About | 40 Years Flying Colorado

The Story

Built at KAPA. Proven in the high country.

AirCam National Helicopter Services, Inc. was founded in 1986 at Centennial Airport in southeast Denver and grew into one of Colorado's most established helicopter operators: high time, high altitude specialists flying charter, film, utility, and survey missions across Colorado and the surrounding states.

The camera heritage runs deep: AirCam flew camera ships for motion pictures, television, news, and sports for more than 3 decades, operating every major mount, from WESCAM and Tyler to IMAX, Cineflex, and SpaceCam, under an FAA approved motion picture flight operations manual. Off the film set, its crews patrolled pipelines and power lines, flew LIDAR and survey platforms, and worked the terrain most operators avoid.

In 2026, AirCam became part of the Centennial Vertiport family, a group of aviation businesses at KAPA spanning helicopter charter, aircraft maintenance, and the future of vertical flight. New name, same certificate, same discipline: AirCam Vertical. If it goes straight up, we're interested.

The original AirCam Helicopters building at Centennial Airport

Scott Smith, Owner and President of AirCam Vertical

The Owner

Scott Smith's watch.

AirCam Vertical is led by owner Scott Smith, President of AirCam National Helicopter Services, Inc. Scott is a Boeing 777 pilot for a major airline and brings a disciplined, systems based approach to flight operations, maintenance, and safety.

He also leads Centennial Vertiport, the dedicated helicopter and VTOL facility at KAPA, Centennial Flyers, one of the largest flying clubs in the country, and Centennial Aero-Tech, the trusted aircraft maintenance shop at Centennial Airport. Four companies, one field, one standard.

The inheritance from 4 decades of AirCam operations stays the same on his watch: high time pilots, high altitude discipline, and meticulous maintenance. See the film heritage.

Timeline

Four decades vertical.

1986

Founded at Centennial Airport

AirCam National Helicopter Services, Inc. sets up at KAPA in southeast Denver, flying Colorado and the surrounding states: Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas.

1991

FAA Air Carrier Certificate

AirCam's Part 135 air carrier certificate (VMIA360T) becomes effective. It is the same certificate the company holds today.

1990s to 2010s

Camera ships, utility, and the high country

Film and broadcast work for features and television, pipeline and power line patrol, LIDAR and survey flying, and a home at the Heliplex, the region's dedicated helicopter facility at KAPA.

2026

The Centennial Vertiport chapter

AirCam joins the Centennial Vertiport family, takes the name AirCam Vertical, and begins its next chapter: modern aircraft, in-house maintenance, and old-school operational discipline.

The vertical future

Our family is building what the next era of flight will need at KAPA: electric aircraft maintenance capability with H55, charging infrastructure, and eVTOL-ready facilities at Centennial Vertiport. When vertical-lift aircraft certify, they'll need a certificated operator that already knows this field. That's the seat we're building toward.

The Family

One field. One family.

AirCam Vertical is one of a family of aviation businesses operating together at Centennial Airport.

Owns and operates the dedicated helicopter and VTOL facility at KAPA: fuel, hangar space, certificated maintenance, and the electric-aviation infrastructure of the next era.

centennialvertiport.com