<p>Jessica Reed is a writer and editor with AIN. She joined the team in the fall of 2023 after two years covering the aviation industry at Avionics International. She earned her bachelor&#039;s degree in English (Writing &amp; Rhetoric) from Pepperdine University. Her hometown is St. Louis, Missouri, and she since has resided in Santa Barbara, California, and Brooklyn, New York, among others. She is currently based in Vernon, New Jersey.</p>


Writer & Editor

Jessica Reed

<p><em>Each year during Heli-Expo, VAI’s Salute to Excellence Awards recognize individuals and organizations who achieve incredible feats while supporting their local communities and the helicopter industry as a whole. This year’s awards were bestowed upon these recipients last evening at the VAI President’s Salute to Excellence Reception.</em></p>


<h2><strong>Matthew S. Zuccaro Land &amp; LIVE Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Captains Steve Buhagiar and David Sidorski – Helicopter Pilots</strong></h3>
<p>Steve Buhagiar and David Sidorski received the 2024 Salute to Excellence Matthew S. Zuccaro Land &amp; LIVE Award. This award recognizes individuals for their aeronautical decision-making skills, management of crew resources, and/or a helicopter pilot(s), flight crewmember(s), and/or maintenance personnel performing coordinated actions.</p>
<p>In September 2022, pilots Buhagiar and Sidorski faced a critical emergency while flying a Bristow Group Leonardo AW139 helicopter—with four passengers onboard—from an offshore oil platform to Houma, Louisiana. Seven minutes from the airport, they encountered thick smoke in the cockpit from an overhead panel fire, leading to engine racing and an unintended rapid climb. They managed to maintain control by strategically idling engines and adjusting rotor rpm. This included breaking a window for smoke clearance and performing risky maneuvers to decrease altitude. The helicopter eventually landed safely, resulting in only one minor injury. The incident, later attributed to faulty wiring, demonstrated exceptional pilot skill and teamwork during a crisis.</p>


<h2><strong>Pilot of the Year Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Michael Sagely – Senior Pilot for LACFD’s Air Operations</strong></h3>
<p>Michael Sagely, a senior pilot with the Air Operations unit at the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD), received the 2024 Salute to Excellence Pilot of the Year Award for his exceptional professionalism and leadership in helicopter and UAS aviation.</p>
<p>Beginning his aviation career in the U.S. Army in 1984, Sagely distinguished himself in flight school. He served notably in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earning multiple accolades including seven Air Medals and a Bronze Star. Post-military, he worked in aerial firefighting, leveraging his combat experience for effective wildland firefighting. Joining LACFD in 2009, Sagely quickly became a senior pilot, earning recognition for multiple rescues and lifesaving missions. “If I were to highlight one piece of my career, it is my focus on the overall health of the organizations where I work,” Sagely said, “from adjusting attitudes and approaches to work to creating processes and procedures that help everything run more efficiently and safely.”</p>


<h2><strong>Communications Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Bryan Matuskey – Production Team Leader/Videographer at Rotor Pro</strong></h3>
<p>Bryan Matuskey, production team leader/videographer at Rotor Pro magazine, received VAI’s 2024 Salute to Excellence Communications Award. This award honors outstanding information dissemination in the vertical aviation industry.</p>
<p>Matuskey, influenced by a creatively inclined family and early exposure to aviation, transformed his video hobby into a career. He formed his own business in 2006, and his work includes promotional and training videos for the aviation sector, particularly for Guidance Aviation. At Rotor Pro, he’s known for crafting immersive video narratives that complement the magazine’s content, producing more than 130 industry-specific videos, and designing editions in English and Spanish.</p>
<p>Matuskey remarked that, of his projects, he is most proud of “those that show the unique ways helicopters save, serve, and protect people around the world. For instance, a video I did on helicopter EMS operations was instrumental in initiating foreign governments to adopt EMS helicopter operations.”</p>


<h2><strong>W.A. “Dub” Blessing Flight Instructor of the Year Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Catherine Press – CEO of Chinook Helicopters</strong></h3>
<p>Catherine Press, CEO of Chinook Helicopters, has been honored with the 2024 Salute to Excellence W.A. “Dub” Blessing Flight Instructor of the Year Award.</p>
<p>Recognized for her exceptional contributions to helicopter flight instruction, Press is a trailblazer in the Canadian aviation industry. Starting to fly at age 11 and becoming one of Canada’s first female helicopter pilots, she has amassed more than 10,000 hours of flight instruction time. She is Canada’s first female helicopter flight instructor and the only person in the country with Transport Canada pilot examiner status for both airplanes and helicopters.</p>
<p>Press transformed Chinook Helicopters into a major flight school—with 16 helicopters and 14 airplanes—and developed in-house flight training devices. She has received numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate and the DCAM Flight Instructor Safety Award.</p>


<h2><strong>Humanitarian Service Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>The Team at Rainbow Helicopters</strong></h3>
<p>Rainbow Helicopters received the 2024 Humanitarian Service Award for aiding the town of Lahaina in Maui after a devastating fire. The award highlights the critical role of rotorcraft in community aid.</p>
<p>Responding immediately after the disaster, Rainbow Helicopters—led by owner Nicole Battjes—organized relief efforts, purchasing and flying essential supplies such as formula, diapers, and baby wipes to Maui using the company’s Airbus AS350.</p>
<p>The team, including mechanics, pilots, and volunteers, worked tirelessly, extending shifts and volunteering time for this cause. A GoFundMe account raised more than $76,000, which was used entirely for affected families. Rainbow Helicopters conducted 13 relief missions, carrying some 5,500 pounds of supplies in partnership with local nonprofits. Its humanitarian efforts extended into the holiday season when it provided food and gifts and flew Santa Claus to Maui for children and families in need.</p>


<h2><strong>Law Enforcement Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Andrew Edgerton – Chief Pilot of Fairfax County Police’s Helicopter Division</strong></h3>
<p>Andrew Edgerton, chief pilot of the Fairfax County Police helicopter division, has been honored with the 2024 Salute to Excellence Law Enforcement Award. Despite initial setbacks in his early aviator aspirations due to his less-than-perfect eyesight, Edgerton pursued aviation, earning various certificates and ratings and beginning his helicopter flight instruction in 2006.</p>
<p>Joining Fairfax County’s Police Helicopter Division in 2010 as a civilian line pilot, he became chief pilot in 2021. Edgerton played a crucial role during the division’s temporary relocation and the construction of a new heliport, ensuring uninterrupted, safe operations. Also serving as the division’s safety officer for seven years, he was responsible for risk assessment and maintaining regulatory compliance. Known for his commitment to community service, Edgerton participates in front-line duties to support his team and serve the community.</p>


<h2><strong>Safety Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Rex Alexander – Founder and President of Five-Alpha</strong></h3>
<p>Rex Alexander, founder and president of Five-Alpha, has been awarded the 2024 Salute to Excellence Safety Award. Alexander, a veteran rotorcraft professional, has significantly advanced safety in the vertical aviation industry. After beginning his career as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army in 1985, he transitioned to the Indiana Army National Guard and eventually to the civilian sector, flying for the offshore oil and gas industry and as an air ambulance pilot. He also worked for the Indiana Association of Air Medical Services and the National EMS Pilots Association, where he served as president.</p>
<p>Alexander’s contributions include developing heliport safety standards, co-chairing the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team’s Infrastructure Working Group, and playing a key role in the development and funding of the HEMS Weather Tool. He serves as an infrastructure advisor, teaches safety courses, and chairs the National Fire Protection Association’s Helicopter Facilities Technical Committee.</p>


<h2><strong>Golden Hour Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Neonatal/Pediatric Transport Team at Children’s Health in Dallas</strong></h3>
<p>The neonatal/pediatric transport team at Children’s Health in Dallas has been awarded the 2024 Salute to Excellence Golden Hour Award. This award recognizes the team’s outstanding contribution to air medical transportation, particularly in neonatal critical care.</p>
<p>The team is noted for its efficient use of the critical “golden six hours,” the crucial period following a traumatic birth during which neonatal therapeutic hypothermia must be initiated to reduce complications and prevent brain and organ damage.</p>
<p>In July 2022, nurse Alex Cross, respiratory therapist Korey Roberts, and paramedic Hali Henry transported a prematurely born baby with multiple complications from a local North Texas hospital to Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Using their Sikorsky S-76C++ equipped for critical neonatal and pediatric needs, the transport team was able to significantly aid the infant’s recovery.</p>


<h2><strong>Maintenance Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Michael Yip –&nbsp;Becker Helicopter Services Director of Maintenance</strong></h3>
<p>Michael “Yippy” Yip, director of maintenance at Becker Helicopter Services, has been awarded the 2024 Salute to Excellence Maintenance Award. This award recognizes Yip’s long-standing excellence in rotorcraft maintenance and management.</p>
<p>Yip, who started his career in 1977 and joined Becker Helicopter Services in 2009, has more than 40 years of experience in various aviation maintenance roles. He is renowned for his skills in maintenance, management, team building, and enhancing safety.</p>
<p>Yip has fostered relationships between pilots and engineers, creating a cohesive and safe working environment. He has implemented programs for staff cross-training and direct interactions as well as monthly pilot maintenance meetings. Yip’s commitment to safety extends to in-house training and contributions to industry-wide initiatives, including his proactive approach to safety management systems and night-vision goggles training for engineers.</p>
<p>Yip’s philosophy emphasizes investing in his team, advocating for their needs, and fostering a culture where safety is a collective responsibility.</p>


<h2><strong>Lifetime Achievement Award</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Anthony “Tony” Cosimano – Helicopter Pilot</strong></h3>
<p>Anthony “Tony” Cosimano has received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, which “salutes excellence in management and leadership and is granted to an individual for long and significant service to the international vertical aviation community,” according to VAI. Cosimano’s 60-year career showcases remarkable contributions to the helicopter industry.</p>
<p>Beginning his journey in 1956, inspired by a Bell 47 helicopter, Cosimano pursued an aviation career at the University of Michigan and West Point, earning his helicopter wings in 1963. He served in Vietnam, flying Bell UH-1B helicopters, and post-military he flew for Chesapeake &amp; Potomac Airways. In 1968, he co-founded Decair Helicopters, providing services including support at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.</p>
<p>Cosimano also created the Helicopter Emergency Lift Program (HELP) for community aid. His later career involved management roles in various companies, contributing to the development of the AW139 and starting International Aircraft Purchase &amp; Lease.</p>


<p>News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.</p>


VAI Honors Salute to Excellence Award Winners at Heli-Expo 2024

VAI awards recognize those who achieve incredible feats while supporting the community and helicopter industry

The Helicopter Association International presented its 2024 Salute to Excellence Awards to recipients during the HAI Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Matt Thurber

<p>News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.</p>


<p>News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.</p>


Plan will help ensure long-term job stability for Portugal workforce

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<p>News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.</p>


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Onboard Talon Dual Cargo Hook Approved in Bell 429

ORRA encourages helicopter companies to go beyond traditional risk management

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<p>News and information on safety procedures and concerns.</p>


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