Aspen Helicopters
ASPEN HELICOPTERS was originally a New Mexico Corporation established in the 1970s. In late 1979 a small group led by Richard and Phyllis Throckmorton and Charles McLaughlin started a California branch of the company. Later in 1980 the California team was given an option to purchase the corporation through a 5 year stock option.
From that time on Aspen spent the next 5 years with summer contracts supporting the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska plus flying in the local area for the government agencies and private land owners on all 8 Channel Islands.
In 1988 Aspen Helicopters became a California Corporation domiciled at the Oxnard Airport.
In 2016 Aspen consists of 7 helicopters and 7 multi-engine fixed wing aircraft. It has contracts and rental agreements with a multiple government agencies that include the Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, numerous California State agencies, private corporations and the general public.
Aspen is broken up into 4 revenues centers from helicopter and fixed wing contract and charter, an agricultural division, and a general aviation customer support center. Aspen operates under numerous Federal Aviation Regulations from on demand charter to an aviation facility certified maintenance repair station.
Charlie McLaughlin is member #18 of the All 8+ Club of the Santa Cruz Island Foundation. I In addition to the eight California Channel Islands, he has visited the following islands in bold on the Club's expanded list of Alta and Baja California islands:
ALL EIGHT PLUS:
- Rincon Island (man-made Channel Island)
- Farallones
- Año Nuevo
- Islas Coronado
- Islas Todos Santos
- Isla San Martin
- Isla San Geronimo
- Isla Guadalupe
- Islas San Benito
- Isla Cedros
- Isla Natividad
- Isla Asuncion
PLUS the extra ordinary extra credit islands of:
- Prince Island, San Miguel Island
- Gull Island, Santa Cruz Island
- ASPEN HELICOPTERS ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS
An Aspen helicopter flying Will Wooley and the Marshall brothers
during an elk reduction hunt,
Santa Rosa Island, 2008.
Aspen helicopters at the Main Ranch,
Santa Cruz Island
An Aspen helicopter at Summit Peak,
Santa Barbara Island.
An Aspen helicopter refueling,
Santa Rosa Island, 2008
Aspen helicopters at Anacapa Island, 1997 
Aspen Bell 212 helicopter at Anacapa Island 
Nice fish, Santa Cruz Island
