Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

The helicopter sector lags behind other industry segments that have recognized a severe workforce shortage, agreed panelists participating in an “Embracing Equity” discussion on Wednesday during Heli-Expo.
The panel, held in celebration of International Women’s Day, was moderated by Jen Boyer, a principal of Flying Penguin Communications and a helicopter pilot, and included six&nbsp;other&nbsp;women who&nbsp;hold a range of positions within the industry.
Boyer kicked off the discussion with findings of the 2022 Women in Aviation Advisory Board report that women account for less than 20 percent of the aviation workforce, fewer than 10 percent of licensed pilots, and 2.7 percent of mechanics. “What's more, even in mid-career, there's a dearth of leadership development opportunities for women,” Boyer said, noting the&nbsp;numbers dwindle for women in higher-level positions.&nbsp;“Corporations are making changes, but the helicopter industry is far behind,” she said.
Women in Aviation International CEO Allison McKay&nbsp;addressed the industry's failure to retain talent, suggesting a need to attract a more diverse&nbsp;demographic.&nbsp;&nbsp;McKay pointed to airlines' creation of their own flight and maintenance schools as an example of how other segments have reacted to shortages.
“They are reaching into communities that have never really been exposed to aviation either,” she said. "So they're trying to tap into the full market that is the workforce as opposed to&nbsp;just looking at traditional segments.”
That includes turning to helicopter pilots and transferring them to fixed-wing aircraft, McKay continued. “They’re doing this very successfully…Anybody who was a helicopter pilot is being thrown so much money, so many signing bonuses, [and] a really clear [mandate] to keep growing in their career," she lamented. "The helicopter industry needs to come together and figure out how do we grow our own population and then retain it.”
Other panelists gave key advice on the need for managers'&nbsp;willingness to lead&nbsp;on diversity. “Everyone plays a role,” said Linda Deslatte, v-p of commercial programs for Bell. “I would love it if everybody went home today and tried to think about how they were promoting equality&nbsp;in the workplace. As leaders, as engineers, you can be mentors from anywhere you are.”
For women, said&nbsp;CH-47 Chinook captain&nbsp;Fallon Blattner,&nbsp;they have to get used to being “the first.”&nbsp;
“Almost a hundred percent of the time I am the only female pilot,” said Blattner, who works as a contract pilot largely performing&nbsp;firefighting duty. On many occasions, she received support from managers, who pointed out she was the first female pilot they hired or to get a certain type rating.&nbsp;“For me personally, I don't even know that. It's my job. I go to work, I do the best that I can,” she concluded.&nbsp;

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