field and headquarters work.” An individual member of HAI since 2008,
Jim intends to use the same approach now that he’s the association’s president and CEO. “What I plan on now is to take my knowledge of working at the highest levels of US aviation and then expanding that to the international level. How can HAI, as an association, best represent the membership around the world and be proactive to where the industry is going?” In fact, Jim has a few ideas on the future
direction of the industry. “First, I think we need to do better with the integration of drone operators. In my view, we want to as soon as possible have unmanned vehicles do all of our dirty, dull, and dangerous work, so we don’t put humans in jeopardy. And because the US aviation rules have been fairly restrictive, there is a lot we can learn from the drone industries in other countries.” Tere is also the challenge posed by the
rapid changes in aviation. “Te world has changed a lot in the last 10 years, and it’s going
to change more in the next 10,” says Jim. “General aviation is increasingly incorporating all sorts of aircraft that aren’t strictly helicopters, including drones and autonomous vehicles. I favor an approach where we gather under our umbrella not just helicopters, but all the aircraft that fit our operational profile: every- thing that operates at low altitudes, is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, and is not restricted to airports.” Another big issue concerns the attempts to
weaken the FAA’s authority over the US airspace. “Tat would be very bad because that’s one thing that we do so well in the United States and why we have the safest skies in the world. If we had to administer airspace on a state-by- state basis, it would be a nightmare. And that’s why HAI has been such a strong opponent of these proposals for local control of airspace.”
Vision for HAI As part of the selection process, Jim presented to the Board of Directors a vision for HAI’s
future. Tey obviously liked what they saw, but Jim says that vision needs to be developed further before it can be turned into a strategic plan for the organization. “I put this vision together as part of the
recruitment process. It was a great exercise for me as a candidate and for the board. Now I need to go back to the staff and members to ensure that this is a vision that is actionable and, most importantly, reflects what the mem- bers want and need. To succeed, it has to be a shared vision for the entire organization.” When asked if he has a specific message for
HAI members, Jim says, “I’d really like to know what keeps them up at night. How can HAI help them? Tat’s our job as an association, to take the weight off of our members. Tey can concentrate on what they need to do, knowing that we have a handle on the issue and HAI is going to work for them.” Jim welcomes feedback from the members;
feel free to start a conversation by sending your message to him at
president@rotor.org.
ROTOR BLADE & COMPOSITE REPAIR SPECIALISTS
www.acs-composites.com
WINTER 2020 ROTOR 45
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