VAI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR
Nicole Battjes
Rainbow Helicopters Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Commercial Aviation
DEPARTMENTS/COLUMNS
8 From the Board The Future Is Now By Nicole Battjes
10 President’s Message A New Beginning By James A. Viola
12 Advocating for You US States Begin New Legislative Year
By Cade Clark, John Shea, and Katia Veraza
15 ROTORWash X
VAI Briefs
XVAI on Social X
VAI Member Benefit of the Month: Operational Risk and Resilience Accreditation (ORRA) Program XRotorcraft Events
X X
5 Dos & Don’ts for Getting a Read on Weather Conditions
In the Spotlight: Capts. Steve Buhagiar and David Sidorski, Recipients of the 2024 HAI Matthew S. Zuccaro Land & LIVE Award
32 FlyOver LA County Fire Department and a Sikorsky S-70i
By Mark Bennett
82 Flight Path Jason Quinn
84 Accident Recovery Not Like Riding a Bike By David Jack Kenny
88 Fly Safe Light ’Em Up By John Fogel
90 Work Safe Ground Investment By Johnny Buscema
94 Last Hover X
W.A. ‘Dub’ Blessing XRoy Simmons
95 Index of Advertisers
96 Member Focus Helicopter Specialties By Mark Bennett
MARCH 2024 THE MAGAZINE OF VERTICAL AVIATION INTERNATIONAL
SOUND? ONE PILOT’S
WHAT’S THAT
AMAZING STORY OF SURVIVAL
ON THE COVER: Andrew Richard Hara photographed our cover subject, Tim Hunter, signaling to a Paradise Helicopters Bell 407 on the Big Island of Hawaii. The landing zone, which is exclusive to the operator, sits on the north side of the Kohala mountain in a spot accessible only by helicopter. Hunter, who flies for Paradise Helicopters, experienced a life-changing event when the helicopter he was piloting in June 2022 suddenly lost its tail boom. Read his remarkable firsthand account of the accident and how he saved six lives, including his own, on p. 42.
VICE CHAIR
Mark A. Schlaefli Dakota Rotors LLC
Custer, South Dakota, USA Commercial Aviation
TREASURER Rick Kenin
Boston MedFlight
Bedford, Massachusetts, USA Commercial Aviation
ASSISTANT TREASURER
Brian Jorgenson Timberline Helicopters Sandpoint, Idaho, USA Commercial Aviation
PRESIDENT AND
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER James A. Viola
Vertical Aviation International Alexandria, Virginia, USA
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS & CORPORATE SECRETARY
Sarah Arnold
Vertical Aviation International Alexandria, Virginia, USA
DIRECTORS Paul Gottwig
Los Angeles County Fire Department Los Angeles, California, USA Government Service
David McColl Winco, Inc.
Aurora, Oregon, USA General Aviation
Randal R. Rowles Helicopter Institute Inc.
Fort Worth, Texas, USA Commercial Aviation
Stacy Sheard
Executive Jet Management/Fanatics Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Commercial Aviation
Robert Miller Stallings Titan Aviation Fuels
New Bern, North Carolina, USA General Aviation
SPECIAL ADVISOR–
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY Jonathan Daniels
Praxis Aerospace Concepts International Searchlight, Nevada, USA
SPECIAL ADVISOR–INTERNATIONAL WRITE FOR ROTOR
Got something to say to the international helicopter industry? We’re listening. Email story ideas, manuscripts, or questions to
letters@rotor.org. Visit
rotor.org/ write for more information.
4 ROTOR MARCH 2024
Francois Lassale Heli SGI
Denpasar Selatan, Bali, Indonesia LEGAL ADVISOR
H. Bryan Brewer III Crowell & Moring LLP
Washington, DC, USA
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