@ Anchorage, AK
May 2023
Another ubiquitous Alaska floatplane from a recent trip. Thought it was just another Cessna but was quite pleased to see that it was actually a Helio product. The Helio Courier is a light STOL utility aircraft that first flew in 1949. Around 500 of these aircraft were manufactured in Kansas from 1954 until 1974 by the Helio Aircraft Company. The company started as The Koppen-Bollinger Aircraft Corporation in 1948, before being renamed the Helio Aircraft Corporation in the 1950s. Couriers were known for longevity, reliability, and famous for their short takeoffs, and could maintain control at speeds as low as 27 MPH. The more powerful Super Courier was also operated by the USAF as the U-10D. 173 of this variant were produced.
