Helicopter Association International

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| March 13, 2025

Verticon: Blending the new and the old

This was the first year with the new name for Verticon, the helicopter and rotorcraft industry’s exhibition formerly known as Heli-Expo, and a certain harmony between new and old emerged as the show ran its course in Dallas, March 10 through 13.

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Article

| December 12, 2024

GAMA names James Viola president and CEO

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s board of directors has named James Viola president and CEO effective this spring, succeeding Pete Bunce, who will retire after 20 years as head of GAMA.

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Article

| February 29, 2024

Heli-Expo showcases new turbine helicopter, training tech

Thousands of helicopter pilots, businesses, and enthusiasts from around the world descended on Anaheim, California, for Helicopter Association International's Heli-Expo 2024.

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Article

| March 10, 2022

Garmin GI 275 approved for Part 27 helicopters

Garmin announced March 7 that a pending supplemental type certification will soon enable installation of the GI 275 electronic flight instrument in Part 27 VFR helicopters.

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Article

| March 10, 2022

An eye-opening Heli-Expo

Helicopter Association International’s Heli-Expo was a surprising smorgasbord of treats for a fixed-wing pilot.

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Article

| January 21, 2021

HAI Heli-Expo 2021 canceled

The dramatic rise in coronavirus cases across the United States forced Helicopter Association International leaders to reevaluate hosting HAI Heli-Expo, scheduled for March 22 to 25 in New Orleans, and ultimately cancel the event altogether.

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Advocacy

| December 21, 2020

AOPA joins industry effort to promote best charter practices

The General Aviation Dry Leasing Guide addresses concerns about illegal activity, including “sham dry lease” agreements, when chartering an aircraft without a crew.

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Article

| August 4, 2020

Helicopter association mourns passing of James Wisecup

The helicopter community mourned the death of longtime air ambulance pilot, safety advocate, and past Helicopter Association International (HAI) Chairman of the Board of Directors James Wisecup, 71, who died July 30 of cancer in Cedar City, Utah.

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Article

| February 26, 2020

HAI's Matthew Zuccaro dies

Just weeks after retiring from the helm of the Helicopter Association International, Matthew Zuccaro died February 25 at the age of 70.

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Article

| January 30, 2020

Robinson sales dip, rebound

Robinson Helicopter Co.’s 196 deliveries during 2019 were down by almost 100 aircraft when compared to 2018, but the past two to three months are showing a significant sales uptick worldwide, company President Kurt Robinson said at HAI Heli-Expo 2020 in Anaheim, California.

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| January 30, 2020

MD jump-starts 902 program

Lynn Tilton, MD Helicopters Inc. CEO, announced a partnership with Universal Avionics on its MD 902 Explorer twin-engine helicopter at HAI Heli-Expo 2020 in Anaheim, California. The MD 902 will be getting a Universal Avionics InSight flight deck.

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Article

| January 29, 2020

Erickson to build new Air Cranes

Utility aircraft manufacturer and operator Erickson Inc. announced at HAI Heli-Expo 2020 that it will initiate new production of its legacy Air Crane heavy lift helicopter, and introduce the S–64F+ to the market.

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Article

| January 29, 2020

Leonardo surprises with Kopter purchase

Over the past few years, the enthusiastic, agile Swiss startup company Kopter Group AG—busy developing its first helicopter, the innovative, large-cabin SH09 single-engine turbine—has attracted a lot of attention. Among those paying attention was Leonardo, a multinational company based in Italy and specializing in aerospace, defense, and security. Its helicopter division is the former AgustaWestland brand.

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| January 29, 2020

Enstrom marks 60 years

Enstrom Helicopter Corp. is marking its sixtieth anniversary during HAI Heli-Expo 2020 in Anaheim, California. An Enstrom 480B—one of the company’s demonstrators—is adorned with decals commemorating the occasion.

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Article

| January 28, 2020

HAI names new president

James A. “Jim” Viola became president and chairman of the Helicopter Association International (HAI) on January 16, replacing Matthew S. Zuccaro, who announced his retirement last fall. Viola was introduced to the HAI membership at Heli-Expo 2020 in Anaheim, California. The show runs through January 30.

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Article

| January 23, 2020

Avidyne unveils helicopter FMS

Avidyne announced the arrival of Helios, a new, “next generation” flight management system for rotorcraft, a week ahead of HAI Heli-Expo.

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Helicopter Association International

| October 11, 2019

HAI created content The World's Largest Helicopter Event Comes to Anaheim in January 2020

HAI HELI-EXPO has become a must-attend event for anyone involved with or interested in Helicopters or Helicopter operations.

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Article

| March 14, 2019

Enstrom upgrades 280FX

Enstrom Helicopter debuted several new enhancements to its flagship 280FX at Heli-Expo in Atlanta in March. The company’s newest 280FX sports redesigned cabin doors, a new collective design with additional controls, and lighting upgrades that include forward and aft LED landing lights.

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Article

| March 7, 2019

True Blue introduces next-gen battery

Lithium-ion aircraft battery manufacturer True Blue Power introduced its new, fifth-generation (Gen5) main-ship batteries at HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta on March 5.

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Article

| March 7, 2019

Urban air taxis closer to takeoff

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, like those sought by Uber Elevate and other aspiring providers in the developing urban air mobility market—on-demand, automated passenger or cargo transportation services, likely operated without a pilot—were a topic of lively discussion at the Helicopter Association International’s Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta March 4 through 7. And while the technology is not yet here, it has made noticeable advances in the past year.

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Article

| March 7, 2019

Kopter to build helicopters in Louisiana

The U.S. market is very important to new Swiss helicopter manufacturer Kopter Group, which just delivered the third prototype of its single-engine, large-cabin Kopter SH09 to Sicily, Italy, for certification testing. How important? Important enough that the company has been searching for a location in the United States to build the new helicopter, as well as to provide logistical support.

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| March 7, 2019

ASU lightens night vision goggle

Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) unveiled its new E3 Lightweight Night Vision Goggle at HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta on March 6. “We’ve received encouraging feedback from pilots who have flown with our E3 prototypes,” said Jim Winkel, ASU president. “The industry has been asking for a lighter-weight solution for night vision goggles for years. We listened and invested. Every gram matters!”

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Article

| March 6, 2019

Helicopter market 'healthy' despite uncertainties

A new five-year forecast of civilian helicopter purchases came in marginally lower than the 2018 outlook in the face of “an inconsistent economic outlook” for global sales.

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Article

| March 6, 2019

Robinson R22 turns 40

Robinson’s two-place R22 helicopter celebrates its fortieth birthday on March 16, and the company has marked the occasion by displaying a new R22—serial number 4797, and registered as N40YR—painted in the same colors as the first Robinson at the Helicopter Association International’s Heli-Expo in Atlanta March 4 through 7.

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| January 14, 2019

Helicopter pilot honored for 'exceptional' skill

Helicopter Association International will present its Appareo Pilot of the Year Award to a high-altitude rescue pilot in Alaska who has used his “exceptional flying ability” to carry out missions of great difficulty.

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Article

| March 1, 2018

Rotorcraft pilot, mechanic shortfalls quantified

Who’s forecasting the supply of future helicopter pilots and mechanics? “There’s a large focus around the world on the pilot shortage issue—there’s very little talk on the mechanic shortages,” said Dr. Beth Bjerke of the University of North Dakota. And there’s been little attention specifically on the rotorcraft segment, she added. “We have a helicopter program at UND and want to understand where the market is going.”

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| February 28, 2018

Sikorsky to focus on larger helos

Sikorsky sold its light helicopter line—essentially, the former Schweizer 300 series—to Schweizer RSG in late January. The new company, affiliated with Fort Worth, Texas-based Rotorcraft Services Group, acquired the Hughes/Schweizer 269/300 type certificates and parts inventories, and plans to restart production of the Schweizer 300. Sikorsky bought Schweizer Aircraft Corp. in 2004.

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| February 28, 2018

Kopter announces SH09 orders

Marenco Swisshelicopter on Feb. 1 announced that it was rebranding its fast-growing business. The company said the name change to Kopter marks a new chapter in the company's history, as it progresses through its flight test program and transitions from an engineering company to a manufacturing company. Kopter Group was founded in 2007 to develop, build, and support a new generation of turbine helicopters. Its SH09 single-engine helicopter offers a large cabin/cargo volume, excellent hot and high performance, and modular configuration.

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Article

| February 28, 2018

Airbus Helicopters announces Texas training center

Airbus Helicopters announced at Heli-Expo 2018 on Feb. 27 that it will join forces with Thales and Helisim to construct a new, state-of-the-art helicopter pilot and maintenance crew training center in Texas. The Airbus Helicopters Training Center in North America will be located at the headquarters of Airbus Helicopters Inc. in Grand Prairie.

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| February 27, 2018

FlightSafety expands helicopter training

FlightSafety International announced at Heli-Expo 2018 that a simulator for the Sikorsky S-76B has entered service at its Lafayette, Louisiana, Learning Center. The company also said it is offering a new series of Sikorsky S-70A courses at its West Palm Beach, Florida, center that are designed to provide a path for FAA type certification and recurrent training in the S-70A Black Hawk.

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