Helitech International 2014 will present an extensive Education Program across three days of Europe’s largest helicopter show which will take place in Amsterdam from Oct. 14 to 16, 2014. Fully supported by the European Helicopter Association (EHA), Helitech International will stage a comprehensive program covering the key topics affecting the rotorcraft industry. The inaugural day will feature the Business and Strategy Conference, which will be followed by the EHA Rotorcraft Seminars and the Safety Workshop on the second and third days respectively.
“The Education Program taking place at Helitech International offers the only real forum for the entire rotorcraft community to engage in discussing the key issues impacting our industry,” said Vittorio Morassi, chairman of the European Helicopter Association. “It will be my pleasure to welcome delegates at the opening of the EHA Rotorcraft Seminars on the Wednesday and I believe industry will be impressed with the overall range of topics to be discussed during the three days at this year’s event.”
The Business and Strategy Conference will open with a round table discussion of the key business and strategy issues facing the rotorcraft industry over the next five to ten years, with market insights and opinions from business leaders who currently include Jonathan Baliff, chief financial officer at Bristow Group, Keven Baines, director at aviation safety management consultancy Baines Simmons and Chris Seymour, head of market analysis at Ascend.
Examples of some of the issues to be discussed will include the outlook for global rotorcraft sales and identifying the key regional trends and market opportunities. In terms of the rotorcraft supply chain, the forum will debate both the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead as well as looking at how Original Equipment Manufacturers and their industry partners might support future rotorcraft business growth.
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) will feature in the afternoon’s agenda as the question will be asked if they pose a threat to the rotorcraft sector or in fact represent an additional business opportunity. There will then be a presentation on the AIRICA project by Jos Stevens, Senior Scientist at the National Aerospace Laboratory and Ed Veen, director at the Netherlands Coast Guard.
The Air Traffic Management (ATM) Innovative RPAS Integration for Coastguard Applications project (AIRICA) aims to show the feasibility of using RPAS for coastguard activities in non-segregated airspace. AIRICA is one of nine RPAS projects that have been selected for co-funding by SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) with the goal of demonstrating the possibility of integrating RPAS into normal air traffic by 2016. Jos Stevens and Ed Veen will present an overview of the AIRICA project and its associated technical issues as well as operational applications for law enforcement and service delivery by the Netherlands Coastguard.
Other planned topics in the afternoon session currently include the growth in aerial fire-fighting services across Europe and the evolution of policing and emergency medical services (EMS) rotorcraft operations across Eastern Europe.
The keynote address for the EHA Rotorcraft Seminars on Oct. 15 – “European Aviation Safety Agency – The Way Ahead” – will be delivered by Dr. Norbert Lohl, certification director at EASA, who will detail how EASA will further enhance its ability of providing even more product-oriented solutions, based on experience and lessons learnt. In addition, in the context of SESAR, EASA pays special attention to the safety and operational advantages stemming from performance-based navigation in environments such as HEMS and offshore activities.
This will be followed by a roundtable forum on the subject of SESAR and a clear overview of what and how this complex program will affect the rotorcraft sector and how the challenges ahead can really improve the safety and efficiency of rotorcraft operations. In the afternoon, there will be a series of rulemaking briefings on issues including the Age 60 Rule, Flight Time Limitations and Annex 14.
The Safety Workshop will be presented by the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) and the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST). Included in the day’s comprehensive agenda will be a presentation from the European Helicopter Safety Implementation Team’s (EHSIT) Specialist Team on the benefits of technologies and/or technological solutions alleviating safety concerns, as a range of technologies can provide a variety of solutions to prevent different types of accidents or to increase survivability.
“The Education Program will highlight and debate a wide range of the current topics presented by an impressive line-up of speakers,” said John Hyde, event director for Helitech International. “By bringing together the influential stakeholders and subject-matter experts within the industry, there is no doubt that delegates will be able to hear the latest thinking and issues across a wide range of disciplines central to the future health of the rotorcraft industry. The number and range of attending delegates will contribute significantly to the educational platform in Amsterdam.”
