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A force for good
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Introducing the Australian Helicopter Industry Association
The helicopter industry, including owners, operators, engineers, pilots, aircrew and the vital support teams, has become so much part of the aviation and community landscape that it can be taken for granted. So much so that it comes as a surprise to many that Australia has the world’s second-largest civil helicopter fleet.
Over the summer holidays while many of us are enjoying the company of family and friends, helicopters will be tasked daily to fight fires, rescue the lost and injured, transport crews offshore, work with farmers and utility companies, support law enforcement agencies plus train our next generation of pilots and engineers. These are just a few of the many tasks that helicopters perform around the clock.
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- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
The helicopter industry provides continuous essential services to our towns and cities. In the very worst of weather it is only the helicopters that can get through to the lost and stranded, both on land and at sea.
Thanks to the industry’s professionalism helicopters have been embraced by Australians. Being the most flexible of aviation platforms has meant helicopters operate with few complaints and are seen as a force for Good.
The industry’s relatively light infrastructure footprint also meets with almost universal community approval, compared to the larger and more complex requirements of most commercial fixed-wing aircraft.
Helicopter operators are often based in regional and remote environments somewhat distant from the centres of political power. The industry’s success is therefore something of a doubleedged sword. It often does not have much time to be a squeaky wheel because it is focused on delivering vital and timely services. In the past it was sometimes in danger of being forgotten for the perverse reason that it was simply too busy to engage politically.
In recent years this has begun to change. The Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) has become very active on behalf of its members and the industry in general. Its work on CASR Parts 61 and 138 remains a top priority. It is working hard to make night firefighting a reality. For many communities these skills cannot come soon enough.
The pace of this policy and regulatory development is increasing as the industry grows and interacts with new technologies such as rotarywinged drones and tilt-rotors.
Rotary-winged aircraft are experiencing technological change and diversification that makes them the aviation platforms of first choice for many tasks.
‘In the very worst of weather it is only the helicopters that can get through.’
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