Like anyone, designated pilot examiners (DPEs) have pet peeves. But pilot applicants can avoid triggering them with proper preparation and focus. At our webinar on May 25, 2023, FAA DPE Randy Sharkey, chief pilot at Sweet Helicopters, shared his top 10 pet peeves with humor and insight and revealed how pilots and flight instructors can best prepare for a checkride.

Is the looming FAA safety management system (SMS) mandate keeping you up at night? Want to improve your SMS, or implement one, but not sure how? HAI’s new SMS Coaching and Assessment Program, developed in partnership with WYVERN, can help with these concerns and others. At the May 11, 2023, HAI@Work webinar, we introduced the program with assistance from representatives of HAI and WYVERN, as well as two helicopter operators. The panelists also discussed SMS best practices, what to expect from the proposed new FAA rules, and more. Speakers: Sonnie Bates, CEO, WYVERN Chris Batt, Director of Safety, Air Center Helicopters Mike Renz, President, Analar Corp. Chris Hill, Senior Director of Safety, HAI. Subscribe to the HAI Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/HAIRotor And follow us on Social Media! http://www.linkedin.com/company/helicopter-association-international https://www.instagram.com/helicopterassoc/ https://www.facebook.com/HelicopterAssoc

Where’s the fire? Where’s it headed? How big is it? The answers to these questions are vital to wildland firefighters’ initial response to fire. In today’s world of hotter, dryer, and higher-wind environments, they need those answers faster than ever. Fortunately, modern technology and innovations are making that possible. Subscribe to the HAI Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/HAIRotor And follow us on Social Media! http://www.linkedin.com/company/helicopter-association-international https://www.instagram.com/helicopterassoc/ https://www.facebook.com/HelicopterAssoc

When we investigate aviation accidents, we immediately look for what went wrong. But what about what went right to keep the accident from being much worse? The Apr. 13, 2023, HAI@Work webinar presented a popular session recorded at HAI HELI-EXPO 2023 that addresses this topic, led by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Scott Shappell. Shappell shows us how we can transform the accident investigative process to gain a better understanding of how effective our safety systems truly are. Subscribe to the HAI Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/HAIRotor And follow us on Social Media! http://www.linkedin.com/company/helicopter-association-international https://www.instagram.com/helicopterassoc/ https://www.facebook.com/HelicopterAssoc

At HAI HELI-EXPO 2023, HAI President and CEO James Viola presented an industry outlook and review and shared the association’s strategic initiatives for 2023 and beyond. The Mar. 23, 2023, HAI@Work webinar included a recording of Viola’s presentation and the Q&A with the press that followed.

When the FAA files an action or you’re named in a lawsuit, you need an attorney with a strong aviation-law background, one who can help you follow the rules and minimize your risk exposure. At our Feb. 23, 2023, webinar, attorneys Sarah MacLeod and Brett Levanto, along with HAI’s Zac Noble and Teresa Farmer, previewed a new legal resource benefit exclusively for HAI members. It includes a legal directory of lawyers and law firms referred by other aviation professionals and vetted by HAI.

New urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft and operations are like no other in existence today, and current IFR and VFR flight rules may not fully apply to their needs and capabilities. Terry McVenes, president and CEO of RTCA, discusses whether a new set of rules—digital flight rules, or DFR — is needed to accommodate this rapidly evolving technology. He also talks about needing collaboration between manufacturers and operators to avoid issues between legacy aircraft and new UAM aircraft, and the need for the same kind of collaboration between international civil aviation authorities.

Drone and helicopter pilots both share responsibility for avoiding accidents. Each pilot likely holds a preconceived understanding of the other’s location and operations, but without verifying that understanding, collisions will continue to climb. During our Jan. 26, 2023, webinar, John Meehan, a member of FAAST, analyzed several collisions between drones and helicopters and offered insight into how to prevent future accidents.

Are you a new exhibitor or one with more experience who is looking to simplify the process of exhibiting at HAI HELI-EXPO? Join our panel of experts as they share ideas and answer questions focused on developing and improving your exhibiting processes. Our panelists include: -Caitlin Mann, CEM, CMP, DES, Asst. Director, Exhibits & Experience for HAI​ -Emily Monahan, Conventions Manager for HAI​ -Amy Ellis, Senior Strategic Client Services Manager at GES​ -Katie White - Wyman Company - Sales Partner​ -Sarah Moore, CMP, Senior Account Executive, onPeak

Aviation consultant Rex J. Alexander sees unsafe heliports and risky heliport use far too often. At the Jan. 12, 2023, HAI@Work webinar, the founder and president of Five-Alpha LLC and cochair of the US Helicopter Safety Team Infrastructure Working Group demonstrated how normalizing unsafe design and behavior leads to catastrophe in vertical lift infrastructure—and how we can overcome it.

On Oct. 4, 2022, the rules authorizing US service members to transition to a civilian FAA A&P license changed significantly. In our Dec. 8, 2022, webinar, we hosted a panel of experts dedicated to helping military personnel transition from the military to civilian careers. They offered webinar participants education, career, and license-transition advice while answering their many questions.

In the Nov. 17, 2022, HAI@Work webinar, a retired US Coast Guard commander shared the story of how he and three crew members survived a crash into the Gulf of Mexico, waiting for rescue in alligator-infested waters.

The Nov. 10, 2022, HAI@Work webinar featured the complete recording of the EUROPEAN ROTORS 2022 Global Leadership Perspectives panel as its members examined major issues before the vertical aviation industry. The panel, comprising leaders from the HAI, the FAA, the European Helicopter Association, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, also reviewed the many opportunities to support, influence, and collaborate on these issues in a way that benefits the global vertical aviation industry as a whole.

During the Oct. 27, 2022, HAI@Work webinar, FAASTeam Program Manager James Dangerfield discussed the human errors that make up the FAA’s Dirty Dozen–human factors that are leading contributors in human-caused accidents. In his presentation, Dangerfield told stories from the field; broke down a fatal 2010 helicopter air ambulance crash, identifying the dirty dozen errors responsible; and presented the identified Safety Net Solutions for each one. Watch the replay and tell us in the comments about your own experience with the Dirty Dozen!

If you’re currently flying helicopters or tiltrotors in the military and are considering training to be a helicopter pilot after your service has ended, there’s a great deal you can do right now to prepare for your post-military career. At our Oct. 13, 2022, HAI@Work webinar, we spoke with a panel of experts dedicated to helping others transition from the military to the civilian sector. Watch this replay to learn how you can prepare today for a civilian helicopter pilot career tomorrow.