Aviation Maintenance: Back Shop: Aviation Today

Igor Sikorsky, the godfather of the modern helicopter, perhaps summed it up best: "Aeronautics was neither an industry nor a science. It was a miracle."

When I served as editor-in-chief of Rotor & Wing magazine during the 1990s, I was always struck by the sheer passion of the people in the helicopter market. Their devotion to rotorcraft made editing Rotor & Wing a joy and a privilege.

My current role is publisher and editorial director of Aviation Today, the online portal for all aviation publications (including Rotor & Wing and Aviation Maintenance magazines) produced by our corporate parent, Access Intelligence. Today, the helicopter market is in the throes of what’s arguably its greatest period of expansion, and the industry’s decision-makers need actionable advice more than ever.

This fast growth also is changing the way MROs cope with helicopter maintenance, always a demanding field given the complex and repair-prone nature of rotorcraft. As an engineer once told me, "Helicopters don’t so much fly, as beat the air into submission."

This historic boom in the helicopter market gave birth to a new webinar, "Rotorcraft’s Winning Streak: How to Leverage The Helicopter Market’s Growth." Sponsored by Aviation Today, the webinar occurred Thursday, April 17 and was recorded and archived on the site; you can access it, on demand, at www.AviationToday.com.

The webinar’s four speakers were Matt Zuccaro, president, Helicopter Association International (HAI); Raymond Jaworowski senior aerospace analyst, Forecast International; Larry Dickerson, aerospace analyst, also with Forecast International; and Jim McKenna, editor-in-chief, Rotor & Wing magazine. I moderated the proceedings.

A major topic of conversation during the webinar was all of the new challenges arising in helicopter maintenance, especially in the military sector. In the hot and sandy environs of the Middle East, rotorcraft are being put to the test as never before. Also addressed was the shortage of sufficiently trained helicopter mechanics.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, military and homeland defense budgets have received large boosts every year. A healthy portion of this funding has gone to helicopters, which Pentagon strategists perceive as particularly adept tools for fighting terrorism and the regional, asymmetrical guerrilla wars of the 21st century.

Larry Dickerson reported that the market for UAV Reconnaissance Systems, including airframe vehicles, ground control components and electronic payloads, is expected to be worth $13.6 billion through 2014. Dickerson also said that, although UAVs are increasingly pervasive around the globe, the U.S. is by far the largest single market. American-based aerospace companies command a value share of more than 50 percent of the UAV market; he predicted that they could grab up to another 10 percent over the next decade. Notably, the value of producing Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV over the next 10 years could reach $3.5 billion.

Meanwhile, in the civilian helicopter sector, operators in all niches continue to enjoy robust demand for their services. In turn, OEMs report backlogs that stretch far into the future and MRO shops are getting more work than they can possibly handle.

How long can the party last? As the global economy slips into recession can the helicopter market maintain its unprecedented growth? If a downturn is imminent, how can various helicopter industry segments protect themselves? If growth will continue in 2008, as most analysts seem to think, then what’s the best way to leverage this growth for maximum advantage?

At the same time, the rotorcraft industry as a whole continues to be wracked by realignment, whether through outright mergers and acquisitions, alterations in the structures of existing joint venture agreements or the establishment of various industry teams that take on specific procurement programs.

Webinars, such as the one mentioned are participatory, interactive events that allow registrants to e-mail questions to the moderator, who presents these inquiries to the speakers for discussion in real time.

Despite increasing globalization and its ruthless emphasis on "the bottom line," the aviation sector remains blessed with hard-working executives, pilots, engineers, and mechanics who harbor a great passion for rotorcraft — and for excellence. Many of them shared and swapped ideas in cyberspace, during our webinar on April 17. You can still access their discussion.