Geopolitical and industrial circumstances and their effect on the oil and gas industry bring both good news and bad news for the rotorcraft industry as this year’s Heli-Expo show prepares to get under way. The show is being held at the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., from March 2 to 5.
The good news, obviously, is that operating costs are down, thanks to dramatically lower oil prices stemming from technology-driven breakthroughs in oil-extraction techniques and continued high levels of oil production around the world. Although aviation fuel prices haven’t dropped as quickly as automotive fuel prices, any reduction is beneficial for operators and their customers.
The bad news, said Helicopter Association International president Matt Zuccaro, “is that [lower oil prices] ultimately affect oil-exploration initiatives by oil companies. Certainly activity has slowed, but we haven’t heard of any draconian initiatives or long-term strategic [changes]. Everybody is cautiously watching and reacting in a logical manner. This could affect new aircraft purchases and fleet expansion, day-to-day activities and staffing requirements. Everybody’s also watching what’s happening in the Middle East and the effect on oil pricing. But I don’t think people are reacting in an emergency response and panic mode.”
HAI’s surveys, in fact, show rotorcraft acquisitions continuing at a high pace, he said. “The one dynamic that seems to be changing is that more and more operators are leasing rather than buying.” A big driver of the growing ranks of leasing companies and the many helicopters that they have placed in the market is the predictable operating costs that come with hourly-cost maintenance programs. “I think operators are looking to stabilize operating costs,” he said. “Pricing contracts make business much easier. Back in the dark ages when you didn’t have power-by-the-hour, if you had a gearbox or engine prematurely fail you were stuck with it. Now maintenance is controlled under the leasing agreement.”
LAND & LIVE
Last year’s Heli-Expo served to amplify
HAI’s Land & Live campaign, which was introduced in mid-2013 following an examination of accidents where a precautionary landing could easily have broken the accident chain. The idea is to remind pilots that a key part of helicopter utility is the machine’s ability to land almost anywhere and especially when weather, low fuel, maintenance problems or other adverse circumstances raise the risk. “It’s going quite well,” Zuccaro said of Land
& Live. “When safety is in question, land [the helicopter] and prevent the accident.”
The popularity of the program is growing, and
HAI members have requested that the association create a Land
&Live sticker for pilots to place on their instrument panels. Pilots can fill out a form to take the Land
& Live pledge on
HAI’s
website. Many have also sent
HAI descriptions of their own precautionary landings and the lack of any pushback from authorities on the ground. Now helicopter schools as well as many operators have embedded Land
& Live in their training programs, Zuccaro added. “When we go to trade shows with ‘Land the Damn Helicopter’ T-shirts, that’s the first thing we run out of. [This program] has met our expectations, and we see the accident rate being positively affected.”
From the safety viewpoint, HAI and other associations are deeply involved in revisions to rules for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operators. The rotorcraft industry and FAA held a meeting in Washington, D.C., on January 29 to discuss issues related to new equipment requirements and plans to facilitate the necessary upgrades. Zuccaro said he hopes that the meeting will resolve issues generated by the new HEMSrules and foster improving communication between the industry and FAA. “We’re going to get into the remaining concerns are and what the FAA has plans for,” he said. These issues will likely be a hot topic at the Heli-Expo show.
UAVS FRONT AND CENTER
Expect to see a sharper focus on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at this year’s Heli-Expo. “It’s become a major issue in our industry,” Zuccaro explained, “and is going to be a major part of the rotorcraft industry. HelicopterUAVs will be the largest [segment].” The reason for this, he added, is that “UAV mission profiles and altitudes pretty much mirror what helicopters do now. There are numerous missions where UAVs are going to replace helicopters. Who better than the helicopter industry to handle UAVs? We think we are the best qualified. This is going to have to be regulated, people are going to have to be trained and we’ll have to have regulatory oversight and surveillance and communication between [the operators of] UAVs and other aircraft.”
HAI is expecting more UAV-related exhibitors this year, including some existing companies that are adding UAVdivisions. “We’re trying to get ahead of the curve,” he said. And to that end, HAI is holding a meeting at Heli-Expo, as a first step toward forming a UAV committee. At 2 p.m. on March 4 a general forum called “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Challenge or Opportunity?” will discuss the issues.
As always, safety is a key element of the many forums and educational sessions planned for Heli-Expo, which again features the popular Rotor Safety Challenge from March 2-4. Participating in six or more of the 53 sessions earns showgoers a certificate of recognition. Also on tap for Heli-Expo are the annual Helicopter Foundation International scholarship golf tournament (March 1 at Falcon’s Fire Golf Club); the annual Salute to Excellence Awards at the Hilton Orlando on March 4 at 8 p.m.; and on the opening day of the exhibit floor on March 3, theHAI Helicopter Industry Career Fair, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
“All of our numbers are up for this show,” Zuccaro reported, with more than 700 exhibitors expected and 60 plus helicopters on display. “We’ve already broken several records in certain categories, and I think it’s going to be a great show.”
