Kathryn Purwin Takes over as CEO of Helinet Aviation Services

ALEA – Kathryn Purwin, jet and helicopter pilot and widow of Alan Purwin, today takes over as CEO of Helinet Aviation Services.

ALEA – Kathryn Purwin, jet and helicopter pilot and widow of Alan Purwin, today takes over as CEO of Helinet Aviation Services. Helinet is a leading international provider of corporate travel, emergency medical service, electronic news gathering, motion picture, television and commercial production services since 1987.

The company predicts growth for its technical division Helinet Technologies, which specializes in the delivery of digital and data transmission from airborne, marine and ground based platforms. The Helinet Technologies team has doubled in size to serve the growing number of local, state and federal government organizations utilizing real-time transmission and distribution of HD video and data.


โ€œAlan was committed to helping law enforcement agencies across the country develop customized, turnkey solutions, that have been widely adopted among agencies nationally and internationally,โ€ Purwin said. โ€œThatโ€™s a legacy I am dedicated to building on.โ€

Alan Purwin died on September 11, 2015. A pioneer in helicopter aviation and highly respected in the entertainment industry, Alan built a reputation for his work as an aerial coordinator and film pilot in hundreds of Hollywood movies while simultaneously establishing Helinet as a reputed aviation and technology company.

The Helinet Technologies division provides a complete range of customized tactical aerial and terrestrial based video and data transmission solutions, systems and services that work inter-operably between local police agencies which include the Los Angeles, Long Beach, Ontario, Hawthorne and Riverside police departments and the Sheriffโ€™s Departments of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Helinet Technologies also provides vital command and control platforms to Emergency Operations Command Centers for Los Angeles World Airports (LAX), and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. In addition, the technology is used by agencies internationally and nationally including the New York Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Massachusetts State Police.

In fast-moving tactical situations Helinet Technologies provides public safety agencies with custom designed solutions for seamlessly sharing live video and data directly to fixed locations while providing IP streams to secured laptops, smartphones and other devices on the ground. The accessibility of this information enables multiple agencies to coordinate effective joint actions.

In addition to further supporting law enforcement and military, as the company moves forward Kathryn is equally committed to continuing Alanโ€™s legacy of giving back, particularly to Childrenโ€™s Hospital Los Angeles. The Purwin family, through Helinet, donated two Sikorsky helicopters for patient transport to CHLA and provides pilots 24/7, maintenance and all operational expenses at no cost to the hospital.

The Purwins met at Santa Monica Airport in the early 1980s. They were married in 1994 and over the following two decades Kathryn supported Alan as he built Helinet Aviation into the highly respected and successful business it is today. In addition to its work in surveillance, Helinet currently owns and operates 16 helicopters and is well known for its work in ENG (electronic news gathering) patient and organ transport, and high-end charter services.

โ€œI caught the aviation bug and committed myself to building my flight time and experience until I became qualified to fly co-pilot and captain in several types of jets,โ€ she said. โ€œNow I fully intend to apply the same focus and commitment to keeping Alanโ€™s lifeโ€™s work, Helinet, strong and successful.โ€



Of the staff Kathryn said, โ€œAlan built a loyal and close-knit team made up of some of the most respected professionals in aviation. Some have been at Helinet since it started. These people are family to me as they were to Alan, and my goal is to return their loyalty and comradery and to do everything I can to ensure a solid future for us all.โ€

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...