If you follow the media at all on the subject of COVID-19 its hard not to slip in to depression. Every small piece of good news is followed by half a dozen pieces of bad news. News that Canada had purchased five times as much vaccine as it required was followed quickly by news that we weren’t likely to receive it anytime soon. When it started to arrive – there wasn’t nearly enough of it to go around and now the government has announced that people in the general population won’t be starting to receive their first vaccinations until at least August. In the meantime, back-at-the-ranch, we have new variants of the virus arising that are more transmissible, and could be more fatal, and from which the existing vaccines offer less protection. Does the fun ever stop? Most helicopter operators that I speak with – ever the optimists – offer “At least I have my health, so far.” There are small pockets of activity that seem to be sustaining some operators, but most are facing the worst year in their history, and hoping that this summer offers some essential services work. Virtually everyone is hunkering down. Layoffs are endemic, and many pilots and maintenance-related staff are out of work or facing reduced wages. I console myself by remembering that the demand for vertical lift services will return. For operators that are able to hunker down and survive this, they will be stronger and well positioned to capitalize on the opportunities that the recovery phase will present. While I wouldn’t say that we are in the recovery phase, yet – we are on its doorstep.