HAI Heli-Expo starts next week in Las Vegas and since the fling wing market is weathering the downturn better than most other sectors there should be some major announcements at the show. Among the new products that will be on display is the Eurocopter EC175 that is on its first North American tour. There will be 720 exhibitors at the Las Vegas Convention Center along with a full schedule of seminars, speeches and educational sessions. There will be two on-site static displays with a total of 60 aircraft involved.
Heli-Expo has made arrangements with the FAA and the convention center to establish a temporary heliport on the convention center grounds. It will not only accommodate the static display aircraft, it will allow demo flights during the convention by the various manufacturers. The event begins March 4 with business sessions and the annual safety symposium with a speech by NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt. The exhibit hall opens March 5 and the convention runs until March 7.
