Helicopter Association International (HAI) is pleased to announce that U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao recently appointed HAI President and CEO Matthew Zuccaro to the Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee (SOCAC) for a period of two years.

According to the DOT, the SOCAC “was created by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Reauthorization Act of 2018. The committee will provide advice to the Secretary of Transportation regarding issues facing the aviation community related to FAA safety oversight and certification programs. These include aircraft and flight standards certification processes, oversight of safety management systems, risk-based oversight efforts, and utilization of delegation and designation authorities.”

The SOCAC includes 22 representatives from across the aviation industry. Zuccaro’s term on the committee began on August 21, 2019.

“I look forward to participating in and contributing to this important advisory committee,” says Zuccaro. “I believe it will be an effective tool for our nation, ensuring a cooperative relationship between industry and regulators as we all work to address aircraft safety and certification concerns.”

With more than 50 years of aviation experience, Zuccaro has led HAI since November 2005. He served as a Army helicopter pilot with the 7/17 Air Calvary unit in Vietnam and went on to be a flight and classroom instructor at the Army Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Zuccaro holds ATP and CFII ratings for helicopters and airplanes. He has held several executive level and operations management positions, with commercial, corporate, air tour, scheduled airline, and public service helicopter operations in the northeastern United States. During his tenure with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, he served in operations management positions at Kennedy International Airport and the Port Authority’s public and private heliports. He is a past president of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council and a former chairman of HAI.