From The Desk of The Editor Another Heli-Expo in the Bag!
Heli-Expo is traditionally held well south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but this year’s event was held in Louisville, Kentucky. It was an unusual twist. The weather in that part of the country can be unpredictable in early spring, and the week of Heli-Expo 2016 was no exception. It went from mild and clear to very cold and snowing ... and everything in between. Thankfully, due to Mother Nature’s reluctant cooperation and the professionalism of the HAI staff, nearly all 58 helicopters that were scheduled to exhibit
Although attendance was down approximately 25 percent, nearly 1 million nicely, accommodating 695 exhibitors and 14,000 attendees. Furthermore, with over 750 people attending courses, the HAI professional education series continued to successfully meet its mandate. To check out scenes from the show, go to page 32 for eight videos. (It’s another reason to also get our digital editions via
rotorcraftpro.com and with our free apps.)
We have other treats in this issue, especially for those of you who enjoy reading about international operations outside the U.S.
Recently the Rotorcraft Pro team made our way to the island of Hispaniola where we spent a week with Helidosa Aviation Group in the Dominican Republic. The company, the island, and the culture are rich in history and we captured some of that in an amazing feature for you that fuses together on-the- scene writing, photography, and video. It all begins on page 48. Enjoy!
We also haven’t forgotten our “wrenches” out there that keep our aircraft up in the air and running smoothly. Maintenance contributor Scott Skola has Part One of an educational series on regulatory trends impacting the modern day mechanic. Get up to date on page 60.
We also cover the most recent advances in unmanned helicopters, as writer James Careless looks at “The Inexorable Rise of Unmanned Helicopters” beginning on page 66. Don’t worry, pilots are still needed! So beginning on page 34 we also present our annual Rotorcraft Pro U.S. Pilot Salary and
online technology to reach pilots and their employers would generate more interest throughout the industry. Wow, did it ever! This year’s survey again had excellent participation. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success. We think
Lyn Burks, Editor In Chief
Publisher Brig Bearden
brig@rotorcraftpro.com Editor-In-Chief Lyn Burks
lyn.burks@rotorcraftpro.com Account Executive Teri Rivas
teri.rivas@rotorcraftpro.com Layout Design Bryan Matuskey
production@rotorcraftpro.com Online Accounts Manager Lynnette Burks
lynnette.burks@rotorcraftpro.com Copy Editor
Rick Weatherford
rick@rotorcraftpro.com Social Media Guru Laura Lentz
Contributing Writers
James Careless Sharon Desfor
Rick Weatherford Eric Lian
Matt Johnson
Randy Mains Brad McNally Tim Pruitt
Randy Rowles Scott Skola
Rotorcraft Pro®
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Mar/Apr 2016
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