For more than 60 years, HAI has provided support and services to its members and to the international helicopter community. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, HAI members safely fly more than 5,000 helicopters some 2.3 million hours each year. Governed by a Board of Directors elected from the membership, with daily operations conducted by a dedicated professional staff. 

On September 14, 1939, just four days before the 45th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, Igor Sikorsky flew his VS‑300, the first controllable helicopter. Less than a decade later, there were hundreds of machines of different sizes and shapes worldwide. Although the helicopter offered limitless uses, an uncertain business climate confronted the fledgling industry. On December 13, 1948, a handful of operators and Art Fornoff, a representative from Bell Helicopter, met at the offices of AF Helicopters in Burbank, California to form a helicopter association for collective benefit. Fornoff was one of the first hired and most experienced pilots for Bell — having flown helicopters since 1945, a date considered to be the beginning of the commercial helicopter industry. The group was so small that they could have easily held their first meeting in a Sikorsky S-55 or a Piasecki HRP-1. Present at that historic first meeting were: Knute Flint, Harry Armstrong, Fred Bowen, and James Newcomb of AF Helicopters; Joseph G. Seward and Roy Falconer of Rotor-Aids; James Ricklefs and Arni L. Sumarlidason of Rick Helicopters; Elynor Rudnick and Bob Facer of Kern Helicopters; Fred Blymyer and Bob Boughton of Helicopter Service, Inc.; James I. “Tommy” Thomas, Ed Eskridge, and Phil Johnson of Sky Farming.

The group initially chose the name of Helicopter Council, but changed the name the following year to California Helicopter Association (CHA). Annual dues were $10. At first, meetings were scheduled monthly, then as necessary. Helicopter rental rates in 1949 were considerably less than they are today. At the 1949 meeting, Stanley Hiller, Jr. demonstrated a Hiller 360, which was developed with help from Bell. This model was equipped with overhead cyclic controls. All present at that meeting agreed that competition was good for the industry. At that same meeting Joe Mashman was introduced as one of Bell’s most experienced pilots, which at that time amounted to four years, the entire history of the commercial helicopter industry. In a news release issued during that meeting, it was noted that in previous years, helicopters had flown 400 hours of fire suppression work in California. The cost of helicopter services in 1949 was considerably less than they are today. Training was $55 an hour, oil exploration was $65 an hour, and passenger rides were about $5. At that first meeting, Jim Ricklefs was elected to be the organization’s first president. Joseph Seward was appointed secretary, and Elynor Rudnick, treasurer.

As the industry grew, changes were happening rapidly. In 1950, there were many improvements and features. In an effort to expand the utility and range of the aircraft Bell introduced the 47D, featuring skids instead of wheels. The helicopter was also used for aerial seeding. In the forefront of those efforts was HAI member, Carrol Voss, founder of AGROTORS, who was a pioneer in the use of helicopters for agricultural work. Also, re-supply and medevac missions during conflicts became routine. About this time, Lieutenant Alan Bristow was working in the North Sea. Years later, his name would be synonymous with one of HAI’s offshore member operations.

At the time, there were many issues of concern to the helicopter community, including working with the Forest Service, spare parts availability, flight regulations, insurance, and pilot training. The CHA held an educational meeting on September 21, 1950, for the purpose of acquainting public officials with what the helicopter could do. Following the meeting, a helicopter flight demonstration was conducted by Knute Flint of AF Helicopter, Inc. Harold Gribble then gave each official a helicopter ride, which included an idling engine autorotation landing on a fixed spot to demonstrate the remarkable safety characteristics of the craft. That year the association won its first legal battle when a court ruled that insurance companies could not use the findings of state agricultural hearing boards as grounds for invalidating insurance coverage.

On February 25, 1951, Elmer Schlesinger, president of U.S. Helicopters Inc., based at the Oakland Municipal Airport, was elected president of the CHA. Knute Flint, secretary-treasurer of AF Helicopters, Inc., of San Fernando, California, was named to the post of secretary, and Vaughn Krug of Pacific Helicopters, Burbank, California was chosen as treasurer. In 1951, the CHA had revamped its statement of purpose and broadened its mission statement. The new group was growing and adding new members. The leadership polled its members, who voted to admit to membership any helicopter operator in the U.S. and its territories. Schlesinger announced that membership in the association was to be opened to all operators and manufacturers in the United States and its territories so that helicopter companies throughout the country may more readily gain from the experience and knowledge of fellow operators. The association was founded in 1948 for the purpose of disseminating helicopter information, organizing promotion of the helicopter, mutual assistance, and exchange of technical information.

Also in 1951, membership voted to change the name of the association to the Helicopter Association of America (HAA). However, for some unknown reason, this was not filed until November 1954, leading to some confusion as to when the changeover occurred. At the time, the organization had 17 members operating 50 helicopters. By May 1951 membership had grown to 17 commercial operators and two associate members, Bell and Hiller. By August, Sikorsky had joined as the third associate member.

In 1952, Carl Brady of Economy Helicopters was elected as the third president of HAA. Other elected officers of the organization included H.A. Reidy, treasurer and Eleanor Rudnick, secretary. Brady served as president until Joseph Seward of Rotor-Aids succeeded him in January of 1954. At the time, Seward was the only helicopter pilot in the world to carry a membership card in the Screen Actors Guild. He had already appeared in at least 25 Hollywood productions as a pilot. Other elected officers included R. L. Suggs, of New Orleans, Louisiana, Treasurer and William K. Cowan, Secretary. By January of 1954, member attendance at the annual meeting had grown to 50. This HAA meeting was hosted by Bell Helicopters at its plant in Hurst, Texas, where an additional 75 guest attendees from the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Japan, and Sweden heard presentations on lowering insurance costs, new air-cooled engines, overhaul costs, and the use of fuel additives. Members and guests were also given a tour of the Bell Aircraft Corporation plant in Fort Worth, Texas. Articles of Incorporation for HAA were filed and formally accepted by the State of California in December 1954.

Rick Helicopters, the world’s largest operator at that time, completed its fourth consecutive year of government survey work in Alaska. Rick Helicopters had already accumulated nearly 14,000 flight hours during that four-year period.

In 1955, Elynor Rudnick of Kern Helicopters was elected president of HAA, the first woman to hold the post. That year Rudnick resided over the 8th Annual Convention which was held at the Piasecki plant in Morton, Pennsylvania. Humble Oil sent several representatives and at that meeting, made arrangements with Rotor-Aids for offshore work. At the time, the going charter rate for offshore work was $700 a month in Louisiana, with 750 hours flight time required per pilot per year. The late 1950s were a period of steady growth for both the industry and HAI.

The 1956 Annual Convention was held at the Sheraton Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California. Carl Agar of Okanagan Helicopters — the first non-U.S. president — succeeded Rudnick. At the three-day meeting attendees agreed that helicopter use was already enjoying an expansion. Ricklefs noted that helicopters were now employed — pulling down smokestacks, blowing ice off of transmission lines, and being used to dry fruit on trees following rains during the critical picking season. Rudnick said that she had used her aircraft for crop spraying, dusting cattle with insect powder, reseeding burned-out forests, and spotting tuna and other fish, hunting whale, and rounding up cattle. Henry Boris, president of Heli-Cop-Air of Paris, said that rotorcraft have been put to many uses in Europe: spraying, crop dusting, and performing rescue operations in the mountains and flood areas of the low countries. This meeting included a tour of the Hiller helicopter plant.
Carl Agar repeated as president in 1957. At that time HAA was pushing for construction of more public-use heliports. Insurance for personnel and aircraft was still an industry concern. In June of 1957 helicopters provided much emergency relief after Hurricane Audrey ripped through coastal Louisiana and Texas.

In 1958, Richard D. Eccles of Calicopters was elected president. J. Cullen Weadock of Chesapeake & Potomac Airways succeeded Eccles. The topic of the day at the convention centered on high insurance rates, need for favorable legislation, and better equipment. Not much has changed since then.

About that time, Carl Brady left his three-way partnership in Economy Helicopters and moved from Washington State to Alaska, where he formed a joint venture with Rotor-Aids. The company’s new name was ERA Helicopters, owned by Carl Brady, Joe Seward, and Ray Falconer. At the time, the number of commercial helicopter operators in the U.S. totaled 160, with a fleet total of 635 helicopters.

At the 9th Annual Meeting in New York, HAA called for modification of restrictive laws that had been drafted mainly for fixed-wing aircraft.

A Bell Helicopter news release heralded the arrival of more than 150 guests from the United States and Canada to the 10th Annual Convention in Fort Worth, Texas. At the convention, helicopter operators were given a tour of the Bell Helicopter facilities, including the new flight simulator, with discussions of ideal helicopter instrumentation and the Bell XH-40.

The Villa Hotel in San Mateo, California, hosted the 11th Annual Convention, which took place January 19-21, 1959. That year membership dues were increased to $50, the first increase. At that meeting, discussion took place on a number of issues including high insurance rates, the need for new legislation, and also for better, less costly equipment. A decision was made during 1959 to publish a monthly newsletter.

Robert L. “Bob” Suggs of Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. (PHI) succeeded J. Cullen Weadock. Attendees to that convention could book a helicopter flight from Los Angeles to Anaheim for seven dollars. Membership dues rose from $10 to $50. HAA’s focus was on ethics, association publications, and a meaningful awards program for those deserving of recognition. The world’s largest commercial helicopter operator at that time was still Rick Helicopters.

Helicopter operations were grossing roughly $30,000,000 annually in the United States and Canada. The industry had grown into a vital service business, which saved or made a considerable amount of money for industries including oil, agriculture, executive and public transportation, utility, pipeline and power, construction, and forestry.

The 12th Annual Convention was held in Anaheim, California, on January 17, 1960. The Hughes Tool Company’s Aircraft Division hosted the event. There were 259 registrants representing 24 states, Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, and South Burnaby, Canada; along with Bogotá and Columbia, South America.

L. Welch Pogue, first commissioner of aviation, was the keynote speaker at the 13th Annual HAA Convention. The convention was held January 15-17, 1961, in Haddenfield, New Jersey at the Cherry Hill Inn, which had its own heliport. An HAA press release at the time revealed that there were 200 operators with 700 helicopters in commercial service.

HAA opened its new headquarters on March 1, 1961, in Washington, D.C. in the Landmark Building at 1343 H Street, N.W., under the direction of newly appointed Executive Secretary John T. Pennywell, formerly with Keystone Helicopter Corporation. The Association’s membership stood at 57 Regular Members, 24 Associate Members, and four government members; a total of 85 members. The convention netted a profit of $1,700.36.

At the 1961 convention R. L. Suggs, head of Petroleum Helicopters was elected president of HAA. That year, L. Welch Pogue was named Honorary Member of HAA. Then president of HAA, Hal Connors said of Mr. Pogue, “You have proven yourself to be one of the staunchest friends of the helicopter operator. We are keenly aware of your extensive enthusiasm for the helicopter industry, and those of us engaged in the operation of these unique aircraft, wish to express our appreciation for your splendid support.” At the time there were more than 200 helicopter operators and more than 700 commercial helicopters in the U.S. and Canada.

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