First-day attendance at Heli-Expo’09 broke another record and continued to defy gloomy pre-show predictions. Attendance on day one increased from 15,552 last year to 15,728 this year, and show organizers are speculating that the number might exceed last year’s record total of 17,373. The number of exhibitors totals 585, a nearly 12-percent increase over last year’s 523. Net exhibit space increased 2.25 percent, to 259,000 sq ft. This year’s show also saw more families, according to Marilyn McKinnis, HAI’s vice president of marketing and exhibitions. “There are more children here than normal, but they’re always welcome,” she said.    –J.H.