Heli-Expo 2017, which opens on Tuesday in Dallas, will be bigger than the Helicopter Association International’s previous record-breaking show in Las Vegas in 2013, with attendance and exhibit space already projected to be higher. One of the largest commercial helicopters—a Boeing CH-47D Chinook—will be on display, as will a Russian Mil Mi-24 Hind. HAI expects approximately 60 helicopters to converge on the convention center for the show.
New for Heli-Expo 2017 is the HAI Connect area in the center of the exhibit hall, a meetup space where show attendees can view demonstrations and presentations. At 2 p.m. on March 7, the opening day of the exhibit hall, HAI chairman Torbjorn Corell and president and CEO Matt Zuccaro will hold a town hall meeting. Briefings are also scheduled from the FAA, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team and Helicopter Foundation International, as well as networking events for various rotorcraft groups, new product demos and one-hour seminars on hot topics.
The Helicopter Foundation International Rotor Safety Challenge is also back, with more than 60 free-to-attendee safety sessions scheduled from Monday through Wednesday. Many of the sessions are new this year, and participants who attend at least six sessions earn a certificate of recognition.