Helicopter Association International (HAI) announces that Jason Glynn, a pilot for Era Helicopters in Houma, LA, is the 2020 recipient of the association’s Pilot of the Year Award. The award recognizes an outstanding single feat performed by a helicopter pilot during the year or extraordinary professionalism over a period of time. Nominees must be active helicopter pilots.

Helicopter Association International (HAI) announces that Bryn Elliott is the 2020 recipient of the association’s Salute to Excellence Law Enforcement Award. The award, sponsored by MD Helicopters, recognizes an individual or organization that has contributed to the promotion and advancement of helicopters in support of law enforcement activities. Nominees were not limited to pilots or law enforcement personnel.

Inmarsat, a leader in global mobile satellite communications, announces the launch of SwiftBroadband Helo (SB-Helo) X-Stream, a new system for X-Stream services specifically developed for rotary aircraft. The tailor-made solution is designed to achieve advanced streaming performance on intermediate and high-gain antennas, alleviating the connectivity constraints traditionally caused by rotary blades.

Helicopter Association International (HAI) announces that Krisna Dewi, commercial manager of PT Sayap Garuda Indah (Heli SGI and Air Bali) in Bali, Indonesia, is the 2020 recipient of the association’s Safety Award. The award, sponsored by BLR Aerospace, acknowledges outstanding contributions in the promotion of safety and safety awareness throughout the international helicopter community.

Helicopter Association International (HAI) announces that Corey Brekke, maintenance manager in Afghanistan for Columbia Helicopters, is the 2020 recipient of the association’s Excellence in Helicopter Maintenance Award. The award, sponsored by Rolls-Royce, recognizes an individual for longstanding excellence in the performance of helicopter maintenance, maintenance instruction or supervision, or a single significant and distinct contribution to helicopter maintenance.

United Rotorcraft, a division of Air Methods, selects Becker Avionics’ ADS-B transponder, the BXT6500, and digital audio ICS, the DVCS6100, for a Sikorsky S-70i™ Firehawk® completion currently underway for a public-safety operator.

Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announces Life Flight Network has signed a purchase agreement for four Bell 429s and four Bell 407GXis to add to its existing helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) aircraft fleet.

Helicopter Association International (HAI) strongly opposes the announced “Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2019” over the concern that measures within the act will have no positive effect on aviation safety over New York City but will threaten the viability of the helicopter industry.

Midwest AeroCare, a Med-Trans Corporation program, takes delivery of a medically configured Bell 407 helicopter. Based in Pittsburg, KS, the aircraft serves southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma. 

Individuals from three Global Medical Response (GMR) operations from Oregon to Virginia are recognized for their remarkable contributions to the air medical and critical-care ground transport community by the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS). The three people recognized will be given their awards Nov. 4 at the AAMS' 2019 Air Medical Transport Conference in Atlanta, GA.