Says Helicopters Should Be Considered Separate From Other Aircraft

Helicopter Association International (HAI) President Matthew Zuccaro testified Thursday before the US House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Aviation Subcommittee on the lack of merit the Bush Administration’s financing proposal for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has for the civil helicopter industry.

Zuccaro told the committee he believes the current FAA funding program is "fair, adequate, and equitable," pointing out to members of the subcommittee it has been widely acknowledged that the current funding mechanisms could adequately finance the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Zuccaro told Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank Costello (D-IL) and members of his panel that the plan would have "an extremely detrimental economic impact on HAI’s members, with a resulting constraint and/or elimination of many helicopter operations."

Aviation panel members unanimously agreed the FAA’s plan unfairly distributes cost, admonishing the FAA, "we’re not going to allow it," "get ready -- we’re going to make good decisions that embrace all of aviation." Congressman Robin Hayes (R-North Carolina), a general aviation pilot, told government witnesses, "The FAA is gulping the airline Kool-Aid."

"How can one support a proposed funding program that significantly reduces the costs to the airlines, who in fact place the highest demands on the system, while dramatically increasing costs to other segments, such as the helicopter community, whose utilization of the system is incidental, with little or no impact?" asked Zuccaro.

"The very nature of the helicopter’s capabilities, direct point-to-point transportation, eliminates the need to operate to and from airports, and helicopter industry initiatives such as privately funded point-in-space, off- airport, instrument approaches, further reduce airport use by helicopters," testified Zuccaro.

Zuccaro pointed out that the missions performed, operational altitudes, and locations of operations, are outside the reach of the normal FAA Air Traffic Control service area and airport infrastructure. Further, the current level of service the FAA provides for initial certification as a commercial operator, i.e., an 18-month to two-year wait for an initial appointment is unsatisfactory. It may well be indicative of the worsening level of service customers can anticipate if the FAA reduces it’s revenue by 600 million dollars under it’s proposed funding program.

In his testimony, Zuccaro enlightened members of the panel on the untold millions of dollars helicopter operators flying in support of offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico have spent to provide their own infrastructure. He pointed out the fact the "helicopter community has already stepped up to the plate" in the form of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) co-signed between HAI and the FAA, the helicopter operators, and the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico to facilitate the installation of Phase I of ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast) technology.

According to Zuccaro, the "value of the in-kind services being provided by the helicopter industry, are valued in excess of 100 million dollars over the life of the project." "The airlines will also reap the benefits of the new ADS-B system in the Gulf of Mexico, yet the helicopter industry is the only industry segment partnered with the FAA."

"The obvious fact," Zuccaro said, is that the "helicopter community places the least demand on the Air Traffic Control and airport system. The vast majority of their operations are conducted at heliports, private facilities and remote locations, without utilizing the services of FAA Air Traffic Control, or the need to operate to and from airports."

Zuccaro asked panel members to give some thought to the FAA compensating the helicopter community for services rendered due to helicopters providing off airport, city center to city center transportation, thereby further creating new capacity at congested airports.

In his prepared statement, Zuccaro thanked FAA Administrator Marion Blakey for her support and leadership, but he "respectfully disagreed with her regarding the proposed funding methodology" that would impose onerous financial burdens upon his industry.

"The helicopter community should be," Zuccaro said, the "one segment of the aviation community that has the least economic burden placed on it, and the airlines should have the highest." Adding, "to do otherwise would be like charging a farm tractor that only leaves the farm once a month, to travel on a public road a short distance to go to another farm, the same highway tax as a long haul tractor-trailer."

In closing, Zuccaro (above) recommended that helicopters be placed into their own category of aircraft for planning and funding purposes, instead of being combined with piston airplanes, as is currently the case.

He further recommended that the majority of the funds contributed by helicopter operators, under any funding program, should not be applied to the development of airports and runways, but instead should be utilized to fund a national heliport system.

FMI: www.rotor.com