In a year when we had to change so much, some things didn’t change at all. It turns out that ROTOR readers still like photos of helicopters, and so we ran the ninth annual ROTOR Magazine Photo Contest.
All but one of our winning photos captured the drama that is part of aviation. You’ll see lives on the line, both literally and figuratively, and a gleaming aircraft set against a background of fire. You’ll also see one photographer’s memorable end to a perfect day.
These striking shots reflecting both the work that we do and why we do that work have been selected as winners of HAI’s ninth annual ROTOR Magazine Photo Contest. The grand prize winner and five category winners will be showcased in the March 2021 issue of ROTOR.
Grand Prize
Mark Mennie
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Aviation photographer Mark Mennie took this year’s Grand Prize in the 2021 ROTOR Magazine Photo Contest. Mennie shot this photo under medical direction in April 2020 to illustrate the new standards for personal protective equipment (PPE) that had been recently implemented to safely transport critically ill patients with COVID-19. His photo reminds us of a grim year—but also to be proud of our everyday heroes.
Helicopters/Drones at Work
Julien Botella
Le Tholonet, France
Professional photographer Julien Botella captured this heavy-lift Eurocopter AS332—and a crew of linemen—at work performing cable repairs for Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE), which owns and operates the French high-voltage transmission system. The Super Puma is operated by Services et Travaux Heliportes (STH), an RTE division that provides helicopter services to assist the company in building and maintaining its electrical grid. In addition to documenting the role of helicopters in electricity production and transmission, Botella’s perfectly composed shot highlights the delicate coordination necessary to conduct safe human external cargo operations.
Helicopters/Drones in the Military
Carsten Vennemann
Stuttgart, Germany
The winning photo in the Helicopter/Drones in the Military category shows two US Marine Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions taking off after delivering a contingent of British Royal Marines to a landing zone during the 2016 Exercise Cold Response in Norway. The military exercises bring together NATO troops to train for harsh-weather operations. In Carsten Vennemann’s winning photo, the activity of the swirling snow and departing aircraft frames the troops who will remain behind.
People and Their Helicopters/Drones
Marilyn Grubb
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
On the way home from a helicopter ride in the Canadian Rockies to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, their pilot landed on a dry riverbed so Marilyn Grubb and her husband could share a champagne toast. But Marilyn took away more than just memories from that special day. An avid photographer, she says, “When I saw the reflection of the helicopter, a Robinson R44, and my husband in the water, I captured it!” Her spur-of-the-moment photo of her husband took top honors in our People and Their Helicopters/Drones category. Lucky him, lucky her, lucky us.
Helicopter/Drone Digitally Enhanced Photos
Creigh McIntyre (Creigh Photography)
San Diego, California, USA
Photographer Creigh McIntyre created this beautiful-scary composite image that took top honors in the Digitally Enhanced category. McIntyre’s photo positions a gleaming Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk, taken at the San Diego Fire Department’s base at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (KMYF), against the ominous background of California’s Valley Fire, which killed four people and burned more than 76,000 acres in 2015.
Helping Hands and Helicopters During COVID-19
Sylwia Tylkowska
Zawiercie, Poland
For this new category, Helping Hands and Helicopters During COVID-19, we wanted to document how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting those in the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) industry, including our many frontline workers. Aviation photographer Sylwia Tylkowska captured this dramatic shot of a patient transfer in Zawiercie, Poland, in April 2020—back when terms like “PPE” and “social distance” were just becoming part of our everyday vocabulary.