For the Helicopter Association International, 2022 is shaping up to start off on a much better footing than 2021—with the anticipation of its annual Heli-Expo scheduled to move forward next week, March 7 through 10, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
The agenda includes a full lineup of education sessions, keynote speakers, and product announcements over the course of four days.
First Flight Events Start Early
The action begins on Friday, March 4, with a “First Flight” event to be held at the landing area for the show, on the east side of the convention center. A series of VIPs will arrive in style aboard a range of rotorcraft, including plans for the following leaders to participate:
- Craig Davis, president and CEO, Visit Dallas
- James Viola, president and CEO, Helicopter Association International
- Romain Trapp, head of North America, Airbus Helicopters
- Ben Bridge, EVP Global Business, Airbus Helicopters
- Rod Tinney, founder, president and CEO Air Center Helicopters, Inc.
The First Flight event is expected to kick off after the Airbus H225—owned by Air Center Helicopters—carrying them lands around 10:30 a.m. Each VIP will make a few remarks. The H225 will be configured for firefighting missions once it’s on display at the expo.
Rotor Safety Challenge
The main event—from a safety standpoint—is the return of the Rotor Safety Challenge, which is designed to assist those attending in learning new skills and improve on-the-job safety. The conference features nearly 50 sessions under the RSC this year, and all are free to those registered for the expo.
Topics include:
- Identifying and Mitigating Heliport Risk
- Crew Resource Management in Air Medical
- Inadvertent IMC
- Helicopter Wake Turbulence
- Fly Neighborly
- UAS Integration
Professional education sessions take place throughout the event as well, including a Part 135 boot camp and a helicopter-focused flight instructor refresher course. Technical briefings led by various OEMs deep dive into new and current product offerings. HAI also offers a path for technicians to renew their inspection authorization at the event.
