LAX Heliport Saved!

Travelers have easy access to the heliport from LAX International.

A campaign mounted by helicopter operator Robert Butler (president of Bravo Aviation) and backed by Frank Robinson has saved LAX heliport from becoming a parking lot.

Law enforcement agencies, Torrance-based Robinson Helicopter (which uses the heliport to ferry customers to and from LAX International) and helicopter organizations convinced the airport authority on the eve of Heli-Expo that the facility is an important piece of the region's transportation infrastructure, a critical asset in case of a terrorist attack at LAX and a potentially lucrative venture.

The heliport is currently logging 300 operations a month, half of which are by its operator, Bravo Aviation.

Frank Robinson, president of Robinson Helicopter, hired Jen McSkimming, a heliport coordinator, to work full time on the campaign and rally support. So is she out of a job now the battle has been won?

"No," she told Show News. "Frank Robinson wants me to stay on to help develop heliports in industrial parks in the Los Angeles area. That will be good for the industry, as well as helping develop the market for Robinson."