Berlin Air Show Called a 'Must' for the Helicopter Market

More than 60 helicopters are expected to attend next year's ILA 2002, the two-yearly international aerospace exhibition to be held in Berlin May 6-12.

"It is by far the largest helicopter exhibition on the Continent, in the center of the largest market for helicopters outside the U.S.," ILA coordinator Rolf Dorpinghaus told Show News.

And that is why he is here at Heli-Expo promoting the show, on Booth 2308.
All the major helicopter manufacturers have supported the show in the past. Eurocopter exhibited no fewer than 17 helicopters at the last ILA, Bell sponsored a race for 407s from Paris to Berlin, and MD Helicopters, Robinson, Enstrom and Russian manufacturers were well represented.

The show is considered of sufficient importance that both of Europe's major military helicopter programs-the Tiger scout helicopter and NH90 transport-were both officially launched there with ministerial signatures and celebrations.

Europe will continue to be a major helicopter market, and ILA provides a venue at the center of it, he said.

Helicopter events planned for ILA 2002 include a conference on EMS (Germany is the single largest emergency medical market outside the U.S.), and other discussions will focus on Europe's particular need for night-time helicopter border patrol, law enforcement, the restructuring of the German Bundeswehr into a helicopter-equipped mobile force, and the life extension or replacement of Germany's 110 or so tiring CH-53 Stallions (which make it the world's second-largest Sikorsky operator after the U.S.).

"There are 80 million German-speaking people. This is a market you cannot ignore," Dorpinghaus said.