Helio Courier

JAARS-trained pilots operate four Helio Couriers in our overseas programs, including Cameroon and Indonesia. Out of our entire fleet, these aircraft can handle the roughest, shortest airstrips, making them well-suited for the mountainous terrain in these locations.

While the Helio Couriers can’t carry as much as our other fixed-wing aircraft, they’re essential in areas with the shortest airstrips.

These aircraft are often used to:

• Fly personnel and supplies to and from remote villages.
• Transport cargo for economic development.
• Assist in relief work.
• Perform medical evacuations.

The Helio Courier stationed in Cameroon also serves the local hospital and transports missionaries’ children to and from a Christian boarding school in Yaoundé. In addition, we operate two Helio Couriers at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, N.C., for flight training and public relations events.

Replacing the Helio Couriers

There are downsides to Helio Couriers, however. These aircraft haven’t been in production since the 1970s, and JAARS must manufacture custom parts to keep ours maintained. Helio Couriers also run on avgas, which is becoming less available and more expensive in many areas.

In light of these factors, the Helio Couriers in Cameroon and Indonesia will soon be replaced with turbine-engine aircraft, which operate on readily available jet fuel. To learn more, click here.