Simplon Air was founded in 2007 by italian helicopter pioneer Gian Paolo Giana. As early as 1972, at the age of 25, Giana started to operate helicopters in the mountains around the Ossola valley and named the emerging company "Giana Helicopter". Having swiss roots and being an admirer of swiss rescue pioneer Hermann Geiger, Giana seems to feel more swiss than italian, as the family owned company operates it's helicopters under the swiss register. The flagship of the fleet is this 1995 built MD900 which was previously operated by Breitling and joined Simplon Air in June of 2018.

In October 2005, Sky FlightCare flew this MD902 on air ambulance missions from the Coatesville-Brandywine Hospital Heliport (2PS6), PA. It was photographed at the American Helicopter Museum's Rotorfest 2005 fly-in at West Chester - Brandywine Airport. Sky FlightCare closed in September, 2013. This MD900 was built in 1998 as N9229Q and first flown by the US Coast Guard HITRON program as 9054 in 1999-2000. With Doctor Heli as JA01DH in 2001-2004. With Sky FlightCare as N222YN 2004-2006. California Shock Trama Air Rescue 2007-2012 as N222YN & N902YN. First MD900 in New Zealand as ZK-IYN in 2015.

Ex G-CIGX, N902FN, N9027N. Seen here at the Cornwall Air Ambulance HQ at Newquay Cornwall Airport.

Ex G-SASO, N5646, N1811, N70035, PH-PXE (ntu).

Allocated to Heli Austria's subdivision in Tyrol but appears to have been operating mainly in the state of Salzburg this January. Built in 1996 and started as a company demonstrator, then served the USCG as 9041. Back to MD with original regi N9213Q and with the Dutch national police as such from 2003, still in USCG livery. To MD again as N902LH, then in Jordan followed by the UAE as A6-JJJ. With Heli Austria/Heli Tirol since 2013. Seemed to be making a lunch stop here, not an emergency response.

McDonnell Douglas MD900, N9080V, was built in 1993 and the third airframe to fly, since seven prior MD900s were ground test vehicles. Displayed at HAI Heli-Expo 1994 at the Anaheim Convention Center with "Experimental" marks, 2 years after first MD900 flight in Dec 1992 and 11 months before FAA certification in Dec 1994. N9080V was demonstrated in Europe in 1997 and later leased to the USCG for the Hitron anti-drug smuggling program based at NAS Cecil Field, FL, 1998-2000. To UK as N9208V & N55WA, 2005-2012? To Mexico as XA-FAA in 2012. Sold to Dodson Int'l Parts as N883ND in February 2020.

CHARM is a new laser-based technology developed jointly by Adlares and DLR (German Aerospace Centre) to remotely detect gas emissions, e.g. leaks in pipelines or over widely dispersed areas such as methane escaping from landfills.

Ascent Helicopters of Parksville, BC acquired this MD900 in October 2012 initially to work on high voltage power line maintenance contracts with BC Hydro, the provincial hydro electric power utility. The company was subsequently awarded an air ambulance contract from its base on Vancouver Island. The helicopter usually transfers island patients to hospitals in Nanaimo and Victoria. The MD900 also serves communities on the BC mainland such as Powell River, with patients transferred to Vancouver hospitals. This is the only MD900 flying in Canada. It was previously N7006X and N902JW.

ex N9094T. Became EC-LHT, SP-EHT

short lived US Coast Guard helicopter. Ex N9201U, to N9201U, N902CH. Photo by R.E. Kling