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Editorial: Watershed Change

Even in a world of constant change, there are still times when the pace
quickens.  Circumstances, people and events often coincide to bring on
sudden and significant changes. This issue of Helicopters magazine is a
perfect example of what I am talking about.

For starters, our cover invites you to, “Meet Fred Jones, HAC’s new
president and CEO.” Fred is no stranger to the Canadian aviation world
and some of you may already know him. With his recent appointment, we
thought it would be appropriate to bring his story to our readers.

Helicopters magazine’s Ottawa contributor Ken Pole met with Fred at his
home in the Ottawa Valley, where they discussed Fred’s passions,
hobbies, education and experiences.  Fred’s story is one filled with a
love of aviation and lifelong dedication to the industry. As the new
man at the helm, Fred inherits a strong and vibrant helicopter
association that has achieved a great deal of success over its history.
Once you read Fred’s story, you’ll quickly understand why he was chosen
as the person to lead the HAC into the future.

In addition to marking a new era in the history of the HAC, we also
have a number of new faces who will now grace the pages of our
magazine. Helicopters magazine is dedicated to providing readers with
the best of Canadian helicopter industry news, views and reporting. 
Joining us in our efforts is veteran pilot, author and world-renowned
industry expert Phil Croucher. In his column, Phil plans to refresh
your memories on some of the basic stuff that he hopes “you might
actually find useful in your work.”

Phil’s columns promise to be insightful and varied. And he has made a
special commitment to our readers: If anyone would like Phil to
concentrate on a specific area of interest, he says he’d be happy to
take it on. He can cover anything from air law to the principles of
flight. Phil kicks off his column this issue with an article called,
“Good Rules of Thumb, Sorting Out Directions on the Fly.”
We also know that flying is not the only thing you need to worry about.
In keeping with that knowledge, we welcome helicopter pilot and lawyer
Neil MacDonald to our team. Recently called to the British Columbia
Bar, Neil will continue to fly, while practising aviation law at Harper
Grey in Vancouver. In his inaugural column, Neil discusses some of the
things you need to be aware of when entering into contracts or
lease/purchase agreements.

Neil begins his column with the famous quote from Shakespeare’s Henry
VI, in which Dick the butcher says, “The first thing we do, let’s kill
all the lawyers!” You might be surprised by how he ends it.

And last, but not least, Helicopters magazine contributor Paul Dixon is
taking over our Olympic Countdown column from Mark McWhirter, who has
moved into a sales position with the magazine, working closely with
publisher Tim Muise.

Paul plans to pick up where Mark left off by focusing his attention on
the business considerations for operators in the period leading up to
and during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In his first
column, Paul considers some of the challenges that commercial
helicopter operators will face and stresses the importance of
understanding the situation and planning accordingly.
Our new faces join our team of regular contributors and our inimitable
back page columnist Ken Armstrong. At a time of watershed change at the
magazine, I would be remiss if I did not thank Ken and acknowledge his
stellar contributions to the magazine and the industry since beginning
his regular column three years ago.

On an amazingly regular basis, our readers contact me to comment on, or
thank Ken for, his contributions. Ken’s straightforward no-nonsense
approach to the industry and the issues underscores the overall
philosophy of this magazine: Keep it relevant and always tell the
truth. This magazine is a forum for discussion, learning and
information – these are things that will not change.

And so, with all this change on the table, I will invite you now to dig
into this issue. You can also read profiles of two successful
helicopter operations: Quebec-based Hélí-inter and newcomer Whitney
Helicopters out of British Columbia. James Careless has written our
annual helicopter MRO update and Blair Watson brings readers up to
speed on Absolute Fire Solutions’ FAST bucket.

And, finally, on behalf of everyone at the magazine, I would like to
wish Fred Jones all the best in his new position. As always, your
feedback is both welcomed and encouraged. You can contact me at dmccarthy@annexweb.com. I hope you enjoy this issue.