Page 6 - World Airnews Magazine April 2021 Edition

FEATURE

HELOS KEPT FLYING

By Heidi Gibson

Leonardo TH-73A

worst of the pandemic. Now, as vaccines and fight fire year around.

are starting to roll out, it appears that we

elicopter Association Internation- remain ready to fly our mission segments. WAN: THERE ARE SOME

SUGGESTIONS WITH THE
Hal president CEO James Viola gave We conducted a global survey of mem- LAYING OFF OF COMMERCIAL
this exclusive interview to World Airnews bers and non-members early this year, and PILOTS, MANY WILL TURN

editor Heidi Gibson about the civilian while we are still compiling the data, we THEIR ATTENTION AND RESKILL

helicopter market and some of the current can share a bit of the information with you. THEMSELVES INTO THE HELICOPTER
challenges. Of the helicopter operators who respond- MARKET. DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS
ed, 52 percent indicated they planned to AND IF SO WHY? IF NOT WHAT ARE
WAN: WHAT A YEAR IT WAS LAST expand their business within the next five YOUR PREDICTION ABOUT THE JOB

YEAR! PREDICTIONS ARE THAT years. We also asked a follow-up question MARKET FOR HELICOPTER PILOTS?

2021 WILL ALSO BE A STRUGGLE. about how they planned to expand, and

WHAT ARE THE HAI COMMENTS sixty percent planned to add more equip- JV: I find it interesting that helicopter
ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF LAST ment, 43 percent expected to add person- pilots were hired by the airlines when they

YEAR FACED WITH THE GLOBAL nel, and 40 percent planned to add new were suffering personnel shortages, and

PANDEMIC AND THOSE GOING mission segments. now those same rotorcraft pilots are now
FORWARD? WAN: WHAT ARE YOUR recognizing that the helicopter industry

JV: Yes, 2020 was a year that was PREDICTIONS FOR THE SECOND suffered less than the airlines. That said,
the projected shortages for pilots and
essentially unprecedented in the current HALF OF THE YEAR AS THE VACCINE maintenance professionals didn’t go

era, especially in aviation. We had more ROLLS OUT? ARE YOU OF THE away. The original cause of the shortage

than our share of turmoil, as operators, OPINION THAT THINGS WILL TURN – retirements of an aging population

manufacturers, suppliers, and industry UPWARDS FOR THE SECOND HALF? segment – remains. It might have slowed
professionals had to routinely reassess the WILL THE MARKET RECOVER AND a bit, but the shortage will resume again

latest news in government regulations and WHY? soon, and we will need more helicopter

support programs. On top of that, they had pilots. Now is a great time for a person to

to protect themselves, co-workers, and JV: While we all would have liked to have enter the rotorcraft community, either as

families. Mission segments like offshore seen vaccines arrive sooner, there’s no a pilot or maintenance technician. Neither

petroleum support suffered a double hit reason to think that our rotorcraft industry one requires a college degree, and there

when the price of oil dropped to historic won’t continue to operate as it did last is significant potential for good pay and

levels. On the positive side, many helicop- year. Again, it was a lean year, but many advancement opportunities. On top of that,

ter operations such are Air Ambulance and segments kept flying. With temperatures I feel our pilots and maintenance personnel

Airborne Law Enforcement continued to rising around the world, operators who are in the ideal spot to lead the Advanced

fly. While some sectors suffered more than fight wildland fires are probably going to Air Mobility evolution. I can’t imagine

others, our versatility and flexibility helped see an increase, especially if they are able that many governments will certify the

to keep most rotorcraft flying through the to move back and forth across the equator

World Airnews | April 2021
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