Matt Zuccaro Helicopter Pilot, Veteran, Safety Advocate


Matt Zuccaro was born in New York City into a large, close-knit family. He would often accompany his father to his work in operations at Idlewild Airport, which later became JFK International. It was there Matt first dreamed of flying. At age 14, Matt became a Civil


Air Patrol cadet. One day in 1965, he met another young cadet, Doreen Keefe, and the rest, as they say, is history.


As the war in Vietnam was


Matt lands on top of one of the World


Trade Center towers while conducting initial proving runs


for establishing the rooftop heliport.


escalating, Matt decided to quit college and join the US army in 1968—in part because he knew the army was desperate for helicopter pilots. It was the quickest way into the cockpit. After training at Fort Rucker in Alabama—a long way from the streets of New York City—in July 1969, Matt was deployed to Vietnam—a place even farther away from home. During his year in Vietnam, Matt served with the 7/17th


Air Cavalry, flying Hueys in and out of combat. For his service, Matt received 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 4 Bronze Stars, 1 Air Medal for Valor, and 19 Air Medals. Matt returned to the US in 1970, and he and Doreen were married three weeks later. Over the next 50 years, Matt and Doreen raised two children, Steven and Wendy, and saw their family grow, as spouses and grandchildren joined the clan. Matt never misses an opportunity to thank Doreen, whom


he describes as his copilot, for her love and support throughout his career. After leaving the army in 1971, Matt’s first civilian job was as a charter pilot and flight instructor for a New York City company. In those days, operators often took on any mission that came up. From helicopter air ambulance and air tours to aerial photography and power-line patrol, Matt saw it all. When he returned to civilian


life, Matt also rejoined the Civil Air Patrol, where he was for many years a fixed-wing instructor and check pilot. He is still a member. Over the next 35 years,


Matt held pilot and executive management positions with


companies such as Union Carbide and charter, aircraft management, and maintenance organizations. At Resorts International Airlines, working closely with the FAA, he established the first and only dedicated IFR helicopter airline, flying from New York City to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Hartford, Connecticut. Matt also worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he was one of two pilots to land on top of the World Trade Center heliport. He also was airport operations supervisor at JFK International Airport— the same job his father held when he introduced Matt to aviation all those years ago. During this time, Matt was active in various industry


groups. He was a founding member of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council and, since the early 1980s, a member of Helicopter Association International, where he served on the Affiliate, Safety, and Fly Neighborly Committees. Matt was first elected to the HAI Board of Directors in 1987 and served as chairman in 1991. Most of all, in his career, Matt put safety first. A recipient


of HAI’s Pilot Safety Award for 10,000 accident- and violation-free flight hours, he has been a vocal advocate for a helicopter industry with zero accidents.


40 ROTOR WINTER 2020


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