VAI/DAVIDE COMENSOLI
➤ “We received numerous suggestions
on how to honor Harold’s spirit and leg- acy,” says James Viola, VAI president and CEO. “After careful consideration, we decided to create a new award that truly reflects Harold’s passion and his enduring efforts to enhance our industry. I am grateful to the VAI Technical and Maintenance Working Group, which pro- posed this idea and made it a reality.” Now featuring 11 award categories, the
VAI Salute to Excellence Awards recognize outstanding contributions by people work- ing throughout the vertical aviation indus- try. While some awards acknowledge superlative efforts by individuals, several are open to teams or companies. VAI believes it’s only a matter of time before it receives nominations for people working in the advanced air mobility sector. “We specifically changed the language
of our awards criteria several years ago to include drones and other UAS [uncrewed aircraft system] aircraft,” Viola says. “Since then, we have honored several UAS oper- ators with awards, and we look forward to receiving nominations for exceptional peo- ple working in advanced air mobility soon.” VAI is currently accepting nominations
for all 11 Salute to Excellence Awards: ■ Harold Summers Legacy Award ■ Matthew S. Zuccaro Land & LIVE Award ■ Communications Award ■ Humanitarian Service Award ■ W.A. “Dub” Blessing Flight Instructor of the Year Award
■ Law Enforcement Award ■ Golden Hour Award ■ Safety Award ■ Maintenance Award ■ Pilot of the Year Award ■ Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nominations will be accepted through Sep. 30, 2024. VAI will announce the award recipients in early 2025. For more information on the criteria for
each award and the nomination process, visit
rotor.org/events/salute-to-excellence.
VAI BRIEFS Celebrate World
Helicopter Day! THE OFTEN AWE-INSPIRING WORK helicopters perform is widely acknowl- edged across the vertical flight industry. But the public may not always be fully aware of the more than 40 missions the aircraft conduct. World Helicopter Day, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, presents an oppor- tunity to boost that awareness while cele- brating the wonderful contributions rotorcraft make to society. The event, which marks its 10th anni-
versary this year, isn’t just about raising public awareness of the good helicopters do, however. It’s also a grand celebration of the people who design, build, maintain, fly, and support the aircraft. In short, it’s a time to appreciate the incredible work we do and the impact helicopter operators have on our lives. “This is a perfect opportunity for com- panies in our industry to open their doors and invite the public to witness what makes vertical flight special,” says James Viola, VAI president and CEO. “Tell or show the media what you do. Work with
local politicians to share your efforts in their communities. We have the coolest industry in the world, and the world needs to know about it!” To make the publicity effort easier for
VAI members, the association is providing a small tool kit with checklists, templates, and guides for planning celebratory events, working with the media, and writ- ing press releases. The kit also offers sug- gestions for inviting the public to your base of operations, and it can be scaled and adjusted for companies of various sizes. The kit is available to VAI members only at
rotor.org/world-helicopter-day. “We recognize that celebrating on a
Sunday in August could be difficult for operators,” adds Viola. “It’s in the middle of the busiest time of year in the Northern Hemisphere. Some operators will be fight- ing fires or conducting agricultural opera- tions. Some will be flying air medical operations or building power-line towers. But that’s the key point we want to con- vey: our versatility in conducting missions makes us vital to the public good.” Ultimately, it doesn’t necessarily matter where a company celebrates its work. While it’s always great to promote your
➤ JUNE 2024 ROTOR 19
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