Historic Helicopters  -  Rotorcraft  -  Helicopter Museum

In memoriam: Helicopter Industry Pioneer Keith Harvey

1928 – 2008

 Keith Harvey, a Helicopter Industry Pioneer, died on April 22, 2008 at the age of 80.  Keith Harvey was born in Grant Township, Michigan on March 26, 1928 and was united in marriage to Thomasina Williams Harvey on December 5, 1947.

Keith Harvey began his career in 1947 while still in his teens and attending college, working for Parsons Corporation in Traverse City Michigan manufacturing the Sikorsky R4 tail rotor blades and the Bell 47 main rotor wood blades.  Until 1956, he managed the Bell 47 and Hiller main rotor blade production and was involved in the development of the Hiller Hornet main rotor blade, Hiller Flying Platform blade, Schnitzer Flying Platform blade, Parsons Fiberglass blade, Westland Skeeter main rotor blade and numerous other experimental projects.

Keith started the first FAA approved rotor blade repair station for Parsons of California in 1956.  During the Vietnam War, they repaired thousands of Huey blades that were loaded on C5’s at Stockton Field and flown directly to Vietnam.  During the later part of his career at Parsons of California, they began building bonded structures, including the space gondolas, OSO Satellite orbital solar panels, large structures to transport the F1 Saturn engines to Cape Canaveral in the Pregnant Guppy and other projects for the space program.

In 1972, Keith started his own rotor blade repair facility, Composite Technology Inc., located in Stockton, California.  In the coming years CTI added facilities in Dallas, Texas; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Highpoint, North Carolina; Madrid, Spain, and Singapore.    During this time, he aggressively developed new technology and rotor blade repair techniques with one goal in mind, better and faster rotor blade repair without compromising quality.  Several of his innovative ideas are still being used by the manufacturers today.

Keith completed his pilot training and received his pilot’s license in 1978.  He owned and restored a number of aircraft including a De Havilland Tiger Moth and Bell 47D helicopter.  In recent years, he has enjoyed working with the Hiller Museum and Classic Rotors on numerous helicopter restoration projects.  He donated and loaned several helicopters to support these projects. 

After CTI was sold in 1990, he “retired” and started farming cherries and grapes in the Central Valley of California.

In 1996 Keith and a group of friends founded Rotor-Tech International, another successful FAA certified rotor blade repair facility.  

Keith was also a member of many aeronautical organizations including Helicopter Association International, Twirly Birds, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Hiller Aviation Museum and Institute and the Bell 47 Helicopter Association.

He received well deserved recognition from the National Guard for Contributing to National Security and Protecting Liberty and Freedom.

Keith Harvey was an enthusiastic, innovative and highly productive leader of the aviation community for almost six decades and he will be missed by everyone.

[written by Cecilia Stitt, President of Rotor-Tech International]

Classic Rotors comments -  We will miss Keith.  He helped us learn so much about the history of helicopters and contributed greatly to the museum.  He was enthusiastic about having Classic Rotors continue to fly the helicopters which were some of his favorites including the French Jinn and Boklow heli-trainer.  All of us a Classic Rotors will miss Keith and feel very privileged and honored to have known him.