49 North Helicopters Inc.

49 North Helicopters is a Canadian helicopter company based in Campbell River, British Columbia. The company was founded in 2007 as a flight school called Coast Mountain Helicopters. It took its current name in 2011. For over 20 years it has provided commercial helicopter solutions to industry, government, public and private sectors.

The company has bases on the coast and in the interior of British Columbia, at Campbell River, Port McNeill and Williams Lake. Its team can mobilize on short notice to remote locations across Western Canada. It operates 18 helicopters, including Airbus, Bell and Robinson models.

Passenger transport covers remote locations in British Columbia, with passenger and cargo flights. Aerial work includes forestry support, precision long line work, drill moving and geology support, bird towing, aerial survey and patrol, and infrared scanning and mapping.

The company supports wildfire response with water bucketing, aerial ignitions, crew transport, air attack support and initial attack. It works with provincial wildfire agencies and emergency management teams. It also offers aerial film and photography, from a single photographer to a full film crew. Its search and rescue work covers Vancouver Island, the Coast Mountain Range and the Central Cariboo.

Sightseeing tours include heli hiking and heli fishing trips. The company also offers heli skiing support in mountain terrain, with more than 15 years of mountain flying experience. Its pilots have a combined flight time of more than 50,000 hours. They come from three continents.

The company runs a flight school, which was its original service. Training runs from no experience to a full commercial license. Courses include private, commercial, night rating, instructor, mountain and advanced training. The instructors have trained pilots for nearly 20 years, and students come from France, Germany and across Europe.

The company was founded by two pilots and flight instructors with more than 50 years of combined flying experience. The company also runs an active commercial charter operation, so students get a first hand look at how the helicopter industry works.

Services

• Passenger and cargo transport
• Forestry and aerial work
• Wildfire suppression
• Search and rescue
• Aerial film and photography
• Heli skiing
• Sightseeing tours and heli adventures
• Flight training
• Aerial survey and patrol
• Infrared scanning and mapping