However, HAI also cautions its members to “fly neighborly” and mitigate the effect of helicopter operations on the communities they fly over. Begun in 1982, under the leadership of Frank Jensen, then association president, the HAI Fly Neighborly program provides pilots and operators with noise abatement procedures, including model-specific recommendations, as well as advice on creating a constructive dialogue with their neighbors. For its efforts, HAI was recognized with the FAA Silver Award for Distinguished Service. Former HAI Chair Jeff Smith, who worked with the Eastern Region
Helicopter Council, the FAA, HAI, and Washington, D.C., community leaders to resolve sound complaints in the National Capital Region, said that effort’s successful resolution “illustrates how well we can all work together toward mutually beneficial results when communication and collaboration are involved.” Protecting aviation infrastructure, identifying regulatory overreach,
creating workforce development programs—the number of issues that HAI is working on is staggering. In 2022 alone, HAI government affairs staff tracked more than 600 bills, successfully stopping a number of burdensome and anti-industry regulations. But one of the associ- ation’s proudest moments was a positive one: obtaining $396 million in COVID relief funds for its Part 135 operator members. “Te pandemic was such a difficult time for everyone, and no one
could predict where or when we would come out the other side,” says Viola. “When HAI was able to add Part 135 operators to the class of businesses eligible for relief funds, it was a great example of why our advocacy efforts add such value to our members.” Speaking for the vertical aviation industry is only half of the advo-
cacy equation, however. Listening to members is also key, and HAI is expanding its slate of regional representatives, whose job it is to work with operators and represent their concerns with state and local government officials and organizations.
Safety: The Key to Industry Success Vigorous support for operational safety has been at the core of HAI’s mission since its inception. Te association held its first accident briefing on May 15, 1949, and it continues to dedicate substantial resources to elevating safety policies, practices, and tools throughout the industry, regardless of membership status. One example of HAI leadership on safety came with the 2005 launch
of a campaign to lower helicopter accident rates worldwide. In September of that year, HAI was one of the sponsors of the first International Helicopter Safety Symposium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. More than 250 people from 13 countries and 5 continents attended, repre- senting the breadth of the industry—operators, manufacturers, reg- ulators, maintenance organizations, safety advocates, and associations. Using the model of data-driven analysis and mitigation successfully employed by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team to make significant
improvements in Part 121 air carrier safety, attendees agreed to form the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST). Te IHST was launched in 2006, with HAI President and CEO
Matt Zuccaro as its industry cochair. Te all-volunteer IHST laid out an ambitious goal of an 80% reduction in civil and military helicopter accidents by 2015. Te premise was that the team would first identify the most prominent accident categories and then drill down on the root causes of such accidents before developing the means of reducing or eliminating them. An additional challenge for the helicopter industry was its 44 distinct missions, many of which carry elevated risk profiles. Unlike the relatively homogenous missions of Part 121 air carriers, this diversity of missions complicated the task of determining and addressing accident causes. Although the IHST fell short of its 10-year goal, it succeeded in
helping the industry adopt the data-driven accident-prevention approaches that we take for granted today. Recognizing that stake- holders from the local helicopter community should lead the data analysis and resulting efforts to improve safety, the IHST also spurred the creation of national or regional safety teams around the world that have generated a multitude of safety kits and learning tools to help helicopter pilots and operators work toward becoming safer in the air. In 2021, recognizing that the vertical aviation fleet, while becoming
more diverse, shared similar safety issues, Zuccaro’s successor, James Viola, supported transitioning the IHST into the Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST). Te group provides a central source where regional safety teams can come together to collaborate and coordinate safety initiatives so that information can flow freely globally. HAI’s free tools and resources include an online flight risk assess-
ment tool and monthly Spotlight on Safety poster, video, and article on a safety topic. HAI also offers a Framework for Safety that is scalable down to “one pilot, one mechanic who needs a framework … to get home safely every day.” HAI members have access to a range of safety tools and programs,
including an Aviation Safety Action Program and safety awards for pilots, operators, and maintenance technicians. Tey are also eligible for steep discounts on services that will help them implement a safety management system for their flight operation or maintenance operation. “Te diversity in our industry—everything from aircraft and mission
to the type and size of the operation—is huge, and HAI’s safety pro- gram recognizes that diversity. We have something that will help every pilot, operator, and maintenance technician,” says Chris Hill, HAI’s senior director of safety.
Coming Together to Learn and Grow Trough education programs and events, HAI has sought to help industry professionals connect and grow since its first meeting. Te group’s major event, a trade show coinciding with the annual meeting, got off the ground in 1960. By January 1967, the HAI Annual Meeting,
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