painting and delivery to their customers. Downsview Airport has been sold for redevelopment and Bombardier is building a new facility at the northwest end of Toronto Pearson Airport which will house the new Global 5500, 6500, 7000 and 8000 final assembly line, probably in 2023.

This DHC-2 Beaver was delivered to the US Army in May 1955 as 54-1674. Purchased in January 1976 at a surplus sale by Mike Hackman of Edmonton, AB and C-GRAS in March 1976. Operated in Canada until March 1994 when it was registered to Kenmore Air Harbour as N378BD and subsequently registered to CDS Aircraft Inc., Bellevue, Seattle, WA in July 1994 and carries the name "Kawak Ena" on the rear cabin door. Probably one of a large number of privately-owned DHC-2 Beavers seaplanes base at airports and lakefront properties in the greater Seattle area.

DHC-2 Beaver N67684 of Northwest Seaplanes preparing to depart the Will Rogers Wiley Post Memorial Seaplane base at Renton Airport with passengers heading to a salmon fishing lodge on the British Columbia coast. These Beaver flights will often clear Canadian customs and refuel at the seaplane dock in Campbell River, BC before flying on their final destination. It was delivered to the US Army in April 1958 as 57-2564 and first registered N67689 in Feb 1976. Itflew mostly in Alaska until leased to Canada in 2001-2002 as C-GCYN. Msn 1208 is one of three Beavers to be registered N67684.

Canadian Architect Edward D Russell acquired four warbirds in the early 2000s which he had professional pilots fly from Niagara South Airport, Ontario between 2003-2017. This included Supermarine Spitfire LF9C, CF-FLC, and Harvard IIB, C-GFLR, acquired from the UK in May 2003. And Hawker Hurricane CF-DNL (RCAF 5481) and Messerschmitt BF-109E, CF-EML, from the Museum of Flying in the US in 2005. Russell bought the warbirds after a jury in Florida in 2000 ordered the Walt Disney Co. to pay Russell and his partner at least C$240 million in damages for stealing their ideas for a sports complex.

This Twin Pioneer Series 3 first flew at Prestwick on June 26, 1963 and sold to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. One of four sold to Aerial Agriculture and ferried to Australia in Nov-Dec 1972. Sold to the USA in June 1975 but impounded at ANC in Aug 1975 (See https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/twin-pioneer/twinpioneer.html for complete history). Bought by Jack Anderson of North Coast Air Service and flown to Smithers, BC c.1980, but C-GNIS couldn't be certified. Later ferried to Woodcock (CBQ8), 38 nm N of Terrace, on last flight. Vandalized. Partially restored. Sold for parts.

This AS350B2, N1231A was a regular sight over Los Angeles when it operated for many years by KTLA as a TV news helicopter. It was a long way from home when photographed at Renton, WA in August 2006. N1231A is now (2022) based at Norwood Airport, MA flying in a blue colour scheme for NBC TV Boston and KTLA in Los Angeles now operates AS350B-2, N925TV. Both N1231A and N925TV are registered to Tiny Bubbles Aviation which has a fleet of six Airbus AS350BA/B-2 contracted mostly for TV stations.

This wartime Beech AT-7 Navigation trainer served with the USAAF as 43-33306 with msn 5469. Reconditioned in the early 1950s, it received a new msn AF-449. It was declared surplus in 1963 and was used for transport by the Tennessee Valley Authority, a large federally-owned electric utility corporation serving seven US states. It was seen at Auburn Airport, south of Seattle. The aircraft has since been repainted as a warbird in US Army markings. Currently owned (2022) by Kevin Layva of Wilber, Washington.

This DHC-2 was shipped by sea from Canada to Liverpool for delivery to de Havilland Aircraft in Hatfield, UK in 1961 for delivery to the Army Air Corps on July 11 as serial XP810. It was based in the UK, Northern Ireland and Germany until retired in Nov 1985 and sold in Sep 1989. Imported by Wipaire Inc. to the US as N21208 in Nov. 1989. Briefly registered in Winnipeg, Manitoba as C-FSGM in May-June 1994, then sold to a private owner operating under the name Services Group Inc. in Seattle, WA as N126TS. Registered to 4R Aviation in Seattle in June 2007 and re-registered N126RS in July 2007.

This Beaver was delivered by DHC to the US Army in March 1958 as 57-2562. Sold to the civil market as N64390 in 1973. Tyee Airways of Sechelt, BC imported it to Canada in about April 1973. It's been flying commercially on the British Columbia coast for 49 years with Tyee, Air Rainbow, Island Hopper & Tofino Airlines. Registered to Silver Mountain Commercial Distributors in Feb 2014 which flies as "Gulf Island Seaplanes." Their main operating base is at Silva Bay on the southeast end of Gabriola Island, east of Nanaimo. They also operate DHC-2 Beaver C-FOCN and Cessna 208 Caravan C-GIPX.

This Piaggio P.139L-1 was assembled by Trecker Aircraft in Milwaukee and sold to Canada as CF-IZG in about 1957. Some sources say it became CF-PQD, possibly owned by the Quebec Gov't Lands & Forests Dept. To Oregon as N100W in 1966. To California as N1005P in 1973-1977. Crashed on takeoff from a lake near Stockton, CA on Oct 22, 1977. Wreck of N1005P next seen 32 years later north of Toronto, ON at Collingwood Airport (CNY3) in 2007 and Edenvale (CNV8) in 2008. Later sold (with amphibian behind) to the Barrie Paintball range located 20 km SW of Edenvale (at 8200 10th Line, Barrie, ON).

Piaggio P.136L-2 Super Gull, CF-DAC, was Canadian-registered between 1972 and 1977 to Dominion Aircraft Ind. of Calgary and Golden West Aviation of Vancouver. It was owned by Larry Matanski who in the early 1970s developed the twin-engine Dominion Skytrader 800 STOL utility aircraft. The Skytrader was designed in Vancouver and Seattle and built in Renton, WA where if first flew as N800ST on April 21, 1975. During this period, CF-DAC often visited Vancouver and Seattle. It was registered N40041 between 1960-1972. To N1149Z in 1977. Often spotted in Florida in 1976-90. Cancelled in May 2013.

Sea-Air-Pac Ltd. (logo and titles on rear fuselage) was founded in the early 1970s to transport fresh seafood (e.g. herring roe) from fishing boats on the BC coast to Tofino and on to customers in Japan. Norseman IV CF-PAA was joined by Norseman VI, CF-SAP, from Washington State but the business soon failed. CF-SAP was flown to Fort Langley Airport where it sat derelict for many years in the 1970s & 1980s. Later to Nunasi-Central Airlines, Nueltin Lake Air Service, Lynn Lake Lodge & Kississing Lake Lodge. Cancelled in May 2014. Built in 1943 for USAAF as 43-5240 then to N74681. Had four US owners before return to Canada.

CF-STX flew in Iran (ex-EP-AGA) and Iceland (TF-LOA) before sold to Jack Anderson of North Coast Air Service. First Twin Pioneer in Canada arrived from Prestwick, Scotland on Feb 28, 1966 after overhaul. One of its first jobs was hauling fuel for Okanagan Helicopters from CYPR to the Stikine River in June 1966. Sold to John Rolls of Territorial Airways, Ross River, YT in Oct-Sep 1973. On May 17, 1974 was hauling helicopter fuel to Wind River Strip, 110 m NW of Mayo when hit a soft spot on landing and nosed down, damaging the fuselage as seen in this photo. Ferried to Ross River and retired at Terr Air heliport in town.

Delivered to the US Navy in June 1943 as JRF-5, Bu No. 34071. Retired to NAS Litchfield Park, AZ and registered N9547C in 1957. To Coastal Aero, Houston, TX as N27Q (1957-1964). To Gordon Gulbertson, CA in 1963. Imported to Canada by Northern Mountain Airlines in March 1964 and upgraded by McKinnon at Sandy, OR in May 1964. To Midwest Airlines, Winnipeg 1969-1972. To West Coast Air Services (WCA) in Nov. 1972. The G-21A was on a scheduled flight from Tofino to Vancouver on Sep 9, 1974 when it crashed in Nitinat Canyon, Mount Cooper, about 10 m north of Lake Cowichan in poor weather. 9 killed.

Conair Aviation Douglas A-26, C-GHLI was photographed at the fuel pumps at Abbotsford Airport on April 4, 1976 during pilot training to the start of the wildfire season. This A-26 carried the USAAF serial 44-34423 and flew in the Korean War. It remained in USAF inventory until 1958. Sold to Stahmann Farms, Las Cruces, NM as N9594Z and owned 1958-1972. Sold to Victor Newman in TX in 1972 and to Conair in 1974 for airtanker conversion and use. Damaged by fire at Williams Lake, BC on July 1, 1984 and to scrap yard. To Aero Nostalgia 1990. Rebuilt & Preserved at Fairchild AFB, WA.