Helicopters in the High Country: 40 Years of Mountain Flying

A.A. den Otter is a professor of history at the Memorial University of
Newfoundland and co-author of Lethbridge: A Centennial History.

To the uninitiated, flying helicopters at high altitudes appears to
present no special problems. In fact, in the rarefied mountain
atmosphere, landings and takeoffs are extremely difficult. The former
requires a forward glide onto the landing platform, while the latter
compels the pilot to drop the helicopter into a dive immediately after
liftoff. At the same time, the pilot must maintain proper rotor speed.
If rotated too slowly, the blades can fold like an umbrella in a storm;
if spun too quickly, they can tear away from the hub.

When Carl Agar, one of the founders of Okanagan Helicopters, first
began to fly helicopters in the British Columbia interior, no manuals
explained these tricky maneuvres. Instead, Agar used his experience as a
fixed-wing pilot, lessons at Bell’s Yakima factory, and a great deal
of common sense to develop the special techniques for mountain flying.
Eventually joined by Vancouver Island Helicopters, Carl Agar and his
partners, Barney Bent and Alf Stringer, became leaders in mountain
flying. The Okanagan partners were quick to introduce helicopters to
British Columbia. In 1947, they purchased a small helicopter, the Bell
47 B3. While they intended to use the machine mainly for crop spraying,
they soon discovered its greater utility for lifting heavy loads to
otherwise inaccessible places.

This entertaining, well-written book traces the short history of
helicopters in British Columbia from the late 1940s to the current
decade. The authors relate complex technical information in clear,
precise language. Their narrative is enhanced by a generous selection of
photographs.