Been around the longest

[212wrench]

In replay to the post on departed companies, can we do one on who has been around the longest.  I don't know the answer, maybe we can have some discussion on that.

[wcobra]

Delta Helicopters currently HQ just out of  St. Albert, Alberta comes to mind as a company that has certainly been around a very long time!  I think Don originally started it in the early '70s!

[Heliian]

The answer you are looking for is VIH.  

[GrayHorizons]

if Blackmac was a company, the discussion would end. Dirt calls him Dad, and he named all the dinosaurs himself.

[twinstar_ca]

Alpine has to be up there... I remember meeting Mr. Janzen when I was just an early teenager, and I'll be 63 this year....

[Three_Per]

It doesn't quite fit the definition of privately owned company, but as an operator, I think Hydro One had some of the first commercial helicopters in Canada. A Bell 47 in 1949 was their first.  

 

 

[Heliian]

14 hours ago, Three_Per said:

It doesn't quite fit the definition of privately owned company, but as an operator, I think Hydro One had some of the first commercial helicopters in Canada. A Bell 47 in 1949 was their first.  

 

 

It wasn't Hydro one back then.  Definitely don't count either as they don't get revenue from the helicopters.

[gmcmachz]

Universal Helicopters Began life in 1963.

[xrkyle]

20 hours ago, Heliian said:

The answer you are looking for is VIH.  

Very close but not quite. Okanagan Air Services, which eventually became the CHC of today, was the first operator in Canada. Their first commercial flight was in 1947. VIH was founded in 1955 and Alf Stringer, who was one of the original three founders of Okanagan, eventually went on to run VIH for many years. The history of rotary aviation in Canada is well documented by Peter Corley-Smith (who used to work for VIH).

[pilot83]

A good read world definitely recommend it.