The Best Way to Honor Our First Responders
Strengthening vertical aviation will improve disaster response.
By James A. Viola I
T HAS BECOME A PATTERN: a region somewhere in the world is hit by disaster. It could be a flood in Brazil, a hurricane in the United States, or a wildfire in Greece. First, our industry goes to work, saving lives. Next, we see
reports from journalists on the scene marveling at the life- saving work our industry does. When disaster strikes, helicopters become lifelines. We fly in
them over roads rendered impassable by floods, earthquakes, mudslides, or wildfires, bringing food, shelter, medical supplies, and emergency personnel. We can deliver heavy equipment to repair infrastructure or safely hoist a mother and child from a rooftop. Couple those capabilities with our industry’s passion for service, and it is no wonder we are an important part of a community’s capacity for disaster response and recovery. At VAI, we commend all those in our industry who contribute
to disaster response and recovery. Some wear military uni- forms; others work for civilian law enforcement or local gov- ernment. Some work for companies specializing in firefighting or power-line repair. Others are volunteers who see a need and decide to help. Anyone who works in disaster response knows it is a team effort—from the mechanic working through the night to get your bird ready for the day’s flight to the person figuring out where to get fuel when there is no phone or Internet. You all make me very proud to be in this industry. As we celebrate your achievements, we must also recognize an important lesson: we need to invest in vertical aviation now
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JAMES A. VIOLA is VAI’s president and CEO. After a career as a US Army aviator, he joined the FAA, where he served as director of the Office of General Aviation Safety Assurance before joining VAI. James holds ATP ratings in both airplanes and helicop- ters and is a CFII. Contact him at
President@verticalavi.org.
POWER UP DEC 2024
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
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