Articles for category Company Profiles
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Sep
15
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Optima Aero and its founding CEO have been having a “moment”—for approx. 15 years. Toby Gauld founded his business in 2010 from zero in Quebec, Canada, and his company has been adding numbers in front of that 0 by providing refurbished and certified parts, components, and engines to helicopter operators, maintenance centers, and OEMs worldwide. By “adding numbers,” we mean growing Optima Aero at a 38% annual rate (with 60 employees now) and putting a 42 in front of six zeroes to add up to $42 million (USD) in sales this year. Optima Aero expanded its Beloeil, Quebec, headquarters for engine maintenance and component repair to 30,000 square feet, plus has equally sized centers in Tarnos, France, for part-out activities, and Grand Prairie, Texas, for MROs. Expected this August is an Asian landing in Singapore to further spread Optima’s reach. The globally ambitious Gauld is also looking for acquisition opportunities around the world.
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Tags:
helicopter-industry carbon emissions
Optima Aero
Toby Gauld
Categories:
Company Profiles
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Sep
08
2025
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Posted by Admin
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With no fewer than 12,000 calls per year, the familiar yellow trauma helicopters are a frequent site in the Netherlands’ skies. Onboard is a Mobile Medical Team (MMT), consisting of a pilot, a doctor, and a paramedic, racing to any medical emergency where seconds count.
Although we’ve become accustomed to helicopters responding to serious accidents, this form of emergency medical service is still relatively new in the Netherlands. In Germany, however, doctors were already sounding the alarm in the late 1960s due to a rapidly increasing number of traffic fatalities. To improve survival chances, it was essential not only to reach accident scenes more quickly but also to transport patients to trauma centers faster. The ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) took the initiative to conduct trials using rented MBB Bö-105 helicopters. The results were so promising that, in November 1970, the first permanent civilian rescue helicopter was stationed in Munich. In the years that followed, the number of locations grew significantly. Partly thanks to the success of the German network of military and civilian rescue helicopters, interest in establishing a similar service in the Netherlands grew in the mid-1980s—especially as traffic in the Randstad region became increasingly congested.
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Tags:
ANWB Medical Air Assistance
EC-135 helicopter
MBB Bö-105 helicopters
Netherlands Helicopter Air Ambulance
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Company Profiles
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Aug
18
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Covering almost 17,000 square kilometers (10,560 square miles) that includes famous nature reserves such as the Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe and pyramid lake, Washoe County is also known for its “Biggest Little City in the World”— Reno. The city is known for its many casinos, but also for the renowned Reno-Air Races and attracts thousands of tourists. Therefore, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office relies heavily on its airborne law enforcement unit called RAVEN.
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Tags:
Bell OH-58A+ Kiowas
Regional Aviation Enforcement Unit (RAVEN)
Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
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Company Profiles
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Aug
04
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Leading Edge Aviation (LEA) is a family-run business that was established in 1996 in Nelspruit, South Africa. Mark and Charmaine Jackson, with their sons Peter and Stephen, lead an impressive team of pilots, engineers, and aircrew. The company specializes in firefighting and heavy-lift helicopter operations utilizing the Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk and the Bell UH-1H Huey.
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Tags:
firefighting and heavy-lift helicopter operations
Leading Edge Aviation (LEA)
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Company Profiles
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Jul
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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In the verdant expanse of Flagler County, Florida, where wildlands interface with burgeoning communities, a unique and vital aerial asset stands ready to protect lives and property: the Flagler County Fire Rescue FireFlight Helicopter Program. More than just a worthy air ambulance or needed fire suppression tool, FireFlight is a multi-mission platform, a testament to proactive public safety, and a symbol of the county's commitment to its residents. Born from the ashes of devastating wildfires, this program has evolved into one of the most comprehensive and aggressive airborne emergency response units in the Southeast United States.
During our visit, Rotor Pro had the opportunity to meet and fly with Todd Whaley, FireFlight’s Director of Operations and Director of Maintenance, to learn more about the Flagler County program. It is a program that is definitely punching above its weight utilizing two pilots, six flight medics, and the Airbus H125 to perform a wide variety of missions in an effort to protect and service the citizens and visitors of Flagler County, Florida. Whaley, who has accumulated over 5,000 flight hours of flying experience, has been pivotal in shaping the program.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
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Jun
16
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Having responded last year to 263 wildfires that burned over 134,000 acres, the Nevada Division of Forestry relies heavily on its fleet of helicopters. Martin Scharenborg & Ramon Wenink visited and flew with the Nevada Division of Forestry Air Operations to learn about their mission and the challenges they are facing.
With thousands of wildfires nationwide occurring annually, the use of airborne assets prove to be of great value in fighting these fires. Therefore the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF), founded in 1957, started its own aviation program in 1959 by converting a Beechcraft C-45 Torpedo bomber into an air tanker for firefighting. It took another 15 years when the first helicopters were acquired with assistance of the U.S. Forest Service. Three Bell TH-13Ts from surplus U.S. Army stocks entered service in 1974 primarily for aerial fire reconnaissance. Although there was a strong need for a strong and capable firefighting helicopter , the three Sioux helicopters soldiered on and remained in service until 1991. In 1993 the U.S. Forest Service assisted again in acquiring surplus Army helicopters for the NDF. The Bell UH-1H Huey was selected because of its powerful engine and the ability to transport a considerable number of firefighters in the back of the aircraft. Eventually three UH-1Hs entered service from 1994 and that year is seen as the birth of the current NDF’s ‘Battle Born Helitack Program.’ From 2006, the fleet of UH-1H helicopters received several upgrades to meet present and future requirements. In 2019 one UH-1H was retired and replaced by an Eagle Copters ‘Eagle Single,’ a Bell 212 conversion.
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Tags:
Helitack
Nevada Division of Forestry Air Operations
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Company Profiles
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Jun
02
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Just prior to Verticon 2025, Rotor Pro visited Donauwörth, Germany, to learn what the vertical lift industry can expect to see in 2025 from Airbus Helicopters. With nearly 8,000 employees, the facility is home to Airbus Helicopters’ second largest manufacturing facility in the world. Donauwörth is home to not only the development center of the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL prototype, but also the production lines of the H135, H145, and the military NH90 helicopters.
Looking into the rear-view mirror, Airbus Helicopters had a strong 2024. 455 gross orders (net: 450) showed a steady market growth with a strong performance last year for its light, light twin-engined, and heavy helicopters. Orders came from 182 customers in 42 countries. The Company delivered 361 helicopters in 2024, resulting in a preliminary 57% share of the civil and parapublic market.
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Tags:
Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters Pioneer Lab
CityAirbus NextGen
H140
H160
Categories:
Company Profiles
Helicopter Sectors
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May
19
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Around the corner from Helsinki International Airport, Coptersafety stands as a center of excellence in the helicopter pilot training world. This innovative company has carved a niche for itself by focusing exclusively on simulator-based training, pushing the boundaries of safety and proficiency within the demanding world of helicopter operations. “Our mission at Coptersafety has always been to increase safety in the rotorcraft industry, with bespoke [custom tailored] training services for helicopter pilots around the world,” said Hannu Marjoniemi, CEO and co-founder of Coptersafety.
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Tags:
Coptersafety
helicopter pilot training
rotorcraft safety
simulator-based training
Categories:
Company Profiles
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May
12
2025
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Posted by Admin
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We catch Gretchen Johnson in a rare hour of relatively free time. She was in Orlando, having headed south from her metro-Atlanta home, when she said in a cultured, soft Southern accent that would make Scarlett O’Hara sit up and take notice, “Thank you so much for choosing to spend an hour with me; I’m flattered. Hopefully, something I say will be worth repeating. It’s wonderful being down here in Florida because now Miss Georgia can’t decide whether she’s winter or spring.”
Make up your cotton-pickin’ mind, Miss Georgia!
It would be wrong to base an assumption on Johnson’s accent and Southern manners that she’s some antebellum belle. The CEO and founder of DaVinciSKY was in Orlando for a “Women in Power” symposium—and that could be a clever pun because Johnson’s flagship company and its subsidiaries feature helicopters in power-line construction, inspection, and maintenance.
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Tags:
DaVinciSKY
power line patrol helicopter
Utility Helicopter
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Human Interest
Company Profiles
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Apr
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the design and operation of helicopters, ushering in a new era of innovation and efficiency. By leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms and data analytics, AI enables more autonomous flight capabilities, improves predictive maintenance, optimizes flight paths, and enhances safety measures.
From revolutionizing helicopter design and testing to supporting real-time decision-making in complex operational environments, AI is pivotal in reshaping the future of rotary-wing aviation. This integration of cutting-edge technology promises to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance the overall performance of helicopter fleets worldwide.
For Leonardo Helicopters, AI is integral to achieving its mission to its customers. Leonardo's primary objective is to guarantee in-flight safety by delivering helicopters featuring the highest safety levels. This approach to safety is at the heart of all activities, from design and production to customer services, ensuring that all aircraft meet the most rigorous safety standards.
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Tags:
Leonardo Helicopters
Leonardo Helicopters Diagnostic Service Tower - AI
Categories:
Company Profiles