This was the title of a newspaper’s article published in June 1965 in Canton Ticino. The new machine was the white-orange Agusta-Bell 47G3B-1 HB-XBY nicknamed “EliTicino” by Claudio Valsesia, the courageous entrepreneur who founded the first helicopter company in Ticino.

The helicopter, however, was not a novelty in the South of the Alps. Since 1963, in fact, Heliswiss had opened a base on Locarno airport, later transferred on the aerodrome of Ascona. The increasing demand of transports by the building companies engaged with the construction of water systems, dams and power lines, ski-lifts, mountain huts, etc. pushed Valsesia to evaluate the possibility to buy an helicopter and start the new activity. The idea was not new if we consider that the Section of Locarno of the Aero Club of Switzerland (AeCS) at the same time was raising funds for the purchase of a light helicopter to be employed in roles of public interest (especially for mountain agriculture, forestry services, police observation, etc) and a Pilatus Porter PC-6 as a fire-fighter (at that time the aeroplane was still considered as the most efficient tool to combat mountain fires).

The failure of the action promoted by the local Aero Club opened the doors to Valsesia and to the concretizing of his dream. However the task was not at all easy: lack of money and the high risky nature of the project obliged Valsesia to be cautious in order to avoid a premature bankruptcy. After the financial aspect has been solved other problems were waiting for a response as for example: which helicopter could be the most suitable to fit the needs of the Ticino’s people?

Valsesia, with no background in the aviation field, was supported by Olinto Carmine, an ex military and civil pilot and instructor. They found in the 26 years old Siegfried “Sigi“ Stangier the answer to their need for a pilot. Stangier arrived in Ticino with his work colleague Artur Müller, both employed by the German helicopter company DHD (Deutsche Helicopter Dienst). The helicopter needed a place where it could be sheltered during the night and for maintenance works and initially it was placed in an hangar at the Lugano-Agno airport and then Valsesia then built a new hangar on the military airfield in Bellinzona which was completed in August 1965.

Now everything was ready and the helicopter company could finally start its activity. It didn’t take  long before the population of Ticino got accustomed to the presence of the new “flying windmill”. In order to give everybody the opportunity to look from close to the helicopter, Valsesia organized a presentation ceremony in October 1965. That day the Agusta-Bell 47 was officially baptized “EliTicino” and so a new helicopter company was born.

Heli-Archive Bazzani