The Helicopter Association International (HAI) Technical and Maintenance Working Group is developing the Manufacturer Technical Briefings and Inspection Authorization (IA) Renewal programs for HELI-EXPO 2023 and seeks helicopter airframe, component, and engine manufacturers and approved repair centers interested in presenting briefings on component, airframe, or engine models.
Offered annually at HAI HELI-EXPO®, Manufacturer Technical Briefings promote safety in the helicopter industry by providing free technical presentations and IA renewal opportunities to maintenance professionals. In addition, the briefings provide a forum for manufacturers to present current maintenance and technically related product information, including proper procedures, and discuss current product issues with technicians, thereby improving the quality of maintenance performed on their products.
Currently, HAI is inviting all helicopter airframe and engine manufacturers and approved repair centers interested in presenting a HELI-EXPO 2023 Manufacturer Technical Briefing (MTB) to submit a proposal for a 60-minute product briefing to be delivered during the show at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, next year. The briefings are scheduled for Tuesday, Mar. 7, 2023, through Wednesday, Mar. 8, 2023, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
SUBMISSION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS
Manufacturers who wish to submit a product briefing to be considered for HAI HELI-EXPO 2023 must submit a proposal via the online MTB Submission Form by Friday, Aug. 5, 2022.
Administration
The Manufacturer Technical Briefings program is administered by the HAI Education Department and the HAI Technical and Maintenance Working Group. Administrative functions include communicating with manufacturers, selecting and scheduling briefings, securing FAA acceptance of briefings for IA renewal credit, monitoring the briefings for quality assurance, and issuing certificates for attendees who successfully complete the IA renewal requirements.
Technical and Maintenance Working Group members monitor each briefing at HAI HELI-EXPO and have the authority to enforce manufacturer compliance with presentation requirements in terms of presentation content, length, and overall effectiveness. This working group function ensures that HAI is offering product briefings in compliance with FAA requirements for IA refresher training.
Resources Provided by HAI
HAI will provide MTB presenters with suitable classroom facilities at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, site of HAI HELI-EXPO 2023, which runs Mar. 6–9 (exhibits open Mar. 7–9). Each MTB will be scheduled for 60 minutes: presenters will be required to speak for 50 minutes and answer questions from the audience for 10 minutes.
Classrooms will be set up theater style. Presenters should anticipate an audience of 50 or more and design their presentation with this in mind. Please note that we are unable to modify room setups for individual presentations.
The classrooms will include the following standard equipment: a projector and screen, microphones, speakers for use with the presenter’s personal laptop, and a podium and table for the presenter’s use. Presenters will be required to arrive 5 minutes before the briefing to test their personal laptops with the audiovisual equipment provided.
Benefits of Presenting
The HAI HELI-EXPO 2023 Manufacturer Technical Briefings will offer a powerful platform for helicopter airframe and engine manufacturers to network with approximately 14, helicopter professionals and share valuable maintenance-related product information, including information on proper procedures and current product issues. Presenters will garner valuable experience speaking to a diverse audience of individuals and organizations representing different sectors of the international helicopter industry. The HAI Technical and Maintenance Working Group also encourages manufacturers to participate in this program in the spirit of advancing the safety performance of the international helicopter community and maintenance technicians worldwide.
Presentation Requirements
To comply with the FAA requirements for inspection authorization (IA) refresher training in FAA Order 8900.1 Change 90, Volume 3, Chapter 56, each product briefing presented at HAI HELI-EXPO 2023 must, at a minimum, be in compliance with the following guidelines:
- The following topics are acceptable for IA refresher training: regulatory requirements, FAA policy, and/or maintenance training that directly relates to the maintenance, inspection, repair, or alteration of aircraft products, systems, components, and/or accessories.
- Human factors and safety management systems content will be accepted and is encouraged, to an appropriate degree (Paragraph 3-4518 B [1]).
- Each briefing must be at least 50 minutes in length, exclusive of time allotted for questions from the audience (Paragraph 3-4518 B [2]).
- Briefings may not be used to “promote or sell products” (Paragraph 3-4518 B [7a]).
In addition, HAI has identified the following requirements:
- Each briefing must be:
- Designated for maintenance technicians
- Conducted in English.
- Presentation content must be current and comprehensive and should, to an appropriate degree, include:
- A review of proper maintenance procedures for the product
- Service information issued or revised in the past 12 months
- Maintenance issues product-support personnel have seen over the past 12 months
- Contact information for product-support and field representatives.
- Presenters must:
- Be technically proficient on the product they are presenting and represent their company well
- Speak for at least 50 minutes and answer questions from the audience for at least 10 minutes
- Highlight any specific times or dates requested.
Willingness to Be Filmed and Have Material Published Online
- HAI’s intent is to make the key messages from the Manufacturer Technical Briefings available to HAI members to view after the show. To that end, we have recently begun producing video presentations of the briefings and uploading them to our website. Please advise us if you are UNWILLING to be videotaped and have your presentation uploaded.
The following recommendations regarding presentation content were compiled from HAI Technical and Maintenance Working Group members with many years of experience as briefing monitors:
- Provide human factors and safety management systems information that maintenance technicians can use to improve their safety performance.
- Share maintenance tips your technical representatives have seen in the field.
- Use photos in your presentation to support the information being covered.
- Have available extra material in case you need more content to meet the 50-minute requirement.
- Update your presentation from year to year to keep the audience engaged.
Proposal Requirements
Proposal submissions must include the items listed below. The manufacturer’s point of contact information may be substituted for presenter information in instances in which a presenter is yet to be identified. Please note that partial or incomplete proposals, or proposals that do not comply with the presentation requirements, may be rejected.
Manufacturer Information
- Company name
- Point of contact (POC) and job title
- POC information (please include mailing and email addresses and phone number[s]).
Presenter Information
- Name and job title
- Contact information (please include mailing and email addresses and office and cell phone numbers)
- Experience and qualifications (including any certifications)
- Previous presentations (indicate date, topic, and venue)
- Any known limitations on briefing date and time.
Briefing Information
- Airframe / component / engine model to be presented
- Presentation outline by topic.
Proposal Submittal
Interested manufacturers should prepare proposals in compliance with all instructions outlined in this Call for Presenters. Proposals must be endorsed by a company representative with legally binding authority.
Please submit your proposal via the MTB Submission Form by Friday, Aug. 5, 2022.
SELECTION OF PRESENTERS AND NOTIFICATION
Selection and Notification Process
HAI will conduct the selection of presenters in the following manner:
- This document will be distributed to all interested airframe and engine manufacturers.
- Proposals will be received and evaluated.
- Manufacturers will be contacted with a response.
Schedule
Call for Presenters issued Friday, Jul. 8, 2022
Deadline for proposal submissions Friday, Aug. 5, 2022
Presentation dates Mar. 6–9, 2023
Evaluation Criteria
HAI anticipates making final selections based on the following criteria:
- Completeness and clarity of the proposal
- Presentation fit with program purpose
- Relevance to the audience
- Participating companies.
Notification of Decision
Manufacturers will be notified of HAI’s decision regarding submitted proposals.
If selected to present a technical briefing(s), you will be:
- Assigned to one 60-minute session for each briefing, during which you will present to an audience of approximately 50 participants or more; briefings will be scheduled on Mar. 6, 2023, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Mar. 9, 2023, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
- Required to accept terms that include providing an electronic copy of your presentation and making any requests to modify the time of your presentation at least 30 days in advance of the briefing, with the understanding that changes might not make it into the final version of the HAI HELI-EXPO 2023 Program & Exhibit Guide.
- Required to refrain from promoting or marketing your company and/or its products, programs, or services, or those of any other organization, during your assigned 60-minute session.
HAI’s Right to Reject
HAI reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or portions of any proposal, at its sole discretion without cause.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Greg Brown
Director of Education & Training Services
Phone: 703-302-8479
Email: education@rotor.org