The annual fall HAI Aerial Firefighting and Natural Resources Committee will meet November 26-28 at the Grove Hotel in Boise, Idaho. HAI President Matt Zuccaro will host the annual Firefighting Safety Forum on November 27 with participation from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The U.S. Forest Service, Department of the Interior’s Office of Aviation Services, and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) will host a full day of contract briefings on November 28.

There is no cost to attend the firefighting meetings in Boise; however, all participants must register in advance. Exhibit and sponsorship opportunities are still available. HAI would like to thank Eurocopter, SEI Industries, and Onboard Systems for their early sponsorship of the Boise meeting. Please click here to register for the HAI Aerial Firefighting and Natural Resources Committee meeting, HAI Firefighting Safety Forum, and Interagency Briefing or to learn more about exhibit and sponsorship opportunities for manufacturers and vendors.

The annual HAI firefighting meetings are a must-attend event for all helicopter operators under contract to the federal government for wildland firefighting support. A number of important issues confront the industry and will be addressed at the November meetings. Among the topics: public aircraft operations, human factors, load calculations, pilot qualifications, helicopter water drops and ground force interface, as well as aerial supervision and fire traffic areas, fatigue in aviation operations, and Hazmat Special Permits.

Contracting officials will be on hand to address procedures and policies, contracting tools, helicopter training videos, and mishap investigations. Safety management systems (SMS) for small operators, self-audits, and quality control risk assessments, as well as lessons learned rotorstrikes and SAFECOMS will be covered.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting Sterling Wiggins via email at sterling.wiggins@rotor.com.