Interview: Matt Zuccaro
HAI kicks off its first Heli-Expo in Houston on a packed show floor and with nearly every rotorcraft-related economic indicator pointed straight up.

HAI kicks off its first Heli-Expo in Houston on a packed show floor and with nearly every rotorcraft-related economic indicator pointed straight up. This in spite of jitters in the broader economy that some experts warn could snowball into a full-blown recession this year. But ask most people here about such predictions and they’ll likely reply that times have never been better.

Certainly the present level of activity among helicopter operators is near an all-time high. And long backlogs being reported by manufacturers seem to foretell a continuation of the rotor market’s health. Helicopters have simply become too important to too many segments of society in recent years, especially for emergency transport, oil exploration and the fight against terrorism.