Los Angeles Airways 1947 Tapestry

Los Angeles Airways (LAA) was a helicopter airline founded in October 1947 in Westchester, California, which offered service to regional airports throughout Southern California. LAA began with airmail service on October 1, 1947, followed by scheduled passenger service in November 1954, making it the world's first scheduled helicopter airline. The main hub was Los Angeles International Airport where passengers were flown to and from local area heliports, including several resorts, hotels, and theme parks. Service was later expanded to Ontario and San Bernardino, allowing the fleet to grow with four new Sikorsky S-61's in March 1962. Despite LAA's popularity, making a profit became increasingly difficult, ceased operations in 1971.