Certifying new rotorcraft technology has become increasingly challenging, particularly in the U.S. What’s the hold-up?

However, many of the people who spoke with Vertical for this story indicated that the challenges in certifying new technology for rotorcraft pre-date the 737 Max crisis and stem primarily from shortages of experienced personnel. According to Matteo Raggazi, director of engineering for Leonardo, the FAA once had a wealth of certification specialists who were highly experienced and knowledgeable about helicopters.

“When somebody in the FAA said you’ve got a problem, 90 percent of times you did have a problem,” Raggazi recalled. “That was some years ago. The guys knew the business, knew their discipline, and they knew exactly what they were talking about, so the conversation was never bureaucratic. Then they started losing people … and rotorcraft didn’t seem to be a priority.”