Helicopter Association International 4.44

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. 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). In 1951, membership voted to change the name of the association to the Helicopter Association of America (HAA). In 1981, HAA became the Helicopter Association International, or HAI, in recognition of its truly international status. Helicopter Foundation International (HFI) was formed in 1983, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the helicopter industry and helping to educate present and future generations of helicopter professionals. Matthew S. Zuccaro assumed the office of President on November 1, 2005, after a 40-year career in the helicopter industry.