Helicopter Association International (HAI) has announced the recipients of the Salute to Excellence Bell Helicopter Lifetime Achievement Award and the Salute to Excellence Appareo Pilot of the Year Award, which will be presented at the annual Salute to Excellence Awards dinner during HAI Heli-Expo 2017, in Dallas, Texas.

HAI’s Salute to Excellence Bell Helicopter Lifetime Achievement Award recipient to be honored in Dallas

HAI has announced that Dr. John Leverton is the 2017 winner of HAI’s Salute to Excellence Bell Helicopter Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifetime of service dedicated to the aviation industry. The award will be presented at HAI’s Salute to Excellence Awards dinner at HAI Heli-Expo 2017 in Dallas.

Dr. Leverton has a bachelor’s degree in engineering, a master’s degree in acoustics, and a doctorate in helicopter aero-acoustics. He worked for Westland Helicopters Ltd in the U.K. until 1984 when he moved to the U.S. to work with Westland Inc. In 1996, he retired and formed his own company.

Dr. Leverton’s comprehensive understanding of the technical aspects of helicopter noise makes him very effective in addressing community noise issues. He has been an advisor/consultant for many helicopter manufacturers including Bell Textron, covering various aspects of noise measurement, environmental assessment issues, public acceptance of helicopters and civil regulations. He has published papers and given lectures on these subjects around the world.

Dr. Leverton served as an advisor to the American Petroleum Institute and companies regarding development of guidelines for helidecks. He also advised HAI on issues in helicopter noise and International (ICAO) and Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Dr. Leverton served as chair of the HAI Acoustics, the Acoustics/Environmental, the Offshore, the Heliport and the Fly Neighborly committees. He also served as director, vice president and later advisor on infrastructure/environmental development for American Helicopter Society International; as the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations representative to ICAO on Annex 16; and as the International Federation of Helicopter Associations representative to the ICAO Aerodrome Panel and Heliport Design Working Group.

Robert Fournier, Trent Vick to receive HAI’s Salute to Excellence Appareo Pilot of the Year Awards

HAI also announced that Robert Fournier and Trent Vick are the 2017 winners of HAI’s Salute to Excellence Appareo Pilot of the Year Award.

Robert Fournier was just three years old when he saw a Sikorsky Skycrane lift Toronto’s CN Tower antenna. From then on, he was set on an aviation career. After obtaining his commercial fixed-wing rating, Fournier won a scholarship to the helicopter flight training program at Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario.

After spending five years flying various charter assignments in Northern Canada, he took a position with Helicopter Transport Services (HTS), based in Ontario. After 16 years, Fournier is still with HTS.

Trent Vick’s interest in aviation was sparked by a 2008 presentation on medical careers that included a fly-in by a helicopter air ambulance out of Missoula, Montana. Vick joined the U.S. Air Force in 2009 to fund his helicopter flight training at Hillsboro Aero Academy, previously a component of Hillsboro Aviation.

After completing his commercial rating, he was hired by HTS as an S-61 co-pilot. Vick also is a flight instructor at Hillsboro Aero Academy.

Fournier and Vick were paired on a call-when-needed contract, fighting fires all over the northwest. In the summer of 2016, while working another fire in Riggins, Idaho, they received an emergency dispatch to the Copper King Fire. A large wind event had caused the fire to nearly triple in size in 24 hours. Steep terrain and 50-knot winds made the fire difficult to control. The two pilots worked several long days dipping water from a deep spot in the Clark Fork River near Thompson Falls. Their tireless efforts and outstanding professionalism helped contain the fire that threatened ground crews and kept it from progressing to nearby homes.

During their many water runs, Fournier and Vick noticed a small boy waving excitedly each time their helicopter returned. He was transfixed by the sight of the aircraft that was helping his dad, a firefighter who was also working on the Copper King Fire. After their last flight of the day, Fournier and Vick set out to find their fan. Each of them had chosen an aviation career because of a chance encounter when they were young, and they wanted to offer the little boy the same opportunity.

Commenting on the pilots’ visit, the boy’s grandfather said, “I had already been impressed with their fire suppression skills. I am now more impressed with their hearts.”

The Salute to Excellence Awards will be presented at the annual Salute to Excellence Awards dinner during HAI Heli-Expo 2017.