1981 - 1990

2 March - The Eisenhut Avia-tion AG registers the Fairchild-Hiller FH1100 HB-XMB, the direct concurrent of the Hughes 500 and Bell 206 Jet Ranger series. Despite its excellent flying characteristics this five place monoturbine helicopter will be the only one to be used in Switzerland and probably in Europe. After some years of service it will be sold in Canada.

Between 4 and 8 May the British helicopter Westland Lynx G-LYNX is presented in Switzerland.
The purpose of the demonstration organized by the Kriegtechnische Abteilung – KTA (Military technical division) is to test its ability to perform more specific missions than those carried out by the Alouette 3 such as for example anti-tank operations.
In addition to several demonstration flights carried out at Emmen/LU airport, the Lynx, which is powered by two Rolls-Royce Gem 41-1 turbines, each with a continuous power of 664/890 kW/cv, is also tested in the Swiss Alps.
The helicopter is piloted by Major Derek Marpole senior test pilot at Westland Helicopters Limited.
The aircraft was designed to perform missions such as fro example tactical troop transport, search and rescue, wounded evacuation and logistical support.

Summer - Helog (Helicopter logging) puts to use the AS 332C Super Puma HB-XNE, the first helicopter of this type to be registered in Switzerland. The French helicopter is powered by a couple of Turboméca Makila 1A turbines, each with an individual power of 1327/1780 kW/shp. With a lift capacity of 4.5 tons, this model will be for many years the most powerful helicopter in service in Switzerland.

Giovanni Frapolli and Orazio (Didi) Medici, both neo-licensed helicopter pilots, purchase the Fribourg based helicopter company Héli-TV SA, founded a few years earlier by the Modoux brothers.
Using the Bell 206B Jet Ranger III HB-XMT, Héli-TV starts its activity by offering commercial helicopter services in Ticino and soon becomes an important company.

The pilots Ueli Bärfuss and Leo Caminada set up the company Heli Bernina in the alpine village of Samedan/GR. The first helicopter of the neo-founded company is the Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama HB-XPD.

Heliswiss is the first European helicopter company (outside the ex-Soviet Bloc) to put in service the Russian Kamov KA-32. The first helicopter is registered CCCP-31000, followed in 1991-1992 by the KA-32T CCCP-06143. By the Summer of 1993 the model used is the KA-32A RA-31587, later registered in Switzerland as HB-XKE. Used as aerial crane this helicopter can lift up to 5 tons suspended on its barycentric hook.

31 January – The Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) flight-tests the AS 350B2 Ecureuil HB-XSD. This helicopter is the first of the B2 series registered in Switzerland. It was transformed in this version by the technical services of Balair thanks to a PDM (post delivery modification). Compared to B1, this version is powered by a more powerful turbine of the type Turboméca Arriel 1D1 of 546/742 kW/cv (502/683 on the B1).