By Matt Zuccaro - We talk a lot in our industry about the importance of a "Safety First" culture, but I think a conversation about our No. 2 priority also needs to occur: minimizing the impact of a helicopter's sound on the environment. Why, you ask, did I call it sound, instead of noise? Noise just sounds bad, like an annoying intrusion. I like to think discussions about sound, on the other hand, create a tone of neutral scientific review of the issue.

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Rodger "Tony" Stuart passed away on April 17, 2013. He was 64. Tony was an exceptionally skilled and talented helicopter pilot. He logged in excess of 14,000 flight hours, the majority of which were in the power-line construction field.

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In an effort to fulfill its constant goal of helping members do business cost-effectively, HAI has teamed with Hertz® Rent-a-Car to offer special discounts and deals worldwide. “At HAI, our first priority will always be safety — but we are also committed to helping our members large and small do business as cost effectively as possible,” said HAI Vice President of Business Development Karen Gebhart.

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Announces New Partner Services Program
The Helicopter Association International (HAI) on May 1 announced its new HAI Partner Services Program — a business-to-business tool that allows HAI members to offer discounts and value-added opportunities exclusively to their fellow HAI members. The program will help Associate Members do more business by promoting their discounts and value-added opportunities and at the same time will help all HAI Members save money on the products and services they need every day to run their businesses.

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President Barack Obama on Monday nominated Mayor Anthony Foxx of Charlotte, N.C., to be the next Secretary of Transportation. Current Secretary Ray LaHood had previously announced his intention to step down.

“HAI extends its congratulations to Mayor Foxx on his nomination and looks forward to learning more about his transportation priorities — especially regarding aviation — at his upcoming confirmation hearing,” said HAI President Matt Zuccaro.

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On April 20th & 21st, Dave York, HAI’s vice president of regulations and international affairs, and coordinator of HAI’s Affiliate Membership Program, visited Austin, Texas, for a two-day celebration of the heroes who support and protect U.S. citizens every day – our nation’s first responders.

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Congress last week passed legislation that allows the Department of Transportation (DOT) to transfer $253 million to operations from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to cancel the controllers' furloughs. While contract tower supporters say there is $21 million left over, which is sufficient to keep towers operating, HAI and other aviation associations, lawmakers, and pilots say, "Not so fast — control towers could still be in jeopardy!"

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On Thursday, May 2, 2013, join HAI, the FAASTeam, and a diverse panel of industry experts as they discuss regional issues affecting helicopter pilots, accident trends, personal risk assessment, safety initiatives, and more.

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On April 24 at the headquarters of the European Aviation Safety Agency in Cologne, Germany, Bell Helicopter's Brian Jenkins and Eurocopter France's Christophe Chazot presented a briefing on MSG-3 Vol. II/RMSG-3 to the International Maintenance Review Board "Policy Board." The Document was accepted.

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The International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Heliport Design Working Group (HDWG) is gathered at HAI headquarters this week, considering a range of proposed amendments to ICAO Annex 14, Chapter 2 which sets out the fundamental requirements for heliports and helidecks.

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