James A. Viola is VAI’s president and CEO. After a career as a US Army aviator, he joined the FAA, where he served as director of the Office of General Aviation Safety Assurance before joining VAI. James holds ATP ratings in both airplanes and helicopters and is a CFII. Contact him at President@verticalavi.org. President’s Message: The Best Way to Honor Our First Responders Strengthening vertical aviation will improve disaster response. By James A. Viola It has become a pattern: a region somewhere in the world is hit by disaster. It could be a flood in Brazil, a hurricane in the United States, or a wildfire in Greece. First, our industry goes to work, saving lives. Next, we see reports from journalists on the scene marveling at the lifesaving work our industry does. When disaster strikes, helicopters become lifelines. We fly in them over roads rendered impassable by floods, earthquakes, mudslides, or wildfires, bringing food, shelter, medical supplies, and emergency personnel. We can deliver heavy equipment to repair infrastructure or safely hoist a mother and child from a rooftop. Couple those capabilities with our industry’s passion for service, and it is no wonder we are an important part of a community’s capacity for disaster response and recovery. At VAI, we commend all those in our industry who contribute to disaster response and recovery. Some wear military uniforms; others work for civilian law enforcement or local government. Some work for companies specializing in firefighting or power-line repair. Others are volunteers who see a need and decide to help. Anyone who works in disaster response knows it is a team effort—from the mechanic working through the night to get your bird ready for the day’s flight to the person figuring out where to get fuel when there is no phone or Internet. You all make me very proud to be in this industry. As we celebrate your achievements, we must also recognize an important lesson: we need to invest in vertical aviation now to ensure our effectiveness in future disaster response and recovery. Recently, VAI weighed in on the FAA’s plans for vertiport design, noting the importance of creating infrastructure that does not segregate vertical aviation aircraft. Strengthening aviation infrastructure is essential to enhance our ability to swiftly deploy resources in times of crisis. We urged the development of more integrated, safety-focused guidelines for electric vertical takeoff and landing facilities. We also called for collaboration between FAA divisions and industry stakeholders, emphasizing the need for performance standards that accommodate diverse powered-lift technologies and harmonize with existing regulations. Support for the vertical aviation industry also means investing in workforce development so we have trained personnel at the ready. Within our industry, owners and operators need to establish relationships with authorities before a disaster. Proactive coordination enables smoother communication, faster mobilization, and streamlined logistics when time is of the essence. By building trust and understanding roles in advance, rescue teams can integrate seamlessly with emergency response efforts, improving outcomes for those in need. This outreach can occur at the local government level or, as Loreto Moraga describes in this issue, regional agreements can be reached to ensure that bureaucracy will not stand in the way of humanitarian efforts (see “Report from Chile: Working Together for Vertical Aviation”). To all those who took part in recent disaster response and recovery efforts—and to those who execute similar critical missions every day—VAI offers our heartfelt thanks. Let us honor your service by taking the steps necessary to strengthen our industry and ensure vertical aviation continues to be a vital force for good in times of crisis.
