Welcome to The Helicopter Conservancy, Ltd.

The Helicopter Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of vintage rotorcraft and their colorful history. Our interests include not only the machines, but the stories of the people connected to them: the inventors and pioneers; helicopter pilots and crew—and sometimes even passengers. As our name suggests, we are committed to providing stewardship of these important cultural resources, safeguarding them for present and future generations to experience. We are also dedicated to promoting a better public understanding of the principles of rotary wing flight through future aeronautics exhibits and workshops.   

Our collections focus on developments of the late 1940s through the 1960s, the period in which the helicopter came of age. It was during this time that the "look" of the modern helicopter became firmly established and helicopters completed their transformation from curiosities of limited capability to powerful, highly-adaptable workhorses that we now find indispensable. Of particular note are the innovative US military helicopters of the Korean and Vietnam War eras, which were testbeds of new forms of military operations and aerial rescue that are now standard practice. These helicopter designs have proven surprisingly long-lived and many are still in use today.  

We're raising funds to establish a helicopter museum in our new hangar at the New Richmond (Wisconsin) Regional Airport and to support the ongoing restoration of a number of vintage helicopters. These projects are detailed throughout this website. We welcome donations and are also looking for volunteers. Please contact us to ask how you can get involved.   

If you have a personal connection to helicopter history and have a story to tell or personal items to share, we'd love to hear from you. History is built on the experience of individuals and your story is important to us!  

Top image courtesy of Dan Johnson, lower image courtesy of Lee Beavers