RCAF / Canadian Armed Forces – Helicopters Photo History
Photos by Dr. John BlatherwickDr. John BlatherwickThe RCAF and later the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Army operated a colourful mixture of helicopters between the 1960s and 1980s. Dr. John Blatherwick was a keen slide photographer during this very interesting period and was lucky to photography many of the rotor wing types in the Canadian defence inventory of the era.
RCAF Piaseki H-21A 9638 possibly CFB Namao 1967. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)
In the late 1960s the RCAF retired iconic types like the Hiller CH112, Piaseki H-21A Flying Banana, the Sikorsky H19 and the Sikorsky H34 which were mainstays of the RCAF Rescue squadrons since the early to mid 1950s. They were replaced by the Sea King, CH113A Labrador and Chinook, and in the late 1960s and 1970s the Canadian Armed Forces added the venerable Bell Twin Huey, and the Bell 206 Kiowa, all of which Dr. Blatherwick photographed at places like CFB Namao, CFB Shearwater, Halifax and the Abbotsford Airshow in the early 1970s. We hope you enjoy the fine selection of images presented here.
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RCAF Rescue Piaseki H-21 Flying Banana 641 air-to-air circa early 1960s.RCAF Sikorsky H19 629 April 1971. (Dr. John Blatherwick photo)RCAF Rescue Sikorsky H34 9633 YXD May 1970. (Dr. John Blatherwick photo)Canadian Army CH113A 10413 1968 (Dr. John Blatherwick photo).Canadian Armed Forces Twin Huey 135126 CFB Namao July 1977. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Very rare shot of an RCAF CH113A Labrador 10403 on water taken in the 1960s. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH112 272 July 1971. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Kiowa 136256 at CFB Namao May 1974. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Kiowa 136266 at CFB Namao August 1974. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Kiowa 136266 at CFB Namao August 1974. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Sea King 12411 at Abbotsford Airshow August 1972. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Rescue CH113A Labrador 11303 YVR Vancouver South Terminal April 1973. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Rescue CH113A Labrador 11303 Abbotsford Airshow August 1973. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A Labrador 11310 winch recovery demo July 1992. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A Labrador 11308 at CFB Trenton November 1976. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A Voyageur 11312 at Sudbury, Ontario January 1974. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH112 Nomad at YVR Vancouver June 1973. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A Labrador 11303 August 1973. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)RCAF Piaseki H-21A 9638 Field Aviation Calgary April 1968. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Iriquois 136142 May 1975. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A 1409 CFB Namao September 1972. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A 1408 May 1970. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A 1413 July 1971. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Iriquois 112 August 1972. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Rescue CH113A 10404 Vancouver March 1971. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces Kiowa 208 July 1972. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)Canadian Armed Forces CH113A 11316 Shearwater October 1973. (Photo credit: Dr. John Blatherwick)
