DAvID J. CHevAlIer - Blue Hawaiian Helicopters

Transcription

DAvID J. CHevAlIer - Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
Summer 2010
rotor.com
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Serving the International
Helicopter Community
Meet HAI’s
New Chairman:
David J. Chevalier
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Summer 2010
10
About the cover: Please join the HAI Board of Directors and staff in welcoming
David J. Chevalier as the new HAI Chairman of the Board for 2010–2011. Mr. Chevalier
is the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. The cover photo was taken
by Mitch Silver at Blue Hawaiian's exclusive Upcountry Maui landing place, Puu Io in
Ulupalakua Ranch. The story begins on page 10.
Aloha from Hawaii! Meet the Chairman: David J. Chevalier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chairman’s Mission Statement.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
A Six-Step Process to Buying Rotary‑Wing Aviation Insurance.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Congress Responds to 2008 Economic Crisis
with Financial Reform Legislation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Close to the Action: Coast Guard Jayhawk Forward Deployment.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Life at the Sharp End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
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Photo courtesy of Blue Hawaiian
Helicopters, Michael verdure photography
Features
Safety — Dollars and Sense.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Photo courtesy of
Bill Wells
Clearing the Air on the Taxability of Aircraft Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Mount St. Helens 30th Anniversary Reunion.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Aero Ambulancia/Helidosa, Working for Haiti. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Dedication of a Flight Nurse to Air Medical Safety.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Departments
President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
61
Safety.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Legislative Affairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
photo courtesy of
Angeli Medina
Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Flight Operations and Technical Issues.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Focus on Affiliates.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
HAI Affiliate Updates.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Regulations and International Affairs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Market Trends.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
New Members.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Membership Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Advertisers Index.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
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ROTOR® magazine invites its readers to submit articles about the international helicopter community for publication. The publisher reserves the right of final approval
based on subject matter and space availability. Letters to the editor are also welcome. For information about submissions, please contact the editor, Martin J. Pociask, via tel:
703-683-4646; fax: 703-683-4745; or email: [email protected].
Aloha from Hawaii!
Meet the Chairman:
David J. Chevalier
Eco-Star over Na Pali Coast, Kauai
Photo by RON DAHLQUIST. courtesy of Blue Hawaiian helicopters.
Above Photo by Andy Mahr. Courtesy of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.
Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are courtesy of David J. Chevalier.
Blue Hawaiian CEO David Chevalier and his wife Patricia, the company’s President,
photographed in 2001—at Puu Io in the Ulupalakua Ranch—with the world’s first
EC130 to enter service. David worked with American Eurocopter for four years on the
development of the advanced, quiet-technology helicopter, which Blue Hawaiian
named the “Eco-Star,” and in 2001 the company became its worldwide launch customer.
Today, Blue Hawaiian owns Hawaii’s largest fleet of EC130s, currently numbered at 13.
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by Martin J. Pociask
H
elicopter Association
International’s (HAI) new
chairman, David J. Chevalier has a
long history in aviation and helicopter
operations. Chevalier, who sends
his Hawaiian greeting, “Aloha,”
to HAI members and industry
professionals, has been a helicopter
pilot for forty years. He is the CEO
of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, a
company he founded on Maui in
1985 with one four-passenger Bell
JetRanger. It has since grown to be
the largest helicopter company in
Hawaii, operating 22 Eurocopter
helicopters — thirteen EC130s and
nine AS350B2s — from bases on each
of the major Hawaiian Islands.
Born in 1951 in Green Bay,
Wisconsin, the second of eight
children (six boys and two girls);
Chevalier developed an early
strong work ethic. As a freshman in
high school, he went to work for a
neighborhood dry cleaners as a clothes
presser. He worked there every day
after school and all day on Saturdays.
With his earnings, he paid his own
tuition to a private Catholic boy’s high
school, Our Lady of Premontre, as
well as room and board at home.
Chevalier was always fascinated
with flying. Upon graduating
from high school, he saw an Army
recruitment poster that read, “Learn
to Fly.” He felt it was his only chance
to get flight training and decided to
join up — taking and passing the
required tests. After Basic Training,
he attended Warrant Officer Flight
School. He graduated WORWAC
(Warrant Officer Rotary Wing
Aviators Course) on February 21, 1971
and his mother pinned on his wings.
Although he wanted to fly Medevac,
the Army gave him an OH6 transition.
He was assigned to the 101st Airborne
Division at Camp Evans, I Corps Viet
Nam. After two months as a co-pilot in
UH-1s, Chevalier had the choice to be
an Aircraft Commander in Hueys or
fly scouts. He chose to fly scouts until
the area was turned over to the Army
of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
in December of 1971 as part of the
‘Vietnamization’ program. He was
then transferred to the 2/11 ACR at
Phu Loi in III Corp before completing
his tour in March of 1972. Today
Chevalier is a member of the Vietnam
Helicopter Pilots Association.
After Vietnam, Chevalier attended
Embry-Riddle University in Florida
and earned his fixed-wing ratings,
including Commercial, Instrument,
and Multi-Engine. Concern for the
tuition debt he had accumulated at
Embry Riddle, he transferred to the
University of Wisconsin and joined
the Wisconsin National Guard as a
helicopter pilot. He graduated from
the University of Wisconsin–Green
Bay with a Bachelor of Science degree
in Political Economics in 1977.
After graduation, Chevalier served
as flight instructor for a company
in Madison, Wisconsin, and spent a
number of seasons firefighting in the
Western U.S. transporting firefighters,
starting backfires with a drip-torch,
and performing water drops on fires.
Chevalier also conducted survey and
seismic work and later took a position
as a Bell Helicopter International
flight instructor in Isfahan, Iran,
teaching pilots of the Imperial Iranian
Army Aviation. Then came the
revolution and he was stranded in
Isfahan for approximately a month
until Mehrabad Airport in Tehran was
re-opened to allow Pan Am to
evacuate U.S. citizens to Frankfurt,
Germany. He left on the next to last
flight out of Iran on February 21, 1979.
Chevalier then took a corporate
job in Chicago with James McHugh
Construction Company for a year
flying a Hughes 500 helicopter and
Commander 690B airplane. It was
there that he became inspired by
the entrepreneurial acumen of the
company owner, James McHugh. But
Taken shortly before Dave joined the Army, all of his siblings are lined
up to the right of parents Ed and Marge Chevalier; oldest brother Gordy,
Dave (Chairman), Cathy, Pat, John, Eddy, Mike and baby sister Amy.
Graduation day at Fort Rucker, Alabama, Feb. 21, 1971.
“You realized your dream and became
A pilot, an officer, a man
I pinned your wings onto your chest
And bid you farewell to Viet Nam.”
Excerpt from a poem that Dave’s mother wrote to him while he was serving in Viet Nam.
Summer 2010 11
he yearned to fly helicopters back in
the field and returned to Arizona for
one more fire season. With a goal of
eventually starting his own company,
he took a job flying a Hughes 500
on a Super Seiner scouting for Tuna
across both the Eastern and Western
Tropical Pacific. His first trip was the
longest, 92 days at sea before again
seeing land. He flew tuna scouting
missions for the next three years as a
means to save the money necessary
to accomplish his dream of starting
his own business.
It was about this time that he met
Patti, his future wife and eventual
business partner, also a graduate of
UW–Green Bay. David and Patti met
on an off-campus blind date in Green
Bay. The two married and Chevalier
continued to fly tuna scouting
operations for one more year, until
1985, when he decided that he had
earned enough start-up money for
a business. He was also considering
an airline career at the time and was
offered a pilot’s position at a feeder
airline for Delta Air Lines. However,
Chevalier decided to take a job as a
helicopter tour pilot for South Sea
Helicopters on Maui. The Chevaliers
had never been there, did not have any
children, and Patti was just finishing
her teacher training at the University
of Oregon. Hawaii also held great
Flying a Hughes 500 scouting for tuna across the Pacific.
promise for a future business
opportunity in helicopters.
Now a long way from their
hometown of Green Bay, the couple
was enamored with the brilliant
sunshine, soft trade-winds, and warm
temperatures of the islands. David and
Patti fell in love with the island life and
the beautiful scenery. They quickly
decided that this would be their
long‑term home and an ideal place to
start their own business.
Chevalier flew tours for six
months for South Sea Helicopters
before making an employee buyout
Dave and his crew at Wisconsin National Guard summer camp, 1975 at Fort McCoy.
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of the Maui operation in the fall of
1985. Meanwhile, Patti taught social
studies at St. Anthony’s high school
in Wailuku. David purchased a used,
high-time JetRanger. After a four-year
license agreement to use the name
‘South Sea Helicopters Maui’ expired,
the company name was changed to
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in 1989.
About the time they bought the
company they also bought their first
house and had a baby. Patti went back
to work at their company when their
daughter Malia was two years old. As
big as it is, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
is a family-owned business. Chevalier
flew tours while Patti and her
brother David “Griff” Griffin (who
joined in 1988) worked sales and
dispatch. Today, Griff is a principal
of the company and serves as Chief
Operating Officer overseeing daily
operations. David Chevalier serves as
CEO, and Patti as President.
The company currently operates
from bases on Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and
both sides of the Big Island (Hawaii),
flying more than 140,000 passengers
annually. Chevalier humbly attributes
the company’s growth to following the
market and opportunity. The company
employs approximately 150 full-time
people, including 35 pilots, 25 A&P
mechanics, and seven mechanic
helpers. The company headquarters
is on Maui and is a recognized
air‑tour leader, providing excellent
and renowned air service across the
Hawaiian island chain.
Chevalier has been an active
member of HAI, serving as
Assistant Treasurer, Treasurer,
Assistant Chairman, and now
Chairman of the Board. He has
participated in HAI Committee
work since 1986, serving five years
as Chairman of HAI’s Helicopter
Tour Operators Committee. He
served as the HAI representative
on the National Parks Over‑flight
Working Group created by the
FAA and National Park Service
to mediate the conflicting
interests between aviation and
wilderness users.
Island Business Magazine
named David and Patti “Business
Entrepreneurs of the Year” and
Travel Channel named Blue
Hawaiian Helicopters as “Top
Ten World’s Best” in helicopter
experiences. Every year since 1995,
the company has also received
the prestigious International
Star Diamond Award for
Outstanding Quality and Service
from the American Academy of
Hospitality Sciences.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters has
committed to the FAA maintenance
safety seminars and every year since
1998, the FAA has honored Blue
Hawaiian Helicopters’ maintenance
department with its “Certificate of
Excellence — Diamond Award.”
The Chevaliers are deeply involved
in a number of civic interests. The two
helped create Maui’s Disaster Medical
Assistance Team, offering helicopter
Department of Aircraft
Services, and a number
of endangered species
programs. They are also
members of the Hawaii
Ecotourism Association.
One example of
Chevalier’s contributions
occurred on Friday,
February 10, 2006.
Chevalier had spotted
and photographed a
40 foot‑long, 45 ton,
struggling humpback whale
entangled in a mass of
coiled rope coming from
the left side of its mouth
and trailing approximately
30 feet along its side,
with two large poly‑ball
buoys creating drag on
the creature. The whale
had been spotted earlier
and had been reported
Piloting a Hughes 500C for the Tuna Boat,
to the NOAA fisheries
the Marne K; a 1,200 ton tuna seiner.
hotline by members of the
assistance in times of emergency or
Hawaii Marine Mammal Consortium
disaster. Patti is the current Chair of
(HMMC), a non-profit whale research
the Tour Operators Program of Safety
organization. The group had lost track
(TOPS) and a board member of the
of the whale which had been last seen
Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau. in waters off Hawaii’s Big Island.
Patti is also a past Chair of both the
Chevalier reported the sighting to
Maui Chamber of Commerce and
the Hawaii Disentanglement Network.
Maui Visitors’ Bureau. She has also
Chevalier’s photograph provided a
served on the board of Maui Economic “birds-eye” view of the entanglement.
Opportunity and Maui Coastal Land
The following morning the whale was
Trust. Blue Hawaiian assists the
spotted again and a rescue response
Pacific Disaster Center, the Maui
vessel arrived. After some time and
Fire Department, the Departments
effort, the ropes were cut and all the
of Education and Interior, the U.S.
gear was removed from the whale.
Flying Hughes 500Ds in support of fire fighting operations in Northern Arizona in 1981.
An entangled Humpback off the
Hawaiian Islands trailing fishing gear
from the left side of its mouth.
NOAA-MMHSRP # 932-1489-08
Summer 2010 13
Once free, the whale was on its way
and soon rejoined a group of other
males pursuing a female humpback.
(See page 48 in the Spring 2006
issue of ROTOR® magazine for the
complete story).
Increasingly, helicopter noise
had become a liability, inviting local
government restrictions on helicopter
operations. Chevalier’s dream from
day one was to help bring about the
development of the next generation
of touring helicopters. He understood
the need for machines that would
be significantly quieter and more
efficient for air touring. For more
than a decade, as former chairman
of HAI’s Helicopter Tour Operators
Committee (HTOC), his group pushed
for a solution. He knew that would
require a breakthrough in helicopter
design technology. In 1997, HTOC
Chairman Chevalier and other HAI
members approached a number of
aircraft manufacturers, lobbying
them to develop and implement
quiet technology.
Chevalier and other HAI members
participated in a customer focus group
in the development of the Eurocopter
EC130. They wanted a quieter
helicopter optimized for air touring.
Blue Hawaiian became the launch
customer. All of their helicopters are
equipped with emergency floats and a
Terrain Awareness System (TAWS).
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is
certificated under FAR Parts 135, 144,
and 145. The company was the first
helicopter company in the U.S. to be
certified under TOPS, which Chevalier
helped to create. The HAI Platinum
Program of Safety has benefited from
methods and principles developed by
that safety program.
In 1993, HTOC resolved that safety
was the number one priority and that
a new program be developed that was
specifically tailored to the air tour
industry. For two years the committee
met three to four times per year,
each time with three to four days of
intensive workshops to specifically
develop this safety program that
they named TOPS. In 1995, a draft
of the prospective TOPS Program
of Safety was presented to, and well
received by, the FAA and the NTSB.
It was later determined that, for
14
Dave scouted tuna for 16 fishing trips, including 13 on the Chiriqui II, a 1,200 ton tuna seiner.
liability and autonomy reasons TOPS
would incorporate on its own. TOPS
incorporated in January of 1996 as an
independent, non-profit organization,
and the TOPS Program of Safety was
implemented at that time. For the
first time, there was an organization
dedicated solely to further enhancing
the safety of all aspects of helicopter
tours. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
was the first company in the United
States to be certified under the Tour
Operators Program of Safety. TOPS
has continually evolved over the years
and although now a separate entity it
remains closely allied with HTOC and
a meeting of one is generally followed
by a meeting of the other.
Chevalier’s company has provided
helicopter service for photographers
from National Geographic and major
Hol­lywood studios. The Chevaliers
have flown aerials for blockbuster
movies such as Jurassic Park, The Lost
World, Honeymoon in Vegas, Flight of
the Intruder, Crimson Tide, George of
the Jungle, and Pearl Harbor, among
others, and for several television
shows. Chevalier is a member of the
Screen Actors Guild and recently
completed a highly acclaimed film
project entitled “Visions of Hawaii.”
Filmed in HD, it is now available
(Continued on page 16)
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Dave and Patti’s wedding picture, with his parents, Ed and Marge Chevalier in 1983.
public relations for helicopters,
so that we can mainstream into
aviation in general. Every day
at Blue Hawaiian, we help the
general public to understand and
(Continued from page 14)
16
Martin J. Pociask is Director
of Communications for HAI.
EC130 touring the north shore of Molokai.
Photo courtesy of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. Michael verdure photography.
on Blu-ray as well as DVD, and
video clips can be viewed on the
company’s award-winning Web
site, www.BlueHawaiian.com. The
production features today’s best
Hawaiian music to accompany the
finest aerial scenery on each of the
Hawaiian Islands. Utilizing the
Cineflex camera system, and working
with a seasoned cinematographer,
Chevalier produced, directed and flew
the camera for most of the production.
Patti points out that Dave has
worked hard to get to where he is
today. “No one has ever given him
anything. There were so many kids
in his family that his parents raised
them to be hard workers. There is
a lot of love in that family. I believe
that laid the foundation for David’s
self confidence. He always amazes
me in that he approaches challenges
with a certain determination but also
sort of a joyful manner. He likes to
create new things (EC130) and is
never afraid to go forward with new
initiatives, after he has thought them
through. He acts, not just talks. He
is always open to opportunity and
doesn’t mind being the first to do
something if he believes in it. He likes
to personally challenge himself and in
doing that, he challenges all the rest of
us around him. He is self assured but
genuinely humble.”
Actions speak louder than words.
Patti adds, “I think that David is
very good for the helicopter industry
because he is interested in innovation
and realizes the importance of
appreciate rotary-wing flight.”
Chevalier’s strong character, great
adaptability, and dedication to safety
and excellence are attributes that
define him. He is environmentally
and customer-focused, and a believer
in establishing a corporate culture
of safety, supported by a record of
excellence in aircraft maintenance.
The results speak for themselves.
We are pleased to welcome David
J. Chevalier as HAI’s new chairman.
HAI and all of its members will benefit
from his leadership, expertise, and
dedication to safety, business acumen,
and his abiding commitment to the
international helicopter industry.
It is fitting that we close this article
with where we started: Aloha! The
greeting also means goodbye.
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Agusta, Bell, Eurocopter, MD &
Sikorsky
“Others sell parts, WE SELL SUPPORT”®
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HAI
First Responder
Program
Not a participant? Go to rotor.com/fr and sign up!
Already signed up? HAI congratulates your leadership.
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The First Responder Program is designed to take full advantage of the benefits
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un
ty
and capabilities of helicopters and other aircraft to assist rescue efforts during times
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er
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of emergency or crisis. By participating in the First Responder program, you are signaling
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your availability to help during emergency rescue and relief efforts on short notice.
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There is no fee to join or participate in the First Responder Program, and no obligation to respond
to any particular request for help. In order to match needs to resources, your up-to-date details, such as
aircraft type and operation capability, are needed. That information will be made available to authorities
via this Web site. HAI makes no guarantee that program participants will be reimbursed, timely or
otherwise, for their assistance.
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Questions about the First Responder Program can be sent to:
1-703-683-4646 • ww w. r o t o r. c o m
Summer 2010 17
Photo courtesy of Mitch Silver
Chairman’s Mission Statement
M
y mission for the next
year is to encourage
the membership to use the
Helicopter Association
International (HAI) as a key
tool of their business. HAI
has far more to offer than
an annual trade show. The
heart of the association is our
committee structure. All civil
helicopter operators should be able to find a committee
that can help with issues affecting their business.
There is great strength in coordinated action with
other operators. While we can be a powerful influence
on the course of our own companies, we are generally
weak in affecting the flow of outside events. However,
with a collaborative and sustained process of cooperation
among stakeholders, we can affect the outside course of
events and significantly improve our business environment.
Your participation will contribute to the vibrant creativity
and diversity of thought that makes our committees
powerful and effective. The staff at HAI is ready and able
to help each committee to achieve their goals. They are
especially effective at facilitating legislative and regulatory
improvements, which have enhanced the business climate
for every sector of our industry.
Please a take a minute to review the 21 current HAI
Committees, online at: http://www.rotor.com/AboutHAI/
Committees.aspx . After logging in, members will find a link
to the latest committee report at the top of each committee
listing. This report outlines the current agenda, and should
hopefully inspire you to join a committee that shares your
interests. The time that you invest in committee work can
pay huge dividends. Coordinated effort can help to stave off
threats while maintaining and improving the quality of our
business environment and protecting our common interests.
All HAI committees meet at least annually at
HELI‑EXPO®. I urge you to contact the chairman of the
committee/s that interest you and express your interest.
You will find their contact information on our Web site
committee listing. Take maximum advantage of your time at
HELI‑EXPO® and plan to attend a committee meeting.
I hope to see you in Orlando, Florida for
HELI‑EXPO 2011!
David J. Chevalier is Chairman of the Board for HAI.
So We Made a DVD…
…about developing a Safety Management
System. We did not make it hard
to understand, we did not
make it for little kids, and
most of all we did not
make it to waste your
time. We wanted
you to be able
to step off, by
yourself, and put
together an SMS
that would work
for your system,
whether it is
one, three, five,
or one hundred
aircraft.
We wanted
you to find the
SMS Toolkit at
www.IHST.org, download
it and walk yourself through
18
it, learning as you complete the template. We
did all this because we think that Safety
Management Systems make sense,
that they give you an organized
path through a subject
that does not have to be
complicated to be effective.
And we are not the
only people that believe
this; the International
Helicopter Safety Team
believes it, Transport
Canada and ICAO
believe it, and the FAA/
NTSB believes it. So
take a look at the DVD
on www.rotor.com; if you
did not get a copy, we will
send you one. Email, call,
or write to J. Heffernan at HAI
Safety. [email protected] or
703-683-4646.