Helicopter Facts for El Monte, CA

During World War I, Hungarian engineer Theodore von Karman constructed a helicopter that, when tethered, was able to hover for extended periods. Several years later, Spaniard Juan de la Cierva developed a machine he called an autogiro in response to the tendency of conventional airplanes to lose engine power and crash while landing.

Helicopters are classified as rotorcrafts. The helicopter uses rotors to supply the thrust and lift required for flight. The helicopter is unique in that it is able to take off and land vertically. It is also capable of hovering flying forward backward and laterally. The idea of vertical flight has existed since 400 BC when Chinese toys made of bamboo mimicked the flight of modern day helicopters.

Helicopter Factoid for El Monte, CAs in El Monte, CA

The U.S. Forest Service acquired 25 retired AH-1Fs from the U.S. Army. These have been designated Bell 209s and are being converted into Firewatch Cobras with infrared and low light sensors and systems for real time fire monitoring. Army attack helicopters have been stripped of their weapons and lasers. Cameras and infrared sensors have been added to convert them to Cobra Firewatch Helicopters for the CAL Fire Air Program.