Helicopter Association International (HAI) applauds chairman Roy Blunt and ranking member Maria Cantwell of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security for their leadership in engaging stakeholders on the important issue of safely integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS).
“We commend chairman Blunt and ranking member Cantwell for holding this hearing today,” said Matthew Zuccaro, president, and CEO of HAI. “The integration of unmanned operations and technology into the NAS is an exciting watershed moment. The potential benefits are only limited by our imagination. But along with such excitement and optimism, we must also take on the responsibility of making this integration safe, which requires all stakeholders to work together to ensure success.”
Zuccaro, testifying at the May 8 hearing on behalf of HAI and the civil helicopter industry, noted five important topics relating to the safe integration of UAS:
- The importance of the FAA preemption authority;
- Ensuring safe access to the NAS for all aircraft;
- The criticality of ensuring the safety of UAS operations that occur beyond the visual line of sight of the pilot or operator;
- The necessity of establishing training and certification standards for UAS operations; and
- The need for a nimble certification system for UAS
Zuccaro also noted that HAI advocates that Congress approve legislation that addresses the Section 336 exemption of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which prohibited the FAA from regulating private, recreational UAS users. HAI advocates for returning to the FAA full and singular regulatory authority over U.S. civil aviation, including all manned and unmanned operations.
“HAI is fully engaged in promoting the safe integration of UAS into the NAS,” continued Zuccaro. “Helicopter operators were early supporters of UAS technology, and we see it as a new business opportunity for our industry. HAI’s members have been and will remain heavily engaged in unmanned operations in the coming years. Many have established UAS business lines within their organizations.
“HAI thanks the chairman and ranking member for their leadership and commitment to general aviation. By ensuring that Congress fully address the safety issues related to integration, our industry and others can utilize UAS to their full potential within the NAS,” said Zuccaro.
HAI is committed to working with Congress and the administration in moving forward on these issues.
I wrote this fictional paragraph in Sept. 2014 and sent it to my company CP & DO at AMC. No one responded. Something like this will happen. The FAA has for gotten that there are people in the helicopters.
“One dark evening a head-on collision occurs two streets over from the Binnotz house. Joe Binnotz hears the crash and the ensuing arrival of the fire engines and rescue personnel. Joe recently purchased an Amazon Drone, call sign “QUAD” (you pick the model). He tells Sharon that he wants to fire up QUAD and go video the scene of the accident. He sends QUAD out over the scene and he and Sharon are viewing the gory details via the downlink app to their 50″ plasma TV. Due to traumatic injuries an aeromedical helicopter is requested and arrives overhead 10 minutes later. The 1st responders provide a detailed zone brief to the Mercy Air 5 crew and the pilot establishes his flight path for transition to final. No one is aware of the presence of QUAD, Joe’s Amazon Drone and Joe is not aware that a helicopter that he hears is landing at the scene of the accident. The PIC slowly transitions the helicopter to a vertical descent over the landing site and starts the final descent. Wind and turbulence caused by the helo’s rotor wash causes Joe to lose control of his toy and it smashes in to the fenestron tail rotor of the EC-135 air ambulance helicopter, Mercy Air 5. The near uncontrollable helicopter crashes into a nearby house and a fire develops. All of the Mercy Air 5 crew are killed along with the residents of the house.” What a price to pay for Joe’s pleasure.
Larry Grandy’s tragic scenario is not unrealistic; it may happen and something like it surely will. Question: Whose interests does HAI represent?