FROM THE DESK OF THE PUBLISHER IT’S YOUR VOICE
Not often, maybe two or three times a month we receive inquiries from a wide variety of media, governmental agencies and legislative staff - federal, state, local and international as well. There is no pat- tern, no theme, simply those who are seeking a deeper understanding of the issues in our industry and are searching for the experts. Usually we are successful in matching the requester with the subject matter expert. Sometimes we pass the request along to either the appropriate company, or, more often one of the many associations with an inter- est in rotorcraft. While there are a great many good associations, each which represent our interests well, usually the answer can be found by one of the big three; Helicopter Association International (HAI), the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA), or the Professional Helicopter Pilots Association International (PHPAI). The role of any association is to represent their membership and industry in all matters related thereto. The ability of these organiza- tions to do that job is directly proportionate to their membership, or the number of companies and individuals who support them. Sadly, we are not supporting these great organizations the way we should. Individual membership numbers are down across the board, across the industry. One can’t help but wonder, why? Could it be that many of us do not fully understand exactly what these organizations do for us? Or, I dare say, is it simply apathy? Let’s hope not. Our industry is constantly under the proverbial microscope - from groups with environmental concerns, to EMS helicopter critics, to that 8% of our populace that simply can not tolerate any level of noise, much less that of a helicopter. These groups can have a devas- tating impact given an unopposed forum to raise their voices. Thankfully, we have had a few associations with the resources to step forward as our advocates, our champions if you will. Case in point… The tragic mid-air collision of a sightseeing helicopter and a sin- gle engine airplane over the Hudson River. In their haste to “get the facts on the air first,” the New York media apparatus grabbed the first pilot they encountered walking down the street and put him on air as the “subject matter expert.” Unfortunately, this person was neither an expert, nor could be defined as an experienced pilot at all. What occurred was a level of hysteria that was not only unnecessary, it was
PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Ron Whitney
ron@rotorcraftpro.com
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Darian Weaver
darian@rotorcraftpro.com
DIR. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Butch Cole
butch@rotorcraftpro.com
ONLINE EDITOR Lyn Burks
lyn.burks@rotorcraftpro.com
VICE PRESIDENT/CFO Clay Branum
clay@rotorcraftpro.com
VICE PRESIDENT/CAO Rick Weatherford
rick@rotorcraftpro.com
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Mickey Walker
mickey@rotorcraftpro.com
MANAGER, ONLINE ACCOUNTS Lynette Burks
lynette@rotorcraftpro.com
COPY EDITOR Ashley Dempsey
ashley@rotorcraftpro.com
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Pam Fulmer
pam@rotorcraftpro.com
LEGAL COUNCIL Casey Duncan
casey@rotorcraftpro.com
RISK MANAGEMENT Steve Lawrence
steve@rotorcraftpro.com 3 ROTORCRAFTPRO.COM
avoidable. Had the producer of that news outlet been aware of who to contact when such events occur, he would have done his viewers a much better service, and not had them running for cover every time a heli- copter flew overhead. Why didn’t this producer know where to turn? Thankfully HAI’s Matt Zuccaro stepped up and did a wonderful job of informing the public in a factual and reassuring manner. HAI, along with a few other groups, was instrumental in the development and implementation of new rules for flying beneath the New York Class B. A task that was completed in what I consider record time, given the his- tory.
In February of 2009 the National Transportation Safety Board held hearings concerning the EMS helicopter accident rates. A wide range of groups were invited to participate, but none as important as HAI, NEMSPA and PHPAI. Had those three associations not been present, the views of our industry may well have not been seen at all. That, in my opinion, could have a dramatic negative impact on the rotorcraft industry. They represented us well, made our views known, and did a great job educating the masses that tuned into the hearings. Getting involved is not really all that hard to do. Unless you want to jump in and devote your time and energy (like many association vol- unteers do), not really much is asked of you, except your support. The cost of membership is really a bargain when you take into account what these groups do for your career, or business.
For details contact:
• Helicopter Association
Internations-www.rotor.com • National EMS Pilots
Association-www.nemspa.org • Professional Helicopter Pilots Association International-
www.autorotate.org
All the Best,
RON WHITNEY PUBLISHER
Rotorcraft Professional® is published twelve times a year and
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