Alpine Helicopters at 65: Inside Canada’s Heli-Ski, Firefighting & Search-and-Rescue Operator

For 65 years, Alpine Helicopters has been a driving force in Canada’s helicopter industry — powering world-class heli-skiing in British Columbia, battling wildfires nationwide, and conducting hundreds of search-and-rescue missions every year.

Founded in 1961 and now operating seven bases across Alberta and B.C., Alpine has built a reputation on safety, precision maintenance, and a people-first culture. From supporting 11 remote CMH lodges each winter with Bell 212s, 407s, and Airbus H125s, to rapidly converting more than 20 aircraft between firefighting and heli-ski configurations, their operation is a masterclass in planning and execution.

In this video, we go behind the scenes with Alpine’s pilots, engineers, and leadership.