What types of helicopters are there?
Helicopter
Helicopters were developed and built during the first half-century of flight, with the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 being the first operational helicopter in 1936. Some helicopters reached limited production, but it was not until 1942 that a helicopter designed by Igor Sikorsky reached full-scale production, with 131 aircraft built. Though most earlier designs used more than one main rotor, it is the single main rotor with anti-torque tail rotor configuration that has become the most common helicopter configuration. Tandem rotor helicopters are also in widespread use due to their greater payload capacity. Coaxial helicopters, tiltrotor aircraft, and compound helicopters are all flying today. Quadcopter helicopters pioneered as early as 1907 in France, and other types of multicopter have been developed for specialized applications such as unmanned drones.
Helicopter
Military forces use attack helicopters to conduct aerial attacks on ground targets. Such helicopters are mounted with missile launchers and miniguns. Transport helicopters are used to ferry troops and supplies where the lack of an airstrip would make transport via fixed-wing aircraft impossible. The use of transport helicopters to deliver troops as an attack force on an objective is referred to as "air assault". Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) helicopter systems of varying sizes are developed by companies for military reconnaissance and surveillance duties. Naval forces also use helicopters equipped with dipping sonar for anti-submarine warfare, since they can operate from small ships.
Helicopter Training School
Apart from training helicopter pilots for Air Force, Helicopter Training School also trains pilots of Army, Navy, Coast Guard and other friendly countries. The Helicopter Training School located in Air Force Station Hakimpet has about 40 types of helicopters and on an average, 15 to 20 helicopters fly everyday as part of training to officers.
Radio-controlled aircraft
Radio-controlled helicopters, although often grouped with RC aircraft, are in a class of their own due to the vast differences in construction, aerodynamics and flight training. Hobbyists will often venture from planes, to jets and to helicopters as they enjoy the challenges, excitement and satisfaction of flying different types of aircraft. Some radio-controlled helicopters have photo or video cameras installed and are used for aerial imaging or surveillance. Newer "3d" radio-control helicopters can fly inverted with the advent of advanced swash heads, and servo linkage that enables the pilot to immediately reverse the pitch of the blades, creating a reverse in thrust.
Dimitris Ververelis
Ververelis is trained in more than 15 helicopter types. He has both FAA and EASA flight licenses. He is a helicopter flight instructor and examiner
SimCopter
The list of helicopters in SimCopter are:
Helicopter carrier
A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. A helicopter carrier has a large flight deck that occupies a large part of the ship, which can extend the full length of the ship like of the Royal Navy (RN), or only partway, usually aft, as in the Soviet Navy's , the Chinese Navy's Type 0891A or the RN's RFA "Argus". It often also has a hangar deck for the storage of aircraft.
Mizuho-class patrol vessel
As above, they have a double helicopter hangar. To move the helicopter between the hangar and the helicopter deck, a helicopter traverse device developed by the JMSA was installed. The shipboard helicopters were the Bell 212 air-sea rescue helicopters in the early days. Then, with the aging of the Bell 212, they were superseded by the Bell 412 by 2014. As shipboard weapons, one Oerlikon 35 mm L/90 gun and one JM61-M 20 mm rotary cannon were set up. And later, JM61-M was upgraded to JM61-RFS, remotely operated version with an optical director.
Radio-controlled helicopter
While a coaxial model is very stable and can be flown indoors even in tight quarters, such a helicopter has limited forward speed, especially outdoors. Most models are fixed-pitch, i.e. the collective pitch of the blades cannot be controlled, plus the cyclic control is only applied to the lower rotor. Compensating for even the slightest breeze causes the model to climb rather than to fly forward even with full application of cyclic. More advanced coaxial constructions with two swash plates and/or pitch control (common for full-scale coaxial helicopters like Kamovs) have been realized as models in individual projects but have not seen the mass market .
Helitack
Some of the most common helicopter types are variants of the venerable UH-1 Huey, known in the civilian world as the Bell 205, especially upgraded variants such as the 205A++ and the 210. The twin-engine Bell 212 is also popular. Other helicopters such as the Sikorsky S-58 are also used, and the S-70 Firehawk, a civilian version of the military's UH-60 Blackhawk, is now being operated by two agencies in the U.S.
Helicopter manufacturer
In Japan the three main manufacturers of helicopters are the aviation arms of the Japanese conglomerates Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Fuji Heavy Industries. These companies initially followed a business model based on forming strategic partnerships with foreign, usually American, companies with the licensed production of those companies products, whilst building up their own ability to design and manufacture helicopters through a process of workshare and technology transfer. Though initially loose these partnerships settled down to the pairing of Mitsubishi with Sikorsky, Kawasaki with Boeing, and Fuji with Bell. With the experience they have built up as licensees and sub-contractors the Japanese companies are beginning to produce and offer their own products.
National Police of Colombia
Helicopters
Bell UH-1 Iroquois
In 1952, the U.S. Army identified a requirement for a new helicopter to serve as medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), instrument trainer, and general utility aircraft. The Army determined that current helicopters were too large, underpowered, or too complex to maintain easily. In November 1953, revised military requirements were submitted to the Department of the Army. Twenty companies submitted designs in their bid for the contract, including Bell Helicopter with the Model 204 and Kaman Aircraft with a turbine-powered version of the H-43. On 23 February 1955, the Army announced its decision, selecting Bell to build three copies of the Model 204 for evaluation with the designation XH-40.
Quadcopter
Quadcopters differ from conventional helicopters, which use rotors that are able to vary the pitch of their blades dynamically as they move around the rotor hub. In the early days of flight, quadcopters (then referred to either as 'quadrotors' or simply as 'helicopters') were seen as possible solutions to some of the persistent problems in vertical flight. Torque-induced control issues (as well as efficiency issues originating from the tail rotor, which generates no useful lift) can be eliminated by counter-rotation, and the relatively short blades are much easier to construct. A number of manned designs appeared in the 1920s and 1930s. These vehicles were among the first successful heavier-than-air vertical take off and landing (VTOL) vehicles. However, early prototypes suffered from poor performance, and latter prototypes required too much pilot work load, due to poor stability augmentation and limited control authority.
Takeoff and landing
Besides the ubiquitous helicopter, there are currently two types of VTOL aircraft in military service: craft using a tiltrotor, such as the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, and aircraft using directed jet thrust such as the Harrier family.
Radio-controlled helicopter
There have been two main types of systems to control the main rotors, mechanical mixing and cyclic/collective pitch mixing (CCPM). Most earlier helicopters used mechanical mixing. Today, nearly all R/C helicopter use CCPM.
HNZ Group
HNZ Group Inc, formerly Canadian Helicopters Group Inc. , is the parent company of Helicopters (NZ) and Canadian Helicopters. Overall the company operates 140 helicopters in support of multi-national companies and government agencies, including onshore and offshore oil & gas, mineral exploration, military support, hydro/utilities, forest management, construction, air ambulance, and search & rescue. In addition to charter services, they provide flight training and third party repair and maintenance services from 43 bases across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan,United States, Antarctica and southeast Asia.
Denel Rooivalk
Developing an entirely new helicopter from scratch would have involved designing and developing many accompanying subsystems and components, such as the turboshaft engines and the dynamic systems, such as the main and tail rotor systems and the gearboxes. Due to the great difficulty posed by the prospects of designing and manufacturing a clean-design helicopter, which would have substantially increased the cost and timescale of the project, it was decided to base the attack helicopter upon an existing design. At the time, the SAAF operated two principal helicopter types – the Aérospatiale Alouette III and the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma. The Alouette III was a small helicopter which originated from the 1960s; due to the age of the design and a lack of engine power, it was not considered a favourable candidate for further development work.
British Army
The Army Air Corps (AAC) provides direct aviation support, with the Royal Air Force providing support helicopters. The primary attack helicopter is the Westland WAH-64 Apache, a licence-built, modified version of the US AH-64 Apache which replaced the Westland Lynx AH7 in the anti-tank role. Other helicopters include the Westland Gazelle (a light surveillance aircraft), the Bell 212 (in jungle "hot and high" environments) and the AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat, a dedicated intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) helicopter. The Eurocopter AS 365N Dauphin is used for special operations aviation, and the Britten-Norman Islander is a light, fixed-wing aircraft used for airborne reconnaissance and command and control. The army operates two unmanned aerial vehicles ('UAV's) in a surveillance role: the small Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III and the larger Thales Watchkeeper WK450.
Military helicopter
The major Western European helicopter manufacturers are now AgustaWestland and Eurocopter Group. In America, the three large remaining companies are Boeing (Boeing Vertol and McDonnell Douglas), Bell Helicopter and Sikorsky Aircraft.
Take On Helicopters
"Take On Helicopters" is primarily a civil aviation video game focused on rotary-wing aircraft, featuring three different classes of helicopters: light, medium, and heavy. In addition to the career, the game includes challenges, time trials, training, a mission editor, free flight, and multiplayer.
Helicopter manufacturer
Helicopter manufacturers belong to the broader category of aerospace manufacturers. It is useful to think of helicopter manufacturers as falling into two categories, those that can design, certify and manufacture new helicopter designs from scratch and those that can only manufacture extant designs under license. Boeing Vertol is an example of the first type and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, who license-produced Boeing Vertol designs for much of its recent history, is an example of the second type.
Helicopter
By October 2018, the in-service and stored helicopter fleet of 38,570 with civil or government operators was led Robinson Helicopter with 24.7% followed by Airbus Helicopters with 24.4%, then Bell with 20.5 and Leonardo with 8.4%, Russian Helicopters with 7.7%, Sikorsky Aircraft with 7.2%, MD Helicopters with 3.4% and other with 2.2%.
The most widespread model is the piston Robinson R44 with 5,600, then the H125/AS350 with 3,600 units, followed by the Bell 206 with 3,400.
Most were in North America with 34.3% then in Europe with 28.0% followed by Asia-Pacific with 18.6%, Latin America with 11.6%, Africa with 5.3% and Middle East with 1.7%.
Rhodesian Light Infantry
A Commando would be based at an airfield with usually four helicopters, one DC-3 Dakota and the Cessna (known as the "Lynx"). One of these helicopters was equipped with a MG 151/20 20mm cannon and seating arrangement for the mastermind of the engagement, usually the officer commanding of the Commando. This helicopter was called the K-car with a crew of three consisting of the pilot, a technician (gunner), and the fireforce commander. The other helicopters used in each call-out, known as G-cars, were typically Alouette Mk IIIs, though in 1979 a few Bell UH-1s were used.
Aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing aircraft, or rappelling from helicopters. Chemicals used to fight fires may include water, water enhancers such as foams and gels, and specially formulated fire retardants such as Phos-Chek.
LHX Attack Chopper
In addition to the titular LHX prototype scout-attack helicopter, the game features two flyable US Army helicopters, the AH-64A Apache and UH-60 Blackhawk, and another prototype (as of 1990): the MV-22 Osprey, any of which may be deployed against Soviet-made ground and air military equipment in the three war theaters of Libya, Vietnam and Germany. Allied units are also available, but they do not actively join the fight, nor do the opposing units usually fire upon allied equipment, apart from specific escort missions where a B-2 bomber or a couple of UH-60 tasked with CSAR will enter into enemy air space. All missile-equipped units (both ground and air) have a limited number of shots, often matching the number of ready-to-fire missiles available in the real system. Land units do not move but air units do.
The player can play any campaign or mission in any preferred order, facing five different complexity levels, which will improve the enemy's situation awareness, time of reaction and sheer number and quality of the fielded forces. Every completed mission will not affect the other missions or the campaign as a whole and the player can run the same mission again regardless its previous result. At the end of every mission, the player receives a mission debriefing describing the consequences of the success or failure and a point counter will change depending whether the primary target is completed, whether the pilot landed at an allied airfield and not just in friendly territory and to a smaller extent the number of other enemy forces destroyed in the process of reaching and returning from the target area.
Helicopter Cube
There are four variants of the Helicopter Cube:
Ventura County Fire Department
Ventura County has four Helicopters that are jointly used by the VCFD and the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. The fleet of helicopters is made up of four different Bell UH-1 Hueys, one each of the HH-1H, UH-1H, Bell 205B and Bell 212. Each Huey can carry up to nine firefighters and features a 375-gallon water tank that can be used to make drops onto fires. In addition to fire fighting missions, the Hueys are used for search and rescue. emergency medical services, marijuana eradication and surveillance.
United States Army
While the United States Army Aviation Branch operates a few fixed-wing aircraft, it mainly operates several types of rotary-wing aircraft. These include the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the UH-60 Black Hawk utility tactical transport helicopter and the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift transport helicopter. Restructuring plans call for reduction of 750 aircraft and from 7 to 4 types.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
There are several different classes of vehicles that serve different purposes. Off-road vehicles perform better in rough environments, while racing cars perform better on tracks or on the street. Jets are fast, but usually need a runway to land. Helicopters can land almost anywhere and are much easier to control in the air, but are slower. While previous "Grand Theft Auto" games had only a few aircraft that were difficult to access and fly, "San Andreas" has eleven fixed-wing aircraft and nine helicopters and makes them more integral in the game's missions. There is also the ability to skydive from aircraft, using a parachute. Several boats were added, while some were highly modified.
Helicopter
The mast is a cylindrical metal shaft that extends upwards from the transmission. At the top of the mast is the attachment point for the rotor blades called the hub. The rotor blades are attached to the hub. Main rotor systems are classified according to how the rotor blades are attached and move relative to the hub. There are three basic types: hingeless, fully articulated, and teetering; although some modern rotor systems use a combination of these.
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can hover, take off, and land vertically. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors. Some VTOL aircraft can operate in other modes as well, such as CTOL (conventional take-off and landing), STOL (short take-off and landing), and/or STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing). Others, such as some helicopters, can only operate by VTOL, due to the aircraft lacking landing gear that can handle horizontal motion. VTOL is a subset of V/STOL (vertical and/or short take-off and landing). Some lighter-than-air aircraft also qualify as VTOL aircraft, as they can hover, takeoff, and land with vertical approach/departure profiles.
Radio-controlled helicopter
Modern RC helicopters are generally classed by the length of the main blades (with few exceptions). Common classes are:
List of heliports in Washington, D.C.
Until 1996, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) operated eight helicopters, including three MD-500s and five Bell OH-58s. The MPDC had heliports in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th police districts. The helicopters were sold after budget cuts; the MPDC used National Park Service helicopters as needed. In 2001, the MPDC obtained a new Eurocopter AS350, and flies it from the South Capitol Street Heliport at Buzzard Point.
List of Australian Army aircraft
Helicopters
Helicopter rotor
Transverse rotors are mounted on the end of wings or outriggers perpendicular to the body of the aircraft. Similar to tandem rotors and intermeshing rotors, the transverse rotor also uses differential collective pitch. But like the intermeshing rotors, the transverse rotors use the concept for changes in the roll attitude of the rotorcraft. This configuration is found on two of the first viable helicopters, the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 and the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223, as well as the world's largest helicopter ever built, the Mil Mi-12. It is also the configuration found on tiltrotors such as the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey and the AgustaWestland AW609.
Helicopter (disambiguation)
A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors.
Military transport aircraft
Heavy lift helicopters are the largest and most capable of the transport types, currently limited in service to the CH-53 Sea Stallion and related CH-53E Super Stallion, CH-47 Chinook, Mil Mi-26, and Aérospatiale Super Frelon. Capable of lifting up to 80 troops and moving small Armoured fighting vehicles (usually as slung loads but also internally), these helicopters operate in the tactical transport role in much the same way as small fixed wing turboprop air-lifters. The lower speed, range and increased fuel consumption of helicopters are more than compensated by their ability to operate virtually anywhere.
United States Marine Corps Aviation
The Marine light attack helicopter squadrons (HMLA) are composite squadrons of AH-1W SuperCobras and UH-1N Iroquois (also known as the Huey), as the airframes have over 80% commonality. Both are slated to be replaced by the Bell AH-1Z Viper in 2011 and the Bell UH-1Y Venom in 2009, respectively as part of the H-1 upgrade program. These provide light-attack and light transport capabilities. Marine medium helicopter (HMM) squadrons fly the CH-46E Sea Knight medium-lift transport helicopters; but are converting to the V-22 Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft with superior range and speed, and are being renamed as "Marine medium tilt-rotor" (VMM) squadrons. Marine heavy helicopter (HMH) squadrons fly the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter for heavy-lift missions. These will eventually be replaced with the upgraded CH-53K, currently under development.
Radio-controlled helicopter
A Radio-controlled helicopter (also "RC helicopter") is model aircraft which is distinct from a RC airplane because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training. Several basic designs of RC helicopters exist, of which some (such as those with collective pitch control) are more maneuverable than others. The more maneuverable designs are often harder to fly, but benefit from greater aerobatic capabilities.
Bristow Helicopters fleet
Bristow Helicopters operate a large fleet of 490 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It operates 24 helicopter types in 2015, but intends to reduce the variety to 6 types. The fleet includes unconsolidated affiliates and joint venture partners, as of 31 December 2008 is as follows:
Rotorcraft
A helicopter is a rotorcraft whose rotors are driven by the engine(s) throughout the flight to allow the helicopter to take off vertically, hover, fly forwards, backwards and laterally, as well as to land vertically. Helicopters have several different configurations of one or more main rotors.
Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom
All Home Office police forces have access to air support, often in the form of helicopters. Some forces also have small fixed wing aircraft. Police Helicopters are required by the CAA to be marked in a standard 'high conspicuosity' paint scheme, to make them more visible and avoid the possibility of air proximity hazards with other low flying aircraft. This paint scheme, also used by UK military training helicopters, requires them to be black on the sides and underneath, and yellow on top. When seen from the ground, these helicopters are black but this is to make them more visible against the sky as a safety feature (and yellow against the ground when seen from above). One of the most common helicopters used by the police is the Eurocopter EC135. The PSNI is unique in that it, currently, is the only UK police force to operate an aeroplane, alongside its Eurocopter EC135 and two Eurocopter EC145s.
Aerial firefighting
Helicopters may be fitted with tanks (helitankers) or they may carry buckets. Some helitankers, such as the Erickson AirCrane, are also outfitted with a front-mounted foam cannon. Buckets are usually filled by submerging or dipping them in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or portable tanks. The most popular of the buckets is the flexible Bambi Bucket. Tanks can be filled on the ground (by water tenders or truck-mounted systems) or water can be siphoned from lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or a portable tank through a hanging snorkel. Popular firefighting helicopters include variants of the Bell 204, Bell 205, Bell 212, Boeing Vertol 107, Boeing Vertol 234 and the Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane helitanker, which features a snorkel for filling from a natural or man-made water source while in hover. Currently the world's largest helicopter, the Mil Mi-26, uses a Bambi bucket.
Aircraft cruiser
A more modern derivative of the aircraft cruiser is the helicopter cruiser which could typically operate at least 4 or more helicopters including medium and heavy lift varieties. This is in contrast to surface warships such as cruisers, destroyers, and frigates which have basic aviation facilities, including a hanger and landing pad, that are sufficient only for 1-2 light/medium helicopters.
Air-sea rescue
In the 1950s, some models of helicopter such as the Bell 47 and 48 were fitted with pontoons so that they could rest on both water and land. Other helicopters such as the Sea King and the Seaguard were made with a water-resistant hull which allowed them to settle directly onto the water for long enough to effect a rescue. Such amphibious helicopters came to the fore in the 1960s but have been largely replaced by helicopters unable to land on water, due to high aircraft development costs. Amphibious helicopters paid dividends for rescue personnel who enjoyed greater safety and success during operations. Operations that use non-amphibious helicopters rely to a higher degree on hoists, rescue baskets, and rescue swimmers.
Helicopters became frequently used, due to a number of advantages; they could fly in rougher weather than fixed-wing aircraft and could deliver injured passengers directly to hospitals or other emergency facilities. Helicopters can hover above the scene of an accident while fixed-wing aircraft must circle, or for seaplanes, land and taxi toward the accident. Helicopters can save those stranded among rocks and reefs, where seaplanes are unable to go. Landing facilities for helicopters can be much smaller and cruder than for fixed-wing aircraft. Additionally, the same helicopter that is capable of air-sea rescue can take part in a wide variety of other operations including those on land. Disadvantages include the loud noise causing difficulties in communicating with the survivors and the strong downdraft that the hovering helicopter creates which increases wind chill danger for already-soaked and hypothermic patients. Helicopters also tend to have limited range and endurance.
Helicopter
The number, size and type of engine(s) used on a helicopter determines the size, function and capability of that helicopter design. The earliest helicopter engines were simple mechanical devices, such as rubber bands or spindles, which relegated the size of helicopters to toys and small models. For a half century before the first airplane flight, steam engines were used to forward the development of the understanding of helicopter aerodynamics, but the limited power did not allow for manned flight. The introduction of the internal combustion engine at the end of the 19th century became the watershed for helicopter development as engines began to be developed and produced that were powerful enough to allow for helicopters able to lift humans.
Helicopter
A helicopter has four flight control inputs. These are the cyclic, the collective, the anti-torque pedals, and the throttle. The cyclic control is usually located between the pilot's legs and is commonly called the "cyclic stick" or just "cyclic". On most helicopters, the cyclic is similar to a joystick. However, the Robinson R22 and Robinson R44 have a unique teetering bar cyclic control system and a few helicopters have a cyclic control that descends into the cockpit from overhead.
Military helicopter
Among the first practical uses of helicopters when the R-4 and R-5 became available to US and UK forces was deployment from navy cruisers and battleships, at first supplementing and later replacing catapult-launched observation aircraft. Another niche within the capability of the early helicopters was as plane guard - tasked with the recovery of pilots who had ditched near an aircraft carrier.
Helicopter
The largest single non-combat helicopter operation in history was the disaster management operation following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Hundreds of pilots were involved in airdrop and observation missions, making dozens of sorties a day for several months.
"Helitack" is the use of helicopters to combat wildland fires. The helicopters are used for aerial firefighting (water bombing) and may be fitted with tanks or carry helibuckets. Helibuckets, such as the Bambi bucket, are usually filled by submerging the bucket into lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or portable tanks. Tanks fitted onto helicopters are filled from a hose while the helicopter is on the ground or water is siphoned from lakes or reservoirs through a hanging snorkel as the helicopter hovers over the water source. Helitack helicopters are also used to deliver firefighters, who rappel down to inaccessible areas, and to resupply firefighters. Common firefighting helicopters include variants of the Bell 205 and the Erickson S-64 Aircrane helitanker.
Quadcopter
A quadcopter, also called a quadrotor helicopter or quadrotor, is a multirotor helicopter that is lifted and propelled by four rotors. Quadcopters are classified as rotorcraft, as opposed to fixed-wing aircraft, because their lift is generated by a set of rotors (vertically oriented propellers).
U.S. helicopter armament subsystems
The United States military has developed a number of Helicopter Armament Subsystems since the early 1960s. These systems are used for offensive and defensive purposes and make use of a wide variety of weapon types including, but not limited to machine guns, grenade launchers, autocannon, and rockets. Various systems are still in use, though many have become obsolete.
Future Vertical Lift
Future Vertical Lift (FVL) is a plan to develop a family of military helicopters for the United States Armed Forces. Five different sizes of aircraft are to be developed, sharing common hardware such as sensors, avionics, engines, and countermeasures. The U.S. Army has been considering the program since 2004. FVL is meant to develop replacements for the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters. The precursor for FVL is the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) helicopter program.
Radio-controlled helicopter
In the past electric helicopters were used mainly indoors due to the small size and lack of fumes. Larger electric helicopters suitable for outdoor flight and advanced aerobatics have become a reality over the last few years and have become very popular. Their quietness has made them very popular for flying sites close to residential areas and in places such as Germany where there are strict noise restrictions. Nitro helicopters have also been converted to electric power by commercial and homemade kits.
Pilot licensing in Canada
There is no blanket type rating for helicopter aircraft types and a type rating must be earned for each type of helicopter. A helicopter type rating for the specific helicopter used during training is issued with the private pilot licence—helicopter.
Kern County Fire Department
The KCFD has two helicopters in their air operations unit, "H-407" and "H-408". Both are Bell UH-1 "Huey"s and are fitted for both hoisting of personnel for a rescue as well as for dropping of water during a fire. The underside can also be fitted with water dropping tanks that carry 320 gallons of water and have the ability to pump water from a reservoir or other water source or they can be filled on the ground with fire hoses.
Amphibious helicopter
Helicopters can be designed to withstand limited contact with the surface of a body of water. The 1958 Vertol HUP-2 was an amphibious development of the twin-rotor Piasecki H-25 which strengthened its hull and replaced lower nose windows with tough aluminum. The HUP-2 was provided with a pair of stabilizing outrigger floats positioned amidships. The HUP-2 was able to taxi forward or backward on water, regardless of wind direction.
The CH-46 Sea Knight and its Canadian variant, the CH-113 Labrador, can land on water and rest for up to two hours in calm water. The rear sponsons hold two of the three landing gear units as well as self-sealing fuel tanks. The helicopter began service with the United States Marine Corps in 1962, and with the Canadian military in 1963, and is used to carry cargo and combat troops.
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook was made sufficiently watertight to allow it to land on water for a short time in carrying out covert operations and special military missions. Buoyancy was increased with sealed compartments inside sponsons which extended most of the way along each side of the fuselage. For extended water usage, Boeing offered a kit to enhance its water resistance. The Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion, first introduced in 1966, is also capable of limited water landing.
Whirlybirds
The two helicopter types used were Bell models, a 47G and a 47J Ranger; the tail numbers were N975B and N2838B (and N1538B as back-up), respectively. In reality, many helicopters played the role of N975B. Other Bell 47Gs owned by National Helicopter Service were used in the filming with "N975B" decals covering their actual registrations.Some copies of the series are sold on the internet, but no officially authorized DVD sets are available. The U.S. National Archives possesses a complete set of original 16 mm prints. The original 35mm film prints of the series are no longer available; unfortunately, extant video copies are inferior with poor contrast/low-resolution images, some emulsion scratches, and with 16mm projector film-gate dirt visible in the frame corners. Considering the many generations of dubs made of this series, the soundtracks of most episodes remain in relative high fidelity.
Armed helicopter
An armed helicopter is a military helicopter equipped with aircraft ordnance. Most commonly, it is used for attacking targets on the ground. Such a helicopter could be either purposely designed for a ground-attack mission—in which case it would be more specifically categorized as an attack helicopter—or may have been previously designed for other uses, such as utility, air cargo, aerial reconnaissance, etc., with the weapons mounts being modifications, rather than part of the design of the helicopter. The purpose of the modification to an armed helicopter configuration can be field expediency during combat, the lack of military funding to develop or purchase attack helicopters, or the need to maintain the helicopter for missions that do not require the weapons.
Helicopter
While LePage and Sikorsky built their helicopters for the military, Bell Aircraft hired Arthur Young to help build a helicopter using Young's two-blade teetering rotor design, which used a weighted stabilizer bar placed at a 90° angle to the rotor blades. The subsequent Model 30 helicopter showed the design's simplicity and ease of use. The Model 30 was developed into the Bell 47, which became the first helicopter certified for civilian use in the United States. Produced in several countries, the Bell 47 was the most popular helicopter model for nearly 30 years.
RAF Holbeach
At the present time aircraft types such as the Tornado GR4, Eurofighter Typhoon, USAF F-15Es (from 48th Fighter Wing), Hawk Trainer and AgustaWestland Apache AH1 helicopters can be seen operating on the range at various times of the day, including on occasions CV-22B Osprey (from 7th Special Operations Squadron), HH-60G Pave Hawk (from 56th Rescue Squadron), Chinook, Merlin and Puma HC helicopters. The range also hosts frequent Forward Air Control (FAC) or Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) exercises.
Shattered Union
With the longest line-of-sight, the highest per-turn movement rate, and unimpeded by terrain, helicopters make both good scout and combat units. They can move from one front of attack to another with high speed, and are effective against most types of units. A significant downside to helicopters is that they cannot capture or hold objectives, which means they can only act as support. Helicopters also attract considerable attention from enemy fighter aircraft and AA units, meaning they ultimately require much support from a faction's other air and ground forces.
Military helicopter
Most military helicopters are armoured to some extent however all equipment is limited to the installed power and lift capability and the limits installed equipment places on useful payload. The most extensive armour is placed around the pilots, engines, transmission and fuel tanks. Fuel lines, control cables and power to the tail rotor may also be shrouded by Kevlar armour. The most heavily armoured helicopters are attack, assault and special forces helicopters. In transport helicopters the crew compartment may or may not be fully armoured, a compromise being to give the passengers Kevlar lined seats but to leave the compartment for the most part unarmoured. Survivability is enhanced by redundancy and the placement of components to protect each other. For example, the Blackhawk family of helicopters uses two engines and can continue to fly on only one (under certain conditions), the engines are separated by the transmission and placed so that if attacked from any one flank, the engine on that flank acts to protect the transmission and the engine on the other side from damage.
Stealth helicopter
Stealth helicopters are helicopters that incorporate stealth technology to avoid detection. Helicopters are in many ways less suitable for stealth technology than airplanes are, because of the noise generated by their rotor blades, which also give off a strong radar signature. In recent years, designs for blades have emerged that can significantly reduce noise, which is a major issue for clandestine use of helicopters. A raid on the compound of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 utilized what appeared to be two Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks, heavily modified for quieter operations and employing stealth technology to be less visible to radar.
Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)
Today the larger section of the AAC is the rotary-wing part. Its aviators fly four types of helicopter, and within each type there are usually several marks/variants which carry out different roles. Pilots designated for rotary-wing service train at the Defence Helicopter Flying School, RAF Shawbury. The School is a tri-Service organisation consisting of civilian and military instructors that take the student from basic flying through to more advanced flying such as instrument flying, navigation, formation flying and captaincy. In service rotary-wing aircraft include: the Bell 212HP AH1, the Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II, the Eurocopter Squirrel HT2, the Westland Gazelle AH1, the Westland Wildcat AH.1 and the AgustaWestland Apache AH1.
Bristow Helicopters
Bristow operates a large fleet of over 450 helicopters and aircraft, which includes unconsolidated affiliates and joint venture partners. Bristow intends to reduce fleet variety from 24 helicopter types to six. For subsidiaries Eastern Airways and Airnorth fixed wing jet and turboprop aircraft, see Eastern Airways and Airnorth.
Bristow sites:
Other sites:
Emergency Management Queensland
The division had two Bell 412 utility helicopters and three AW139 twin-engined helicopters with one each based in Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane. All three AW139s were grounded after the same model aircraft crashed in China and Brazil in August 2011. Prior to this grounding the helicopters experienced tail and rotor problems and were the subject of criticism over their expense from supporters of other rescue helicopters, which means two of EMQs Bell 412s were used for medivacs during the AW139 grounding. The other rescue helicopters operating in Queensland are RACQ LifeFlight with 14 government funded helicopters, RACQ CQ Rescue, RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue, RACQ NQ Rescue and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service.
Swedish Navy
The Swedish Armed Forces (Swedish: Försvarsmakten) operate three types of helicopters: NHIndustries NH90 ("HKP14") (18 in service), AgustaWestland AW109 ("HKP15") (20 in service) and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk ("HKP16") (15 in service). Eight of the AgustaWestland AW109 helicopters have been modified to be operational from the "Visby"-class corvettes and . Nine of the NHIndustries NH90 helicopters are equipped with sonars and radars for anti-submarine warfare.
Helicopter
The English word "helicopter" is adapted from the French word , coined by Gustave Ponton d'Amécourt in 1861, which originates from the Greek "helix" () "helix, spiral, whirl, convolution" and "pteron" () "wing". English language nicknames for helicopter include "chopper", "copter", "helo", "heli", and "whirlybird".
Transport category
Easily recognisable examples of transport category helicopters are Bell 412, Eurocopter Super Puma, MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, AgustaWestland AW139.
Take On Helicopters
"Take On Helicopters" includes three distinct classes of helicopter: light (MD500 based), medium (Bell 412 based) and heavy (AW101 Merlin based). Each has a flight model suited to the characteristics of its class and within each class there are multiple variants. Equipment such as winches, sling-lines, fast rope hooks and external cameras generate a wide range of things to do across a number of different helicopters.
List of ultralight helicopters
Ultralight helicopters are classified as ultralight aircraft by the FAA and as Very Light Rotorcraft (VLR) by the EASA.
Hughes OH-6 Cayuse
The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (nicknamed "Loach", after the requirement acronym LOH—Light Observation Helicopter) is a single-engine light helicopter with a four-bladed main rotor used for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. Hughes Helicopters also developed the Model 369 as a civilian helicopter, and the Hughes Model 500, currently produced by MD Helicopters as the MD 500.
Pescara Model 3 Helicopter
The model three was the first example to use control mechanisms as modern helicopters. The helicopter is based around a central shaft with counter-rotating rotors. Each rotor was doubled into a biplane arrangement with cable supports. It used a cyclic stick for forward and lateral control with rotor warping, and wheel for yaw anti-torque control. The main rotor shaft was able to tilt slightly for forward control. The rotors were also capable of autorotation in case of engine failure.
LAPD Air Support Division
The Air Support Division (ASD) was established as the LAPD Helicopter Unit in 1956 with one Hiller UH-12C three-seat helicopter. They added a second helicopter in 1963 and a third in 1965. The city operated Bell 47G and 47J model helicopters. In 1968, the unit received its first turbine powered helicopter the Bell 206A JetRanger, which significantly decreased police response times. With a major expansion in 1974, the Helicopter Unit was renamed the Air Support Division. At that time, the ASD grew to 15 helicopters and one Cessna 210 manned by 77 sworn personnel. In 1976, the ASD added the Special Flight Section (SFS), a unit dedicated to supporting undercover police operations. In this support role, SFS is a significant contributor to narcotics and serialized criminal investigations. In 1989, the ASD added its first Aerospatiale AS350 B1. The city replaced all but 4 of the Bell 206 JetRangers and retired the older piston models. Two officers with at least three years of patrol car service fly in each air unit; they are armed and able to land and make arrests in areas not accessible by other means. 
Air units today provide aerial surveillance for vehicle pursuits, robberies, large crowd demonstrations, drug interdiction as well for SAR missions. Air units are automatically requested when initiating a traffic stop on a "code 37" vehicle, or suspect with known wants or warrants that are a felony in order to limit the potential for a pursuit. Aircraft will not fly during poor weather due to aviation safety.Today the Air Support Division consists of 88 sworn personnel and 19 helicopters which include two Bell 206B3 JetRangers, 10 Eurocopter AS-350B2 AStars, 4 Airbus H125 (AS-350B3e), one Bell 412 and one Beechcraft King Air 200 twin-engined aircraft.
Bristow Helicopters fleet
Medium helicopters carry up to 13 passengers and are the most versatile type of helicopter. All of the Bell 212, Bell 412, Eurocopter EC 155 and Sikorsky S-76A rotorcraft have now been removed from the fleet.
Defence Helicopter Flying School
The contract included the provision of thirty-four Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil helicopters (known as the Squirrel HT1/2 in military service) and eleven Bell 412EP (known as the Griffin HT1), as well as helicopter engineering and support which were already being provided by FRA Serco under an existing contract. The helicopters were civilian owned but military registered and 40% of instructors were to be civilians. Compared to the existing training arrangements, the government expected the DHFS to provide £80m of savings over the 15-year contract period.
Sécurité Civile
The "Sécurité Civile" helicopter group has 23 helicopter bases in mainland France and its overseas territories. It has a fleet of 40 helicopters and employs 230 pilots and flight engineers and 50 ground engineers. Over its 50 years of activity, the helicopter group has an impressive track record, with 480,000 flight hours, 250,000 rescue missions and 225,000 people rescued. Helicopter group aircraft use the callsign "DRAGON", followed by the number of the "département" in which their base is located.Six "Aerospatiale Alouette" III SA316B are still in operation, based at Alpe d'Huez, Chamonix, Nîmes and Paris.Four Eurocopter "Écureuil" AS-350 are operated out of Cannes, Nîmes and Marseille."Sécurité Civile" currently operates 35 EC-145 helicopters that were delivered between 2002 and 2005. The fleet has accumulated over 100,000 flight hours. The EC-145 fleet is used for search and rescue, fire fighting, emergency medical services (EMS), surveillance and law enforcement. EC-145s are deployed on 22 "Sécurité Civile" bases in France and the French Overseas Territories. An order has been placed for a further five helicopters, to be delivered from January 2009. This will enable the phasing out of the six remaining "Alouette" III helicopters. The EC 145 carries out an average 10,000 rescue missions each year, representing over 13,300 flight hours.
Helitack
Helicopters used for helitack missions are usually utility helicopters, selected for both their lifting capability as well as their large cabin size to accommodate the helitack crew.
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward, and laterally. These attributes allow helicopters to be used in congested or isolated areas where fixed-wing aircraft and many forms of VTOL (Vertical TakeOff and Landing) aircraft cannot perform.
Helicopter
In the United States, Russian-born engineer Igor Sikorsky and W. Lawrence LePage competed to produce the U.S. military's first helicopter. LePage received the patent rights to develop helicopters patterned after the Fw 61, and built the XR-1. Meanwhile, Sikorsky settled on a simpler, single rotor design, the VS-300, which turned out to be the first practical single lifting-rotor helicopter design. After experimenting with configurations to counteract the torque produced by the single main rotor, Sikorsky settled on a single, smaller rotor mounted on the tail boom.
D'You Know What I Mean?
The helicopters used were British Army Westland "Lynx" AH.7s. One is an AH.7(DAS) variant, noticeable for the distinctive "disco ball" infra-red jammer under the tail. The other is a "stock" AH.7, albeit with a TOW antitank missile sight mounted over the left-hand front seat. Although only two helicopters were used, post-production techniques such as split screen editing, camera angles and CGI produced the huge number of helicopters seen in the video.
Helicopter rescue basket
There are two main types of helicopter baskets. The smaller, more common type is used by rescuers to lift a person up from ground or water into the helicopter. An early type that could scoop an unconscious person from the sea was the Sproule Net, invented by Lt Cdr John Sproule, RN, in 1956 which was used by British helicopter rescue units until the late 1970s.
Land Air Sea Warfare
The eight types of air units are produced in the "Air Factory" production facility. There are a fast recon fighter (Wasp), attack and transport helicopters (Apache and Crane), two attack fighters (Raptor and Osprey), two types of bombers (Valkyrie and Lancer) and a stealth fighter (Black Widow). As other offensive units, the air units vary in speed, attack strength and their capacity to attack Land, Air and Sea units.
Yugoslav Air Force
Helicopter units of JRV were equipped with about 190 home-made Gazelle helicopters in utility, attack, rescue and scout versions, 90 Soviet-made Mil Mi-8T Hip-C cargo helicopters and 12 Soviet anti-submarine helicopters. Each Corps of AF and AD had a Special Helicopter Squad ("Specijalno Helikoptersko Odeljenje" - SHO) equipped with four Mi-8 helicopters unless the Special Helicopter Squad of the First Corps of AF and AD, which was equipped with two Aérospatiale Alouette III light utility helicopters and two Mi-8 transport helicopters. In the 138th Transport Aviation Brigade which was separate unit under direct command of JRViPVO HQ there was one transport helicopter squadron, 890.TRHE equipped with Mi-8 and Gazelle helicopters. The First Corps of AF and AD had the 107th Helicopter Regiment from Mostar (BiH), which consisted of two squadrons, 782.HE equipped with Gazelle helicopters in SA.341 and SA.342 Gama versions and Mi-8, and 783.HE equipped with Gazelle helicopters. Squadrons of the 107th Helicopter Regiment were used by the Marshal Tito Air Force Military Academy. Also there were three helicopter squadrons of the 97th Aviation Brigade at Divulje; 676.PPAE equipped with Gazelle helicopters and CL-215 firefighting aircraft, 784.PPHE equipped with 12 Mi-14, Ka-25 and Ka-28 anti-sub helicopters and 790.TRHE equipped with Mi-8 cargo helicopters. In the Third Corps of AF and AD there were three helicopter squadrons in 119. Aviation Brigade; 712.POHE equipped with Gazelle Gama attack helicopters, 714.POHE also equipped with Gazelle Gama helicopters and 787.TRHE equipped with Mi-8 transport helicopters. In Fifth Corps of AF and AD there were also three helicopter squadrons; 711.POHE equipped with Gazelle Gama, 713.POHE also equipped with Gazelle Gama attack helicopters and 780.TRHE equipped with Mi-8 cargo helicopters. There was also one mixed-aviation squadron, 333.AE from 105.LBAP which had few Gazelle helicopters used for training by the Marshal Tito Air Force Military Academy. The Army command regions also had their helicopter squadrons equipped with Gazelle Hera scout helicopters. EIV of 1st Army region was at Batajnica Airbase, EIV of 2nd Army region was at Skopski Petrovac, EIV of 3rd Army region at Pleso and EIV of Navy region was at Divulje.
HAL Dhruv
Military versions in production include transport, utility, reconnaissance and medical evacuation variants. Based on the Dhruv platform, the HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) a dedicated attack helicopter and HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), a utility and observation helicopter, are currently being developed. As of August 2013, more than 200 HAL Dhruv have been produced for different customers.
Joint Helicopter Command
The following types were deployed to Iraq under JHF (I):The following types were deployed to Afghanistan under JHF (A):The majority of the United Kingdom's military helicopters come under JHC, although exceptions include the Royal Navy's fleet helicopters, the Defence Helicopter Flying School, and the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force's search and rescue helicopters.
Military helicopter
In the air, attack helicopters armed with anti-tank missiles, and one or more unarmed, or lightly armed scout helicopters operate in concert. The scout helicopter, flying at low level in a nap-of-the-earth approach, attempts to both locate the enemy armoured columns and to map out approaches and ambush positions for the attack helicopters. Late-model scout helicopters include laser designators to guide missiles fired from the attack helicopters. After finding a target, the scout helicopter can locate it and then direct the attack helicopter's missile where to fire. The attack helicopters have only to rise from cover briefly to fire their missiles before returning to a concealed location. Late-development of attack helicopters, such as the Mil Mi-28N, the Kamov Ka-52, and the AH-64D Longbow, incorporate sensors and command and control systems to relieve the requirement for scout helicopters.
Nap-of-the-earth
The lowest NOE flying is by helicopters because they have lower speeds and more maneuverability than fixed-wing aircraft, particularly fast-jets. Helicopters can fly at treetop levels or even below the height of surrounding trees where there are clear areas (such as in river gullies), flying under wires (such as electricity cables) rather than over them. Attack helicopters can hide behind trees or buildings, "popping up" just enough to use their (rotor mast-mounted) radar or other sensors and then minimally exposing themselves to launch weapons. The required altitude depends on the type of terrain, such as low vegetation or low buildings, tree canopy layer of less than , presence of tall buildings or concrete pylons with heights of up to international standard, or emergent tree layer canopy and lattice steel electricity pylons to being present. Over populated areas with tall radio transmission towers, an altitude of AGL applies.
NHIndustries NH90
The NH90 was developed into two main variants: the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) and the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH). These two main variants share about 75% commonality with each other. Many of the operators have requested specific configurations to their own helicopter fleets, thus each nation's NH90 is effectively customized to the end-user's requirements. During the development phase of the programme in the 1990s, both technical and funding problems were experienced. In June 2000, the partner nations placed a large production order, worth US$8.6 billion, for a total of 366 helicopters. Additional orders have since followed from customers in Europe, Asia, and Australia. By April 2013, a total of 529 NH90s of all variants were on order by various customers.
Armed helicopter
Likely the first organized usage of a helicopter as a tactical bomber, the United States Army employed the UH-1 Iroquois, CH-47 Chinook, and CH-54 Tarhe helicopters. The US Army had already conducted tests using the OH-13 Sioux fitted with small napalm tanks.
The Helicopter Museum (Weston)
The museum's collection of helicopters now exceeds 80 complete rotorcraft, with others under restoration or only partly complete. The museum features many foreign helicopters, particularly Soviet-era and Eastern European craft, for example the Kamov Ka-26 Hoodlum and the Mi-24 Hind, and more modern ones such as the EH-101.
Helicopter
There are three basic flight conditions for a helicopter: hover, forward flight and the transition between the two.
Helicopter
Special jet engines developed to drive the rotor from the rotor tips are referred to as tip jets. Tip jets powered by a remote compressor are referred to as cold tip jets, while those powered by combustion exhaust are referred to as hot tip jets. An example of a cold jet helicopter is the Sud-Ouest Djinn, and an example of the hot tip jet helicopter is the YH-32 Hornet.
Take On Helicopters
"Take On Helicopters" includes a number of tutorials to explain the basics behind flying helicopters. They are presented in order from the easiest to the most advanced. As such, players can familiarize themselves with the cockpit and instruments, start-up and shutdown procedures, basic manoeuvers, lift-off, landing, sling loads and emergency procedures. Furthermore, the game has three different difficulty settings: beginner, trainee and expert. These difficulty settings can be tweaked to create custom presets.
Helicopter rescue basket
The second type is a new invention. This is a basket able to fit five people or more. It allows a large group of people to be rescued from a fire or other emergency site, without needing to load them into the helicopter itself. It enables the helicopter to load a large group without landing. The helicopter hovers over the site and rests the basket on the ground or other surface. Evacuees board, then are transported to a safe area.
Helicopter
Helicopters are used as air ambulances for emergency medical assistance in situations when an ambulance cannot easily or quickly reach the scene, or cannot transport the patient to a medical facility in time. Helicopters are also used when patients need to be transported between medical facilities and air transportation is the most practical method. An air ambulance helicopter is equipped to stabilize and provide limited medical treatment to a patient while in flight. The use of helicopters as air ambulances is often referred to as "MEDEVAC", and patients are referred to as being "airlifted", or "medevaced". This use was pioneered in the Korean war, when time to reach a medical facility was reduced to three hours from the eight hours needed in World War II, and further reduced to two hours by the Vietnam war.
Future of the Royal Navy
The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review states that the Royal Navy will operate two types of helicopter in the future - the AW101 Merlin and the AW159 Lynx Wildcat.
The anti-surface/anti-submarine mission remains the purview of rotary aircraft; in small ships this is the updated Mk8 version of the Lynx. The Future Lynx program has seen 28 of the new AW159 Lynx Wildcat, ordered for the Royal Navy. In the carriers and in later frigates, the larger Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopter is used. There are 38 Merlin helicopters in service, and an upgrade plan intended to increase their flexibility of use until 2029 is planned. In late 2009 it was announced that the Fleet Air Arm would retire its remaining Sea King HC4 helicopters, their place being taken by Merlins upgraded and transferred from the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer
Globalsecurity.org suggests a maximum capacity of 18-24 H-60 class helicopters, or a smaller number of larger helicopters, even though the official complement was reported as three SH-60 and one EH-101 helicopters, or three SH-60J and one CH-53E helicopters. It has been speculated that future modifications may allow the operation of VTOL/STOVL fixed-wing aircraft, such as Harriers or F-35 Lightning II.
Marine One
Marine One is sometimes the preferred alternative to motorcades, which can be expensive and logistically difficult. The controlled environment of a helicopter is also felt to add a safety factor. Marine One is also used to transport senior Cabinet staff and foreign dignitaries. HMX-1 operates 35 helicopters of four different types as of 2009.
Attack helicopter
Modern examples include: