Event review: Highlights of HAI HELI-EXPO in Anaheim, California
After 35 years, HAI HELI-EXPO 2024 was the biggest it has ever been, with 15,000 professionals from 87 countries, 625 exhibitors and 63 aircraft. Jon Adams reports on some highlights of the event and welcomes the rebrand to Verticon for next year
Air Rescue systems and Vita Aerospace
Vita Aerospace debuted the PELICAN Rapid Extraction Device (RED), a full-capture hybrid rescue product developed by Air Rescue Systems (ARS), alongside its expanded training program.
The PELICAN RED is unlike traditional collar or strop devices used in water rescues, it removes the ‘double lift’ process and the risk of losing victims during extraction while minimizing the physical and psychological impact on rescuers and survivors. There’s no need for active victim participation.
Vita and ARS also launched an expanded search and rescue (SAR) training program for all levels. This comprehensive, standardized curriculum covers the entire spectrum of helicopter SAR operations, from foundational training to establishing hoist and short-haul rescue to advanced human external cargo and special ops techniques. Developed with the expertise of SAR professionals, the program aims to equip rescue teams worldwide with the knowledge and skills necessary to respond safely and effectively to emergencies.
“At Vita Aerospace, we’re empowering SAR professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of helicopter operations and save lives in even the most challenging environments,” said Vita Aerospace Executive Vice President Matt Christensen.
Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU)
Showcased in an interactive display, ASU has officially released its Technical Standard Order (TSO)-authorized E3 night vision goggles (NVG) for orders.
“After years of research, development, and hard work by the entire ASU team, we are pleased to announce that we are taking orders for our TSO’d E3 NVG,” said ASU President Joseph Estrera. “We believe E3 will be a significant game changer in our industry.”
The E3 goggles introduce several enhancements over legacy aviation NVG, which have existed for more than four decades, including a 30% reduction in total head weight, helping to alleviate neck strain. It features robust military-grade construction using durable aluminum and titanium materials. Intuitive adjustments further enable enhanced look-around viewing experiences. Notably, E3 maintains backward compatibility with existing ANVIS mounts and battery packs.
E3 orders placed at the expo are eligible for two years of complimentary 180-day inspection service.
Bluedrop Training & Simulation
Bluedrop presented its Hoist Mission Training System (HMTS) at the event, and attendees could experience the simulator along with a colleague in a linked flight training simulator for a cooperative training scenario.
The HMTS is a highly specialized, virtual reality (VR) hoist simulator. The fully immersive, full haptics, high-fidelity HMTS is unique and provides initial, recurrent and mission training capabilities for helicopter hoist operators working in complex environments and high-risk situations.
The novel HMTS allows trainees to practice mission-critical skills in a safe, true-to-life environment with realistic rescue and hoisting operations in challenging scenarios complete with realistic cable behavior that responds to flight dynamics and operator inputs.
Coptersafety
Specialist in simulation training Coptersafety premiered its short documentary ‘From the Ground Up’. The Finnish firm broadcast the film several times a day throughout the event and plans to take the documentary to several film festivals in the near future. The film aims to debunk many myths about flying helicopters, and, although Finnish, it was filmed in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, featuring a variety of perspectives, operators and operations – including the special missions sector – from those countries, and the role that simulation plays.
entrol
entrol, the manufacturer of European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified FNPT, FTD and AATD flight simulators, presented its H11 FTD Level 5 flight simulator at the event. During the event, attendees were able to simulate flight over New York and Denver, and experience the simulator’s realistic vibration system.
The H11 FTD Level 5 model is based on the Airbus EC135 with dual Garmin GTN 750s. The unit on display is one from entrol’s showroom in Denver, Colorado, located in the facilities of its partner company Sunny Aviation. The H11 FTD Level 5 model is equipped with high-resolution spherical vision, and the latest mixed-reality technology, and it is certified as FTD Level 5 by the FAA.
Erickson and Astronautics
Astronautics announced that it has been selected by Erickson to upgrade 12 S-64 Air Crane helicopters with a glass cockpit solution that includes Badger Pro+ Gen 2.0 integrated flight display system, engine data concentrator unit, and AeroSync Mission connectivity system. Astronautics will also be responsible for the avionics systems integration testing and functional verification for this upgrade.
Erickson and its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers own and operate a global fleet of 35 S-64 Air
Crane helicopters.
The Badger Pro+ Gen 2.0 is the latest generation of Astronautics’ smart multifunction displays. The integrated system shows primary flight, navigation, engine, and mission data, while integrating key data from all the subsystems on the aircraft.
The upgrade includes mission display pages that indicate the status of onboard systems such as the retardant tank, hoist and pendant, and video from the enhanced vision system cameras.
“We are excited to support Erickson with our proven expertise as a systems integrator and provide a collaborative solution that will upgrade their S-64 Air Crane helicopter with a glass cockpit to enhance their pilots’ situational awareness while flying demanding construction, logging, and firefighting missions,” said Eytan Saletsky, Astronautics’ Director of Integrated Systems Solutions.
Flightcell and Guardian Mobility
Flightcell and Guardian Mobility announced that Bristow Group has selected the Flightcell DZMx and Guardian Mobility G6 Certus 100 terminal for its S-92 search and rescue (SAR) helicopters operating in Norway.
The Flightcell DZMx is an all-in-one satellite and cellular communications system designed to provide seamless connectivity for aircraft enabling voice, push-to-talk, messaging, advanced tracking and exceedances reporting, and real-time data transmission capabilities.
In addition to the Flightcell DZMx, Bristow will deploy Guardian Mobility’s G6 Certus 100 terminal, leveraging the Iridium Certus broadband network to deliver global satellite IP data connectivity with low-latency and uplink/downlink (transmission) speeds of up to 88kbps.
The Flightcell DZMx paired with the Guardian Mobility G6 Certus terminal integrates cellular and satellite communication technologies for onboard devices such as electronic flight bags, personal electronic devices, medical devices, mission PCs, and video encoding solutions connected with ethernet and/or Wi-Fi. The Flightcell DZMx manages the data traffic by prioritizing the terrestrial mobile networks for higher speed and lower cost and automatically switches
to G6 for Iridium Certus 100 satellite services when outside 4G/LTE mobile network coverage.
FlySight
FlySight was at the event promoting its OPENSIGHT Mission Console, the real-time augmented reality engine, which is now integrated into the Mantis mission computer, manufactured by ViewPoint Systems. This integration enhances the cognitive capacity of the operator, ensuring customizable and extensible integration tailored to specific applications in various scenarios. It provides a boost to airborne intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, search and rescue activities, and marine missions.
The Mantis mission computer is a highly integrated, rugged surveillance computer. The Mantis was specifically designed to run mission management software, such as OPENSIGHT-mc. With a wide range of connectivity options, the Mantis integrates with a variety of sensors, peripherals, and communication systems.
OPENSIGHT-mc is an augmented reality engine, capable of handling multiple high-resolution video flows. It improves the geospatial situational awareness of the operator by the superposition of multiple synthetic information layers, meaning that there is no need to switch to the moving map as all the information is displayed directly over the video.
Loft Dynamics
Loft Dynamics has announced its partnership with HMotion – a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters and ADAC HEMS Academy – with the delivery of two Airbus H145 VR flight simulation training devices (FSTDs), to be installed at a new simulator center in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. This modern training center will offer a wide range of cost-effective training courses for helicopter personnel, including the highest-quality mission and critical flight training available, enabled by Loft Dynamics’ cutting-edge technology.
Loft Dynamics is developing an Airbus H145 VR training device containing the simulator data package of Airbus Helicopters to accurately replicate functions and flight behavior. The state-of-the-art technology offers features that allow pilots to perform proficiency checks (LPC and OPC) and to receive training credits for the relevant type rating, including normal flight procedures and emergency situations. Pilots can practice instrument flying and train towards instrument ratings. This revolutionary and compact training solution also allows pilots to practice demanding flight maneuvers and realistic mission training in a safe environment, benefiting from the expertise of ADAC HEMS Academy.
In the future, a helicopter hoist operation module will enable entire flight crews
to realistically practice normal and emergency procedures.
MD Helicopters
MD Helicopters announced the addition of Helint of Kenya, Africa, to its network of Authorized Service Centers (ASCs). Helint becomes the first ASC in the East African region, whose clientele includes organizations such as the Kenya Defence Forces and the anti-poaching operation in Tanzania.
“This collaboration between Helint and MD Helicopters underscores a shared commitment to delivering superior service and support to MD Helicopters operators in the East African region,” said Brad Pedersen, MD Helicopters’ President and CEO.
Mandeep S Osahan, Managing Director of Helint, added: “Africa is an emerging and fast-growing market. With this synergy between Helint and MD Helicopters, our customers will be able to receive an improved customer experience through locally available MRO services and after-sales support at our dedicated and state-of-the-art facility located at Wilson Airport, Nairobi, Kenya. Our services are available to all new and existing, civil and government MD Helicopters operators, translating into a prompt value-added service, and overall customer satisfaction, as a contributor to brand awareness, safety, and business growth.”
Overwatch Imaging
Specialist in automated, multispectral smart sensors and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled software solutions for time-critical missions, Overwatch Imaging presented its capabilities at the event. At the forefront of this was its new offering, the Overwatch Automated Sensor Operator (ASO) – a first-of-its-kind solution dedicated to enhancing full-motion video gimbals with automated search, detection, and analysis capabilities.
Overwatch ASO software controls the physical movement of the sensor, converting it from a manually operated video gimbal into an image-based system that adjusts dynamically to collect data optimized for analysis by AI-driven detection algorithms. Data from the sensor is analyzed in real time with models and detection algorithms tailored for different mission sets. Intelligence outputs, displayed on an interactive graphical user interface for operators and decision makers to review, are automatically extracted from the full data stream and synthesized into lightweight data products, which can be transmitted rapidly in network-constrained environments.
Overwatch ASO is compatible with a number of leading full-motion video electro-optical and infrared sensor payloads, including gimbal lines from L3Harris WESCAM and Trakka Systems.
Smith Myers
Smith Myers returned this year with its award-winning ARTEMIS mobile phone detection, location and communication systems.
Smith Myers’ ARTEMIS suite of SAR products has been recently selected for major UK, European and North American SAR and Coast Guard programs. The National Search and Rescue Center (NSRC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also selected ARTEMIS for installation across its fleet of SAR helicopters.
ARTEMIS has been designed to accurately locate mobile telephones in the challenging airborne environment using only two small antennas. ARTEMIS can detect a phone at extended ranges up to 35km and provides unique capabilities such as mass-mapping and geofencing to minimize crew workload.
The system is automated, quick and accurate, leading to more rapid positive outcomes, even in low light/instrument meteorological conditions; and operates standalone with no requirement for involvement of the mobile network operators.
Swiss AviationSoftware
Swiss AviationSoftware (Swiss-AS) has been providing software solutions for over three decades, developing, marketing and selling the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) software solution AMOS. Swiss-AS is a 100% subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik and is thus embedded into its Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem.
Promoting AMOS, Swiss-AS said that the key differentiators that make it stand out from the competition are the system’s high degree of integration and functional depth coupled with ease of use.
AMOS allows Swiss-AS’ customers to manage their maintenance, engineering and logistics needs and to assure their compliance with a complex system of aviation regulations. The monitoring and evaluation software solution consists of eight modules at the core with two additional functional sets (human resources, financial management) to complete the system.
The system is used by a large customer community who actively support AMOS by their daily input.
Swiss-AS is currently working on the realization of AMOScentral, a cloud-based message broker that will allow the members of the AMOS community to connect.
TRU Simulation
TRU Simulation showcased its Veris virtual reality (VR) flight simulator for both helicopter and fixed-wing customers. The Veris simulator is a clean-sheet design that combines industry-leading features of a full flight simulator (FFS) with virtual reality technology. The Bell Training Academy (BTA) has been named as the launch customer and will be the first to use the Veris simulator for training on the Bell 505 helicopter later this year.
“Because of the immersive capability from the 360 degree field of view, there’s a lot of opportunity for not only linking devices together but also for scenario generation. In the case of some of the special missions scenarios – medevac, cargo hook, and hoist – the pilot is able to look around to see the hoist operations and has the ability to work with the operator. When doing linked scenarios, both the hoist operator and the pilot now have the same visual orientation, and can work with and see each other in the display,” said Jerry Messaris, Vice President and General Manager, TRU Simulation.
The Veris VR flight simulator is designed to meet both FAA flight training device level 7 and EASA flight training device level 3 standards. Certification activities with both FAA and EASA are in process.
Verticon
The Helicopter Association International (HAI) has now become Vertical Aviation International (VAI).
“We chose to announce our rebranding at the show because, each year, it becomes the center of the vertical aviation universe,” said Nicole Battjes, Chair of the VAI board of directors. “Our theme for the 2024 show, Building Tomorrow, perfectly aligned with our reasons for rebranding.”
As part of the rebrand, the association’s annual conference and trade show has been renamed Verticon, marking 2024’s show as the last HAI HELI-EXPO. VAI leadership assured attendees that Verticon 2025 will offer vertical aviation professionals the highest-quality opportunities to learn, grow their career or business, network with thousands of colleagues from all over the world, address industry issues, and see the latest technology, products, and aircraft on the show floor.
The inaugural Verticon will be held on 10–13 March 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
