“In advocacy, you have to take a very long view,” says


Cade Clark, HAI’s chief government affairs officer. “For example, we started working on the issue of 5G commu- nications and their interference with safety-critical aviation equipment in 2017, more than four years before those systems were slated for implementation. But when you’re dealing with a regulatory issue that involves multiple gov- ernment agencies, it takes time to turn that ship.” HAI staff led a technical working group with other aviation


stakeholders that analyzed the effect of 5G implementation on flight safety, reviewing proposals by the telecommuni- cations industry and recommending mitigation solutions. Te HAI Government Affairs team was also instrumental in raising awareness of the implications of 5G deployment in both the legislative and executive branches of the US government, becoming part of a standing meeting on the issue with members of the FAA, the National Economic Council, and the Federal Communications Commission. “In this era of rapid technological advancement, disruption


is inevitable, no matter what industry you’re in. 5G had been on the horizon for years, and we knew there would be impli- cations for vertical aviation,” says John Shea, HAI senior director of government affairs. “We raised our concerns throughout the Washington, D.C., ecosystem—with regulators, legislators, and those looking at the economic impact. To get the results you want, you have to present your fact-based, solution-ori- ented case in multiple meetings, to multiple stakeholders, and you have to sustain that effort over months or, often, years.” Ultimately, HAI’s advocacy for the vertical aviation


industry led to exemptions that allowed Parts 91 and 135 operations to resume, including those performing helicopter air ambulance, law enforcement, firefighting, and other essential services. Community compatibility continues to be an issue. At


the 1963 association convention and trade show in Palo Alto, California, complaints by local residents prompted the move of demonstration flights to an airport 4 miles away, and 60 years later, the sound produced by helicopters continues to be an issue. “I like to remind people that when they hear a helicopter


flying, they are often listening to the sound of service,” says James Viola, HAI president and CEO. For example, pub- lic-sector agencies, including law enforcement, firefighting, and search and rescue, account for the majority of helicopter operations in the Los Angeles area. Similarly, national security flight restrictions in the Washington, D.C., area mean that all helicopters overhead are either flying military or public-service missions.


16 ROTOR SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE


HAI recently worked with the office of US Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), the FAA, and the Eastern Region Helicopter Council to adjust altitudes and routes that reduced aircraft sound in the Washington, D.C., area, allowing air ambulance, law enforcement, and military aircraft to continue their public service missions with no effect on flight safety. | Mark Bennett Photo


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