Challenges Facing HAI

One of the first challenges facing new HAI president Roy Resavage in his first full year of office was a noticeable worsening of the helicopter accident rate at the beginning of 1998.

"We started the year with an accelerated accident rate, then got it under control," he told Show News. "Now it is in line with the five year averages."

The escalating incidence of mishaps was Resavage's first baptism under fire since taking over the reins from long-time president Frank L. Jensen Jr. last March. Improving helicopter safety is a major issue on HAI's agenda, so Resavage pressed for an understanding of what was going on.

"Preliminary investigations show there were quite a few training accidents," he noted. "There are not a lot of unemployed helicopter pilots there, and a lot of experienced flight instructors have moved on to more lucrative positions. I guess the accident rate has to do with a decline of the overall experience level among instructors as older ones move on and are replaced."

In that respect, the problem is a result of the growing popularity of helicopters. Resavage noted the plethora of new models coming to market, and a resurgence in the light piston-engine helicopter segment, which is bringing new blood into both the industry and HAI membership.

The fastest growing portion of HAI membership is international, and they now make up 28% of the total. "We are definitely attracting a more international flavor, and we're trying to help them too," Resavage said. "We can no longer be concerned with helping just our U.S. members."

To that end, the International Federation of Helicopter Associations founded by HAI was approved last December as an observer at the International Civil Aviation Organization. "That was quite an achievement," said Resavage. Now, the IFHA, and the HAI as part of its membership, will be able to advise on the development of international rules for vertical flight, "not just complain about the regulations afterwards," he added. The IFHA will meet during Heli-Expo in an attempt to increase its membership of vertical flight organizations.

For Resavage, Heli-Expo '99 will be his first full show (he had to cut short his visit last year due to a family emergency). But in the intervening year he has taken up the HAI's primary issues for the next millennium. They are:

• Access to airspace and landing rights. "This continues to be a constant battle to ensure some regulators are not overzealous in preventing us doing our job, for example, by curbing overflight of national parks," Resavage said. The issues involve helping shape the air traffic infrastructure to allow free flight and to ensure IFR access for vertical flight.

• Government competition with the private sector. "We will continue to fight on this," Resavage said. "We have no problem with government agencies doing things governmental, but we object to public aircraft flying for hire."

• Surplus helicopters and parts. "It will be an issue forever, but its magnitude has diminished. If I had my druthers there would be no surplus aircraft parts."

• Operator economics. HAI continues to push for increased viability of the industry on all fronts, and, for example, more educational courses have been added to this year's Heli-Expo. It is a working convention," Resavage noted.

By John Morris