HAI/ROBB COHEN PHOTOGRAPHY


LAST HOVER


Harold Summers HAI director of flight operations was an industry icon.


2021. He was 83. Hal’s extraordinary aviation career spanned more than six


H


decades. After receiving his A&P license in 1960, he worked in Alaska and then in 1964 joined Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI) as a mechanic–pilot. Hal steadily rose through the ranks at PHI to eventually become a VP with responsibility for maintenance. In that role, he presided over maintenance and support for a global fleet, overseeing more than 400 helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico alone. He later served as acting chief engineer for a joint venture between PHI and China Southern Helicopter Co. in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, where he met his wife, Zhilin. In 2004, Hal joined HAI, where he managed the fly-in and


AROLD “HAL” SUMMERS, DIRECTOR OF FLIGHT operations for HAI for nearly 18 years and a fixture in the rotorcraft industry since the 1960s, died Oct. 20,


fly-out each year for HAI HELI-EXPO®


. In


that role, he worked with local airports to coordinate staging and fueling sites and with the FAA to meet regulatory


requirements. He then managed the arrival and departure of up to 60 helicopters to be displayed on the show floor at each Expo. Hal also worked with other HAI staff members, regulators, and industry stakeholders to resolve issues for HAI members. Hal was equally active in myriad HAI working groups, industry


In directing the fly-in and fly-out each year for HAI HELI-EXPO®, Hal (far right) managed the arrival and departure of up to 60 helicopters to be displayed on the show floor. Here, he joins HAI staffers (from left) Cade Clark, VP of government affairs; Chris Hill, director of safety; and Zac Noble, director of maintenance and technology, at the 2019 Expo in Atlanta.


68 ROTOR DECEMBER 2021


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