The development of advanced air mobility has focused welcome attention on the need to strengthen and expand vertical aviation infrastructure and preserve our industry’s access to airspace. | Wisk Aero LLC
and rules in a range of operational areas, from heliport design to aircraft performance and flight crew qualification for new categories of vertical aviation aircraft. In addition to the operators elected by their fellow members to the
HAI Board of Directors, the association has 14 working groups composed of member volunteers. Some groups are sector-specific, such as aerial tours or air ambulance operations; others focus on issues familiar to all in the industry, such as safety or workforce development. Te late Jim Wisecup, HAI’s board chair for 2018–19, reminisced in a 2018 article about working with fellow HAI members on changes for the 2004 Heliport Design Advisory Circular. “It wasn’t always fun in those rooms, but we did get a lot of good things done, and it’s nice to think that I played a part in that,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot out of the industry, and I think being active in HAI is a way to put something back in.” HAI has expanded its outreach to other international rotorcraft
associations, including working with the European Helicopter Association to produce its annual show, EUROPEAN ROTORS, and forming the International Partnership Program (IPP) in 2020. Spurred by the need to share information during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, HAI organized regular virtual meetings with other rotorcraft associa- tions. Topics included protocols for cleaning aircraft and vaccine dis- tribution. Te emergency created by the pandemic may have passed, but IPP participants, which now comprise 17 national or regional helicopter associations, still participate in regular quarterly meetings. HAI also has organized three councils where members can raise concerns
and receive updates on how HAI is supporting their sector: one for airframe and powerplant manufacturers, one for advanced air mobility stakeholders, and one for small-business members. And every member has direct access to the technical and operational expertise of the HAI staff. “Helping our members cope with their challenges is why HAI
exists,” says Viola. “So when we make a positive difference for them— when our advocacy helped keep the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport open or when we worked in 2018 with human external cargo operators
caught in a regulatory gap to obtain a waiver and continue opera- tions—that makes our day!” Viola recommends that HAI members write to
president@rotor.org for assistance with their regulatory, legislative, and technical issues.
The Next 25 Years As HAI moves into its fourth quarter century, the association and its members are looking ahead to dramatic expansion of the industry. Vertical aviation is experiencing a wave of innovation and experi- mentation not seen since its early days. Tere are more than 900 companies working to bring their version of electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to market. Companies are experimenting with a variety of powerplant types, including all-electric, electric hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cells. Te promise of advanced air mobility (AAM) is bringing welcome attention to vertical aviation infrastructure and airspace. Helicopter manufacturers are also innovating. Health and usage
monitoring systems (HUMS) and flight data monitoring (FDM) are joining the art of aircraft diagnostics with the science of data analysis, turning tasks such as rotor track-and-balance from a delicate dance to a straightforward input on a control panel. While the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor was selected for the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift program, a leading contender was the Sikorsky S-97 Raider, a com- pound helicopter with two coaxial rotors and a single pusher propeller capable of speeds in excess of 220 kt. If the past can predict the future, these military technologies will migrate, sooner or later, to the civil industry. In short, the skies of 2048 will most likely look very different. And
HAI will look different too as it adapts to serve an expanded, diver- sified industry. But its mission—to connect, educate, and advocate for the global vertical aviation industry, to elevate safety within it, and to promote its prosperity and sustainability—will never change. “Te core of why HAI exists remains the same: to help our members learn, grow, connect, and succeed,” says Viola.
SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE ROTOR 19
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