- March 17, 2021, 8:00 AM
James Viola, who became president and CEO of HAI in January 2020, has kept a busy agenda in his first year despite events such as the pandemic that could not have been foreseen when he took the role. (Photo: Barry Ambrose)
When James Viola accepted the position of president and CEO at Helicopter Association International (HAI) in late 2019, he expected to have a long transition period as he paved the way for the association’s goals of extending its reach internationally and building on its well-established safety programs.
A year later, HAI has made strides towards those goals: initiatives are underway to strengthen the association’s presence before the International Civil Aviation Organization, establish new relationships throughout the globe, expand the membership beyond traditional rotorcraft, add new and revisit safety programs, and consolidate safety and other initiatives under a newly rebranded Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST).
Corn pollinating drone technology earns Iowa City agtech firm $7.5 million investment
On its own, a corn plant will pollinate itself: the golden tassels topping the slender green shoots that comprise nearly one-third of U.S. cropland naturally release pollen that fertilizes the silky portion of the plant below. This natural process is critical to the country’s number-one feed crop, but experts say fertilization must be facilitated to…
Courtesy Rantizo
On its own, a corn plant will pollinate itself: the golden tassels topping the slender green shoots that comprise nearly one-third of U.S. cropland naturally release pollen that fertilizes the silky portion of the plant below. This natural process is critical to the country’s number-one feed crop, but experts say fertilization must be facilitated to preserve the traits that allow today’s corn hybrids to withstand disease, pests and eye-popping yields.