Although the rotary-wing community seems to be less impacted than the airline community, there are differences as to how various vertical flight operations have been affected. US Editor Chuck Weirauch surveys the helicopter training market.

In mid-October, aviation jobs search company JSfirm.com had posted 96 active online listings for Helicopter (Rotary-Wing) Pilot Jobs, primarily for positions in the United States. Those job openings covered a wide range of categories, including Helicopter Pilot, Instructor, Police Helicopter Pilot, and Utility Helicopter Pilot. A large number of the listings were also for air ambulance and search-and-rescue pilots.

While such pilot jobs continue to be offered during the pandemic, certain areas of the rotary-wing sector of aviation have been more affected than others. According to James Viola, President and CEO of Helicopter Association International (HAI), the two operator segments most severely affected by the infection have been those involved with offshore petroleum and tourism. However, there is “still a lot of flying going on,” particularly in fighting fires on the West Coast and rescuing people in the flooded areas of the Midwest and South, he reported. Viola most recently served as the FAA’s Director of General Aviation (GA) Safety Assurance.

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