1. The Coast Guard trained pigeons to assist in finding people lost at sea. They sat in a dome attached to a helicopter, pressing a lever after spotting life preservers or debris. They had a 90% success rate in initial trials. 2. Australia’s largest bird of prey, the wedge-tailed eagle, is so territorial it will attack helicopters and small planes to defend its nest sites. 3. In 1986, a French woman taught herself how to fly a helicopter, rented one, flew it over a prison, and plucked her bank robber husband off the prison roof! 4. The Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) saw the only confirmed air-to-a ..read more

As far back as the early 1900’s, handheld cameras were used to make films in helicopters. Today, it’s altogether common for people who take an air tour to naturally capture gorgeous video footage and pictures of their favorite sites. In previous blogs we’ve shared some facts about the history of helicopters, and female helicopter pilots – so now, let’s take a peek at the interesting world of aerial photography! The Vast History (Greatly Condensed!): Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other flying object. Platforms for aerial photography in ..read more

Women, historically, have had to fight harder to break into male-dominated fields, and aviation is up there at the top of that list. Today, only a small percentage of pilots are female. Keep reading to learn about the trend-setters who paved the way. German pilot Hanna Reitsch was the first female helicopter pilot and one of the few pilots to fly the Focke-Achgelis Fa 61, the first fully controllable helicopter (1938), for which she received the Military Flying Medal. Hanna Reitsch’s full history is impressive & fascinating. Here’s a link to learn more: https://www.historynet.com/hanna-rei ..read more