| Sep. 14, 1939 | Igor Sikorsky flies the first practical helicopter, the VS-300, when helicopters were still experimental aircraft |
| 1945 | The commercial helicopter industry begins, with Axis and Allied militaries using the new technology primarily for troop evacuation |
| Mar. 8, 1946 | The Bell 47 is the first helicopter certificated for civil use by the Civil Aeronautics Board (forerunner of the FAA) |
| Dec. 13, 1948 | Art Fornoff, a representative from Bell Helicopter, meets with representatives of six Southern California operators to form the Helicopter Council, later renamed the California Helicopter Association (CHA) |
| 1951 | CHA broadens membership to all operators and manufacturers in the United States and its territories |
| 1954 | CHA is renamed the Helicopter Association of America (HAA) |
| 1955 | Elynor Rudnick is the first woman elected president of HAA |
| 1956 | Carl Agar is elected as the first non-U.S. HAA president |
| 1950-1953 | Helicopters reduce combat mortality during the Korean War. Fatalities reach a new low of 2%, largely due to rapid evacuation of the seriously wounded and helicopter-provided whole blood at forward medical stations |
| 1955-1975 | The Vietnam War brings new technology, new capabilities, and newly trained personnel to the global helicopter industry and the first large-scale deployment of drone helicopters |
| 1965 | The association adopts the HAA Code of Ethics |
| 1981 | HAA becomes Helicopter Association International (HAI), in recognition of its international status |
| 1982 | The Fly Neighborly program launches |
| 1983 | HAI and the European Helicopter Association form the International Federation of Helicopter Associations |
| 2005 | HAI sponsors the first International Helicopter Safety Symposium in Montreal |
| 2006 | The Vertical Aviation Safety Team launches, then known as the International Helicopter Safety Team |
| 2013 | A ROTOR article, “Land the Damn Helicopter,” inspires the HAI Land & LIVE initiative |
| Jun. 30, 2020 | HAI and the Australian Helicopter Industry Association form the International Partnership Program; IPP now comprises 18 national and regional vertical aviation associations |
| Jul. 30, 2020 | NASA launches the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity, the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet; its 72 flights pave the way for future aerial exploration of Mars, and, potentially, other space destinations |
| 2024 | HAI is renamed Vertical Aviation International; HAI HELI-EXPO is renamed VERTICON |
