FROM THE DESK OF THE EDITOR


HELICOPTER INDUSTRY OFFICIALLY REOPENS WITH HAI HELI-EXPO 2022!


Of course the headline above is a smidge spectacular and only a little dramatic. Although the helicopter industry was negatively impacted by the pandemic, it never really shut down.


Reflecting on this time last year, I remember when the Helicopter Association International made this announcement:


“Until the beginning of 2021, all signs had pointed toward a successful show. Over the past week, as second deposits became due for exhibitors, a large number either pulled out or expressed discomfort with attending or exhibiting. The Board of Directors looked at the numbers and made a difficult decision that continuing with HAI HELI-EXPO 2021 was not in the best interest of the industry.”


It was unprecedented; canceling Heli-Expo in 2021 was a big shock! Fast forward just one year and it’s apparent that recovery is in full swing for most sectors of the industry.


Heli-Expo 2022 will be in Dallas (March 7-10) and is anticipating 600-plus vendors and over 14,000 attendees. Rotorcraft Pro is very much looking forward to visiting customers and interacting with readers and attendees. We hope that you will come see us at Booth 6819.


50-Year Celebration


Inside this issue, we are excited to highlight Erickson Inc., one of the most unique helicopter operations in the world. For half


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Editor-In-Chief Lyn Burks


lyn.burks@rotorcraftpro.com Account Executives


Teri Rivas


teri.rivas@rotorcraftpro.com Brad Shubargo


brad@rotorcraftpro.com Circulation Manager


Laura Lentz Layout Design


Bryan Matuskey production@rotorcraftpro.com


Online Accounts Manager Lynnette Burks


lynnette.burks@rotorcraftpro.com Copy Editors


Rick Weatherford


Joanna Nellans Social Media Guru Laura Lentz


a century, not only has Erickson been a pioneer in heavy-lift operations and MRO, it also has a reputation for completing some of the most challenging jobs in many of the most austere and grueling environments on the planet. Please join in the celebration by reading the feature and watching the video starting on Page 50. You may also stop by Erickson Inc. Booth 8634 and wish them a happy 50th anniversary.


Predictions Coming True In my editor’s letter at this same time last year, I wrote:


“On the maintenance side of the equation, we speculate that in five years helicopter maintenance won’t be the same. HUMS (health and usage monitoring systems) have become so advanced and so lightweight that even the smallest helicopters can benefit from such systems. Predictive maintenance and decision-making can be guided remotely using WiFi, cellular service, the cloud, and mobile device apps, sometimes without a mechanic having to touch the aircraft.”


If you check out the story on Page 80 you can see how the 2021 predictions are becoming reality. In this informative article you can learn how original equipment manufacturers such as Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters, Sikorsky (a Lockheed Martin company) and the Robinson Helicopter Company are implementing powerful digital technology such as algorithms, artificial intelligence, and digital twins to provide faster and better service to their clients.


Lyn Burks, Editor-In-Chief


Content Creators James Careless Randy Mains Joanna Nellans Jennifer Ferrero Rick Weatherford Wes Van Dell Randy Rowles Mark Tyler Matt Johnson Uros Podlogar


Corporate Officer Lyn Burks, CEO


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Jan/Feb 2022


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