HAI Expanding International Reach, Safety Programs
A little more than a year after James Viola stepped into the position of president and CEO at Helicopter Association International (HAI), the association has made strides toward goals of extending its reach internationally and building on its well-established safety programs. Specifically, they include: initiatives underway to strengthen the association’s presence before the International Civil Aviation Organization, establish new relationships throughout the globe, expand the membership beyond traditional rotorcraft, add new and revisit safety programs, and help consolidate safety and other initiatives under a newly rebranded Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST).
Over the past year, Viola was evaluating involvement with various organizations, including the International Helicopter Safety Foundation. There was turnover at the foundation, leading organization officials to ask Viola to take a deeper role. This turned into an opportunity for Viola to pursue his desire to broaden the scope. “My vision was that we should be everything that flies below 3,000 feet, slower than 250 knots, and doesn’t need an airport for takeoff and landing.”
That culminated in the renaming of the organization to VAST, replacing the reference of helicopters with vertical aviation. At the same time, Viola was looking to step up the presence of the industry at ICAO and reach out to international organizations. HAI also is working to roll out an Aviation Safety Action Program and looking to revamp its Safety Accreditation program.
About six years after the first flight of Bell’s newest and largest civil helicopter, the 525 Relentless, its development and flight-test certification program is nearing an end. “Generally speaking, the plan is to complete our testing required for certification in the first half of this year,” Bell 525 senior program specialist Brendan Lanigan told AIN. “We’re actually running out of tests to perform. So that’s exciting for those of us that have been involved in the program for quite some time.”
However, development of the 16-passenger super-medium helicopter hasn’t been easy, with the fatal, in-flight breakup of 525 flight test vehicle 1 in July 2016 as well as the introduction of new technology such as fly-by-wire in a helicopter that will be certified under Part 29. “In the Part 29 helicopter world, fly-by-wire wasn’t considered in those regulations,” Lanigan added. “There’s a lot of new ground that had to be charted.”
Lanigan declined to speculate on when FAA type certification of the twin-engine rotorcraft might happen. As of mid-March, the 525 flight-test program had accumulated a little more than 1,800 test hours, which has provided Bell with knowledge of the helicopter’s performance in areas such as fuel burn, speed, and range capability, he said.
New York City has had a troubled relationship with the helicopter industry ever since a Sikorsky S-61 accident occurred atop the Pan Am building in 1977, killing five. But that relationship now appears on the verge of total war, with city officials pushing to purge civil rotorcraft from Gotham’s skies.
Paul Vallone, chairman of New York City Council’s Committee on Economic Development (EDC), accused the industry of generating noise that is “pillaging through our neighborhoods.” Speaking during a recent EDC hearing, Vallone, who strongly backs local and federal legislation that would effectively shut down civil helicopter traffic over New York, said New Yorkers need to “reclaim our skies” and predicted the legislation would be passed.
Bill 2026 would prohibit charter helicopters from taking off and landing at the Manhattan downtown and East 34th Street unless they were compliant with Stage 3 noise requirements, while Bill 2067 mandates that city-owned heliports provide helicopter routing information to the city council “on request.”
Industry groups including HAI and the Eastern Region Helicopter Council (ERHC) oppose both bills. Long-time ERHC officer Jeff Smith warned the EDC that the bills would not reduce helicopter noise over the city, but would lead to the economic demise of the city's heliports. Smith noted that Stage 3 helicopters are not commercially available in the size needed for charter and tour operations.
Torrance, California-based Robinson Helicopter started off 2021 with the delivery of its 13,000th rotorcraft in company history. But as it came amid the ongoing distractions caused by the Covid pandemic, the manufacturer didn’t even notice the milestone until weeks later. According to company president Kurt Robinson, that tally includes more than 1,000 of the airframer’s turbine-powered flagship R66s, nearly 5,000 of its two-seater R22s, and more than 7,000 of its four-place R44s, the latter two piston-engined.
“Certainly, the total number is impressive and, more importantly, you have an obligation of duty that we want to be here and keep those operating,” he told AIN. “We still have aircraft flying that were produced in the ’80s, '90s, and 2000s, so it's something that we are proud of and we just keep working to keep upgrading the fleet and keep everyone moving along.”
For 2021, Robinson is optimistic as the first quarter winds down. “At this point this year, we have more orders for new aircraft than we did at this point last year,” he said, adding that he believes the company’s deliveries for the year will exceed 2020’s and even 2019’s totals, barring any unforeseen factors such as a massive resurgence of Covid. “What we’re seeing is around the world the helicopter industry seems to be rebounding quite nicely. We’re not seeing it in just one area, we’re seeing it all over the world.”
HAI Salutes Michael Hynes for Lifetime Achievement
HAI is celebrating Michael Hynes's 65-year career—which has included amassing some 16,500 hours in 314 aircraft types, administering 800 pilot exams, and running multiple aviation businesses—with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor recognizes excellence in management and leadership and is granted to an individual for long and significant service.
Hynes joined the U.S. Air Force at the age of 17 to become an aircraft mechanic. After his service, he helped establish a flight school, FBO, aircraft maintenance shop, and charter service that was one of the first Learjet operators. Hynes added a Brantly B-2 helicopter to his flight school in 1967, formed one of Florida’s first GI Bill helicopter flight schools, and launched Brantly Operators, a maintenance and parts resource. Eventually, he was to own two Brantly type certificates, a vast parts inventory, and production tooling, and he secured an FAA production certificate for the Brantly-Hynes B-2. He also continued operating a flight school.
After an Army contract faltered, he was forced into bankruptcy and sold the assets of Hynes Aviation Industries. However, he turned to teaching in high school and college and was named director of aviation education programs at the College of the Ozarks. Now, he oversees a $450,000 scholarship trust fund.
HAI is planning to honor this year's award recipients through a series of virtual events.
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