This winter, Alpine Helicopters celebrates 65 years of operation.
Alpine’s pilots, engineers and operational teams have worked shoulder to shoulder with CMH guides, lodge staff and mountain operations crews for more than 50 years. Heli-skiing’s evolution, from a nascent dream to full-fledged, thriving mountain sport, owes much to this partnership.
“Over the decades, our companies have grown together,” says Jeff Denomme, President of Alpine Helicopters. “We’ve celebrated successes, adapted to changing times and continuously raised the bar for what guests can expect from a heli-skiing experience.”
65 years of Canadian aviation
Alpine Helicopters began operating in Calgary, Alberta, in 1961. What started as a small aviation company has grown into an innovative Canadian rotary-wing operator, with seven permanent bases across Alberta and British Columbia and a fleet of 40 helicopters.
Its evolution has been driven by well-maintained aircraft, ongoing training, employee expertise and a commitment to advancing safety and technology.
Those priorities matter in every aviation environment.
In the mountains, they are everything.
Alpine’s anniversary is an opportunity to recognize that history, as well as the pilots, engineers, and support teams who continue to build on it every day.
How Alpine Helicopters and CMH grew together
There were many ‘firsts’ in the air during heli-skiing’s earliest years.
When CMH founder Hans Gmoser and pilot Jim Davies first explored the Bugaboos by helicopter, there was no operating manual to follow. The pair studied topographical maps pinned to the back of a cook-shack door, pointed toward promising peaks and gradually learned how helicopters, guides, skiers, weather and mountain terrain needed to work together.
By the time Alpine began providing contracted flight service to CMH in 1981, the sport had evolved considerably. Alpine helped carry that evolution forward, introducing operating procedures and aircraft modifications intended to improve the reliability and safety of mountain flying.
The aircraft have changed, too. Today, CMH trips are supported by Bell 212, Bell 407 and A-Star B3 helicopters, flown by highly experienced mountain pilots and cared for by dedicated engineers.
But the fundamental requirement remains the same: guides, pilots and operational teams need to understand one another and the mountains around them exceptionally well.
A heli-skiing partnership built on trust
Trust is difficult to quantify. It is developed through thousands of decisions made together over time.
“The true strength of this partnership lies in the relationships that have been built along the way,” Denomme says. “Generations of CMH guides, lodge staff, pilots, engineers and operational teams have worked side by side, season after season, sharing early mornings, long days, challenging weather and countless unforgettable moments in the mountains.”
That time shared has helped forge profound relationships.
“These experiences have created bonds beyond the workplace and have often become lifelong friendships across many decades,” Denomme says.
That familiarity matters. Pilots and engineers are often assigned to the same CMH areas over many seasons, allowing them to develop detailed knowledge of local terrain, weather patterns and operational rhythms.
“There’s a unique understanding that comes from working together year after year,” Denomme says. “It’s a confidence in one another that can only be earned through time and shared commitments.”
The people behind every CMH helicopter flight
For guests, the helicopter is one of the most visible and thrilling parts of a CMH trip.
Much of the work that keeps it flying happens out of sight.
Pilots assess visibility, wind, temperature, fuel, group weights and incoming weather. Engineers follow detailed inspection and maintenance schedules. Guides contribute their knowledge of snow, terrain, wildlife and group dynamics.
Each person approaches the day through a slightly different lens. Together, they build the full picture.
As Alpine pilot Nadia Bosman explains, guides and pilots must communicate continually to operate effectively in a complex mountain environment.
“I consider us to be a crew in the cockpit,” she said.
It is a small phrase that captures a very big responsibility.
Knowing every helicopter from the inside out
CMH’s partnership with Alpine Helicopters extends across the aircraft’s operating life.
Through a vertically integrated approach, our lodges and helicopter operations are connected with maintenance engineering facilities and parts manufacturing. Alpine supplies the aircraft, flight crews and maintenance engineers that support our mountain operations.
This reflects the depth of knowledge, accountability and shared commitment behind every flight.
Celebrating Alpine’s legacy—and the partnership ahead
Sixty-five years is an opportunity to look back. It is also a chance to recognize the expertise being built right now by the next generation of pilots, engineers and operational leaders.
“Alpine’s 65th anniversary is a chance to celebrate the people behind every flight and every mountain day,” says Will Forbes, President and Chief Operating Officer of CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures. “Our organizations have spent decades learning, adapting and raising the standard together. That trust has been cultivated through the commitment of pilots, engineers, guides and the full hospitality and operation teams, giving us enormous confidence as we look toward the future.”
The landscapes remain demanding. The weather still has a habit of changing its mind.
But after decades of working together, we know how to meet those challenges: with experience, clear communication, sound judgment and respect.
From everyone at CMH, congratulations to Alpine Helicopters on 65 years in the air, and thank you to every person who has helped keep this remarkable partnership flying.
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