Alexandria, Va. (January 13, 2017) In order to better serve its mission, the Helicopter Foundation International (HFI) is pleased to announce a rebranding campaign which includes a new logo, tagline website and mission statement. The new program launched Wednesday, January 11, 2017.
“The Foundation serves to recognize the history of the helicopter industry, to promote safety and to educate future generations of helicopter pilots and mechanics,” said Allison McKay, Vice President of HFI. “We wanted to update elements of the foundation in a way that better illustrates the services we provide.”
Most visible to the public will be the new logo, featuring bold, block letters in deep blue, and a two-tone stylized rotor system “dotting the i” of the logo. In certain instances, the logo will also feature the organization’s tagline of “Preserve the Past. Improve Safety. Secure the Future.” “We believe the new logo and tagline provide a fast method of understanding what we strive to accomplish with the foundation,” added McKay.
Expanding upon the organization’s tagline is the new official Mission Statement: “Helicopter Foundation International works to preserve the history of vertical flight, improve its safety, and educate the next generation of pilots and maintenance technicians.”
The foundation is committed to preserving the contributions of the first generation of pioneers who explored the boundaries of vertical flight. “Our archives contain oral histories and video interview, historical documents, photos, manuals, and articles from newspapers and magazines,” said McKay. “Thanks to donations, these materials will be cataloged and digitized for access by students, teachers and historians.”
“We also work to promote safety within the helicopter industry,” continued McKay. “We are dedicated to eliminating fatalities, accidents and incidents by providing free rotorcraft education sessions at the annual HAI HELI-EXPO, the world’s largest helicopter trade show. We also provide education through the ‘Land and LIVE Program’, which advocates precautionary landings when flight conditions begin to deteriorate.”
The final element of the Mission Statement focuses on education for future generations. “We have three strategies to build the next generation of helicopter industry professionals,” said McKay. “They include offering scholarships to aspiring pilots and maintenance technicians; offering a free mentoring roundtable at HELI-EXPO where experienced professionals share their knowledge with those new to the industry or looking at their next career opportunity; and HFI works to expand the number of high school and post-secondary schools that offer helicopter-specific course curriculum.”
HAI is the professional trade association for the civil helicopter industry. HAI’s 1,500+ organizational members and 1,800 individual members safely operate more than 4,500 helicopters approximately 2.3 million hours each year in more than 73 nations. HAI is dedicated to the promotion of the helicopter as a safe, effective method of commerce and to the advancement of the international helicopter community.
