Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

The Helicopter Association International (HAI) believes the NTSB’s <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-06-03/ntsb-calls-helo-oems-install-recording-systems">recent call</a> to mandate data, voice, and video recorders in new turbine helicopters is too narrow and should be installed in all new helicopters, not just those with turbine power. In a statement released Thursday, HAI said the agency’s recommendation leaves out the “more than one-third of the US fleet that uses piston engines."

 


It added, "This focus on turbine aircraft seems unsupported by data showing no measurable safety difference between turbine and piston aircraft.” HAI said the devices, used as part of a flight data management (FDM) program, could likely provide operators “with the tools to reduce accidents and improve overall industry safety.”

 


According to HAI, it is adding FDM and other NTSB recommendations to its Accreditation Program of Safety that encourages operators to fly to a higher standard. Citing data from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), HAI noted that FDM was a valuable strategy to reduce the top-three causes of fatal helicopter accidents: loss of control in flight (LOC-I), unintended instrument meteorological conditions, and low-altitude operations. FDM is also useful to monitor aircraft and engine performance, detect and correct procedural noncompliance by flight crews, and preserve more data relevant to accident investigations, HAI said.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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