In 1971, Erickson Lumber Company, owned by second-generation logger and entrepreneur, Jack Erickson, leased an S-64E Skycrane helicopter from Sikorsky Aircraft and renamed the company Erickson Air-Crane. This occurred two years after the FAA announced a Standard Transport Category certification of the aircraft for loads up to 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg). At that time, many small operations around the world and particularly in Russia were experimenting with helicopter logging with little success due to the high cost of flying the helicopters. Mr. Erickson realized the specialized nature of the Skycrane and used his years of experience in the logging industry to gain the maximum benefit from this heavy lift helicopter. This system proved to be consistently profitable and led to the purchase of the first S-64 Skycrane in 1972, followed by the purchase of three more aircraft later that same year. Since that time, Erickson Air-Crane has harvested timber in many areas of the United States, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Canada. The Aircrane was seen in the beginning as a highly efficient harvesting tool, now more lumber companies are also choosing the Aircrane logging system because of the minimal effect on the forest ecosystem and the access it affords to steep remote terrain.The Erickson S-64 Aircrane is manufactured by Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated which is headquartered in Central Point, Oregon. The aircraft was originally manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft as the S-64A "Skycrane" and sold to the Army as the CH-54A "Tarhe". The CH-54 performed with an outstanding service record in Vietnam supporting the Army's First Cavalry Division, Airmobile by retrieving over 380 damaged aircraft, saving an estimated $210 million. The S-64 was the first helicopter built as a flying crane with an aft-facing pilot station that gives the pilot an unobstructed view of the load being carried and full positive control of the aircraft during precision operations.

Kaman Aerospace is best known for its Super Seasprite and K-MAX Aerial Truck helicopters, but it does much more than make maritime and large transport helicopters. A subsidiary of Kaman Corporation, its other aerospace offerings include electro-optic devices (light detection and ranging systems), fuzes and safety systems (munitions safing and arming devices), aircraft components (wing structures, engine doors, and machined parts), rugged memory systems (disk and solid state), aerospace bearings (Kamatics), and non-contact position measuring systems (used to measure alignment, thickness, dimensions, pressure, and vibration). Kaman Aerospace maintains facilities in the US and Australia.

Bombardier makes the goods to get people moving. Its Bombardier Aerospace subsidiary is among the world's leading manufacturers of commercial aircraft; Bombardier is the #1 regional aircraft maker, with its CRJ and Q series; and it is one of the largest makers of business jets (Global, Challenger, and Learjet). Its Bombardier Transportation division is one of the world's largest railway equipment makers. The company sold its recreation vehicle business, which made Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, ATVs, and Sea-Doo personal watercraft. Bombardier makes about one-third of its sales in North America. The Bombardier family controls the company.

Swiss International Air Lines hopes to plot a course to prosperity under the wing of Deutsche Lufthansa. The carrier, known as SWISS, serves about 75 destinations in some 40 countries from its hub in Zurich and from airports in Basel and Geneva; it operates a fleet of more than 75 aircraft. SWISS was acquired by German airline giant Lufthansa in 2007, and the carriers' flight operations are being coordinated. As part of the Lufthansa deal, SWISS has joined its parent in the Star Alliance, an international code-sharing and marketing partnership that also includes carriers such as UAL's United Airlines. (Code-sharing allows airlines to extend their networks by selling tickets on one another's flights.)

Capewell is a world leader in the design and delivery of Life Support and Aerial Delivery solutions for commercial and military aviation. The company was founded in 1881 and has been a supplier to military customers for more 125 years. Today, Capewell is a recognized designer and manufacturer of specialized cargo handling equipment, parachute safety equipment, and precision aerial delivery systems to the U.S. military and to customers around the world. Capewell designs and manufactures Aerial Delivery equipment for C-130, C-5, C-17, C-27J and C-160 aircraft including air drop platforms, containers and cargo handling equipment used in military and humanitarian operations.

Air Atlantique Group provides travelers with a glimpse of the past, but they do not deal in time travel. Utilizing a fleet of vintage aircraft, the Air Atlantique Group provides a variety of flight services, including charter passenger and charter freight services, aircraft maintenance and repair, and training. It also provides aircraft for specialty reconnaissance flights, such as aerial surveillance and photography and marine-pollution monitoring. Among its charter services is the provision of classic aircraft for nostalgic flights. The company also charters its aircraft for use in television and movie productions.

A pioneering European discount airline, Ryanair Holdings offers low-fare, no-frills air transportation via its main subsidiary, Ryanair. The carrier flies to about 150 destinations, including more than two dozen in Ireland and the UK; overall, it serves more than 25 countries throughout Europe, plus Morocco. Ryanair specializes in short-haul routes between secondary and regional airports. It operates from more than 35 bases, including airports in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, as well as in Ireland and the UK. The carrier maintains a fleet of about 200 Boeing 737-800s. Throughout 2008 and early 2009, Ryanair launched several unsuccessful bids to acquire rival Irish airline Aer Lingus.

CFM International makes sure that hundreds of aircraft don't have to just wing it. The company, a joint venture of US-based General Electric (GE) and France's Snecma (now part of SAFRAN), manufactures aircraft engines for more than 400 commercial and military customers worldwide. The company's name stems from a combination of CF6 and M56, designations for commercial aircraft engines made, respectively, by GE and Snecma. GE manufactures CFM International's engine cores and assembles roughly half of its engines; Snecma makes the fans and rotors and assembles the rest of the engines. CFM International's engines can be found in Boeing 737s, DC8s, Airbus A320s, and the AWACS.

Panasonic Avionics is the world leader in in-flight entertainment and communications, with most systems installed, most airlines served, and the industries deepest knowledge base, developed with over 25 years of consistent product innovation and committed customer service.Panasonic Avionics Corporation is headquartered in Lake Forest, California, with offices in Bothell, Washington; regional centers in Dallas, Singapore, London, Toulouse, Tokyo, Sydney and Dubai; system production facilities in Osaka; and field service, maintenance and sales facilities worldwide.Panasonic Avionics Corporation is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, best known by the Panasonic brand name. Panasonic Corporation of North America, based in Secaucus, New Jersey, is the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales and service operations.

Continental Airlines, Inc., an air carrier, engages in the transportation of passengers, cargo, and mail. As of December 31, 2008, the company owned or leased 350 mainline jets and 282 regional aircraft. It flew to 120 domestic and 121 international destinations, as well as offered additional connecting service through alliances with domestic and foreign carriers. Continental Airlines operates its domestic route system primarily through its hubs at Newark Liberty International Airport in the New York metropolitan area; George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas; and Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio. The company directly serves destinations throughout Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Continental Airlines, Inc. was founded in 1934 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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