Mr. Zuccaro has been active in the helicopter industry for over 35 years. He was president of Zuccaro Industries, LLC, which provided domestic and international aviation consultation services, and specialized in helicopter related issues. He holds Airline Transport Pilot and Instrument Flight Instructor certificates for both airplanes and helicopters.

Mr. Zuccaro has held several executive level and operations management positions, with commercial, corporate, scheduled airlines, and public service helicopter operations in the northeastern United States. During his tenure with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, he served in operations management positions at John F. Kennedy International Airport and the Port Authority’s public and private heliports.

Mr. Zuccaro is a past president and chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council. He received his initial helicopter flight training as a U.S. Army aviator and served with the 7/17 Air Calvary unit in Vietnam. During his tour, Mr. Zuccaro earned several commendations to include two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Bronze Stars, and 19 Air Medals. He was subsequently assigned as a flight instructor at the Army Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

HAI is the professional trade association for the civil helicopter industry. HAI’s 1,350-plus-member organizations and 1,150 individual members, in more than 73 nations, operate more than 4,500 helicopters approximately 2.3 million hours each year.

Nick Sabatini and Associates (NSA) is a leading aviation consultancy in providing independent advice and safety assessment services to organizations worldwide, including Part 121/135 air carriers, assisting Part 145 repair stations in obtaining STC approvals as well as other entities with certification expertise in Parts 21,23 and 25 operations.

Prior to establishing NSA, Nick Sabatini was appointed Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, on October 15, 2001; he served with distinction in that premier capacity until his retirement on January 3, 2009. For more than seven years, Mr. Sabatini was responsible for the certification, production approval, and continued airworthiness of aircraft; and the certification of pilots, mechanics, and others in safety-related aviation positions.

Nick is a helicopter pilot and currently holds an airline transport pilot certificate and the following ratings: airplane multi-engine land, rotorcraft-helicopter, DC-9, CE-500, BH206, EMB110, commercial privileges, airplane single-engine land, and flight instructor and ground instructor certificates.

Newton’s aviation career began with his entrance into the U.S. Army Helicopter Flight Training Program in 1969. During his tour of service in the Republic of Vietnam he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and several Air Medals. In 1973 Newton joined Keystone Helicopter Corporation. He began his corporate flying career in 1976 with Interpace Corporation. Newton joined Honeywell in 1980 when the company purchased their first helicopter, an S-76A.

Newton has served on the HAI’s Fly Neighborly, Flight Operations Committees, served on the HAI Board of Directors, and was Chairman of the Board in 2006. He is a past Vice President of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council and was affiliated with the National Burn Victim Foundation and served on the Morristown, New Jersey Airport Advisory Committee.

Mr. Newton serves as an instructor pilot/examiner at Finmeccanica in the New York City area and supports the HAI-APS Program as a member of the Standards Board.