Lawrence D.
Lawrence D. Bell Memorial Award
Neill Osborne, ERA Helicopters president and COO, has been active in the helicopter industry for more than 40 years and holds an ATP for rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. A former U.S. Army pilot, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal for service in Vietnam. He held management positions at PHI and Air Logistics. Under his leadership since 1995, Era Helicopters developed the first Part 135 flight operational quality assurance program and one of the first safety management systems adopted by a U.S. operator. He was an HAI board member from 1993 to 1997 and chairman in 1998.
Eurocopter Golden-Hour Award
The Chicago Fire Department Air Sea Rescue is recognized for its actions on April 18, 2008, when the unit responded to a call that a child was blown into Lake Michigan by a gust of wind. Rescue divers dropped into the lake from a helicopter and located the child still in his stroller on the lake bottom. They resuscitated the child en route to the hospital and he made a full recovery after four months of intensive care. (See story page 26.)
