Defense: Rotary-Wing Aircraft — 2017 Photo Contest
Face To Face With The Hind!
Amit Agronov, Beer Sheva, IsraelA Czech Republic Mil Mi-35 Hind was photographed from the air at the recent International Sanicole Airshow in Hechtel, Belgium.
Italian Navy SH90
Andreas Zeitler, Manching, GermanyAn Italian Navy SH90 mutirole helicopter hovers above the sea in a simulated anti-submarine warfare exercise.
Helicopter Corral
Andrew Zaback, Egg Harbor City, New JerseyHelicopters "fly the pattern" in the Ultralight area at a recent EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Wisconsin, event. The Ultralight runway flight schedule is broken into periods to allow similar aircraft in the pattern at the same time.
The Last Flight
Anirban Bhattacharya, Kolkata, IndiaA Bell 412 is seen in action in an oil field in Eastern India. This mission was the last crew change of the day.
Flying With Stalions
Avichai Socher, Givat Shmuel, IsraelAn Israeli Air Force Sikorsky CH-53D ('Yas'ur 2025) Sea Stallion flies along the Tel Aviv coastline, just above the harbor.
Beach Patrol
Ben Urlings, Alphen aan den Rijn, NetherlandsA Spanish Police Force Eurocopter EC135 "Angel 31" flies above Maspalomas Beach in the Canary Islands.
Fort Saint John, British Columbia, Take Off
Bryan Dudas, Lynden, WashingtonAn Erickson S-64F Air-Crane takes off from Fort Saint John, British Columbia, en route to Alberta.
Break, Break...Break!
Daniel Adams, Bronx, New YorkA Sikorsky MH-65D Dolphin breaks right as an MH-60T Jayhawk, trailing close behind, breaks left during a training mission. Both aircraft are based at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan. The air station recently transitioned from the Dolphin to the Jayhawk.
Air and Land Forces
Uldis Pelna, Riga, LatviaThe Latvian Border Guard monitor Russia/Belarus Zapad-2017 wargame maneuvers conducted on Aug. 18, 2017, near the border in Latvia's Karsava district.
Jayhawk Overhaul
David Lau, Doylestown, PennsylvaniaA U.S. Coast Guard Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter undergoes maintenance at the Coast Guard Aircraft Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, on Aug. 10, 2017.
USCG on the Scene . . . Always Ready!
Daniel Adams, Bronx, New YorkA Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan, stands by for hoist training with a USCG 45-ft. Response Boat.
Royal Navy Merlin Helicopters Above the River Dart
David Bown, Dartmouth, UKTwo Royal Navy Merlin helicopters fly 100 ft. above sea level in close formation above the River Dart in Dartmouth, England.
Making Waves
Ben Urlings, Alphen aan den Rijn, NetherlandsOne of the Spanish Canary Islands search-and-rescue PZL Sokol W.3 helicopters conducts exercises with an emergency response vessel off the Gran Canaria coast.
Fast Special Forces 50 m From Russian Border During Russian-sponsored Wargames
Uldis Pelna, Riga, LatviaThe Latvian Border Guard monitor Russia/Belarus Zapad-2017 wargame maneuvers conducted on Aug. 18, 2017, near the border in Latvia's Karsava district.
Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and MH-65D
Joseph Handyman, Annapolis, MarylandA U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer prepares to descend from a Eurocopter MH-65D to a Navy 44 Sloop during U.S. Naval Academy exercises on April 1, 2017.
USCG Jayhawk Overhauled
David Lau, Doylestown, PennsylvaniaA Coast Guard Eurocopter MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter poses in front of the Coast Guard Aircraft Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on Aug. 10, 2017.
Whiteout
Kirill Gorelov, MoscowHelicopter in snowstorm.
Patrolling Green Border
Uldis Pelna, Riga, LatviaPhoto taken during Russia/Belarus Zapad-2017 wargame maneuvers conducted on Aug. 18, 2017, near the border in Latvia's Karsava district.
Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and MH-65D
Joseph Handyman, Annapolis, MarylandThe Coast Guard rescue swimmer recovery on a MH-65D 6509 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on April 1, 2017.
Sunset Rescue
LaDon Roeder, Washington, D.C.On Aug. 5, 2017, as I was setting up to grab a few shots of the sunset at Moraine Lake in Alberta, I witnessed the culmination of an incredible helicopter rescue. The helicopter appeared on the horizon and as it came closer it was apparent two people were hanging beneath it from a long cable. Flying in and banking right over the lake, the helicopter lowered them down.
Bulgarian Navy AS-565 Panthers In Close Formation
Ognyan Stefanov, Sofia, BulgariaA pair of Bulgarian Navy Airbus Helicopters AS-656 Panthers shown in close formation during a training flight over the Black Sea in April 2017.
Border Guard Taxi Arriving
Uldis Pelna, Riga, LatviaPhoto taken on Sept. 29, 2017. Latvian Border Guard exercises for special force 'Sigma' extraction in Latvia's Ludza district.
Apache And Black Hawk
Ron Shusterman, Milford, New HampshireArmy demo at Rhode Island Air Show held at Quonset State Airport features Boeing Apache and Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.
Skyway To Clear Waters
Yissachar Ruas, Bet Shemesh, IsraelA pair of U.S. Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopters based out of Air Station Clearwater conducts a photoflight over Tampa's Skyway Bridge—shot off the coast of Tampa Florida.
Break Right!
Steve Bigg, Georgetown, Ontario, CanadaThe pilots of an Royal Canadian Air Force CH-146 Griffon helicopter break hard right low over the trees of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in northern Alberta to evade a simulated shoulder-mounted missile attack during a mission as part of the Maple Flag multinational air combat training exercise on June 8, 2017.
Water Bird
Uldis Pelna, Riga, LatviaPhoto taken on Sept. 29, 2017 during Latvian Border Guard exercises in the Ludza district of Latvia.
Teamwork
Yissachar Ruas, Bet Shemesh, IsraelIsraeli Air Force Sikorsky CH-53 '"Yasur 2025" hovers above a medic from the elite Unit 669 during a demo at Hatzerim AFB, Israel.
Border Guards Never Sleep
Uldis Pelna, Riga, LatviaThe photo taken on Sept. 29, 2017, at a Latvian Border Aviation unit main base in Ludza, Latvia.
This year's rotary-wing aircraft entrants feature an interesting mix of military (including paramilitary) and civil helicopters. But all these images share one trait — the wonder of rotary-wing flight.
Winners of Aviation Week's 2017 Photo Contest
2017 Photo Contest Editor's Picks
Meet the Winning Photographers
Aviation Week's 2017 Photo Contest Judges
Commercial Aviation — 2017 Photo Contest Entries
Commercial: Widebody Aircraft — 2017 Photo Contest Submissions
Space: Launch Phase — 2017 Photo Contest
Defense: Rotary-Wing Aircraft — 2017 Photo Contest
Defense: Military Aerial Display Teams — 2017 Photo Contest
Defense: Combat-Ready Aircraft — 2017 Photo Contest
General Aviation: Vintage Fighter Aircraft — 2017 Photo Contest
General Aviation: Vintage Aircraft — 2017 Photo Contest
General Aviation: Aerobatics — 2017 Photo Contest Submissions
Descriptions of photos are provided by the photographers. Although we make corrections when possible, we are unable to verify every detail provided with the photos or to research photo subjects.