Rotorcraft
Helicopter Sector Finds Sustained Recovery
Even as other aviation segments struggled in the throes of a recession deeper and more enduring than anyone expected, the rotorcraft industry remained at l

Even as other aviation segments struggled in the throes of a recession deeper and more enduring than anyone expected, the rotorcraft industry remained at least healthy. But is that going to last? If Heli-Expo 2011 in March was an indicator, the answer is “yes.”

The 2011 show was one of the more successful, with record attendee and exhibitor numbers, the announcement of multiple orders by helicopter manufacturers, and the unveiling of nearly a half-dozen new or upgraded models. After Bell Helicopter signed contracts for 41 helicopters at the show, senior v-p of commercial business Larry Roberts declared, “We can definitely start to feel a change in the [market] climate.”