HANGAR TALK
Robinson R66 Turbine Surpasses One Million Flight Hours
Robinson Helicopter Company recently announced the R66 Turbine fleet surpassed 1,000,000 flight hours. The R66 with the Rolls-Royce RR300 turbine engine achieved the million- hour mark without a single reported in-flight engine failure. This accomplishment demonstrates a level of reliability that exceeds EASA’s stringent requirements for single-engine helicopters performing commercial operations.
“We believe this milestone is a testament to the R66’s outstanding performance and confirms its place as a leader in the helicopter industry,” said Kurt Robinson, president of Robinson Helicopter.
Certified in October 2010, the first production R66 was delivered the following month. Since then, over 960 R66s have been produced, providing dependable performance to operators all over the world. Not only has the R66 proven itself on a daily basis,
but it has also risen to the unique challenges of flying to the North Pole and circumnavigating the globe multiple times.
When asked about the R66, Robinson dealer Les Gillespie of Gardner Aviation (Peachtree City, Georgia) said, “The R66 has quickly become our dealership’s number-one selling helicopter. Our customers compliment its power, space, and stylish looks. With all the available options like SAS Autopilot, extended range fuel tanks, and glass touch-screen panels, the R66 can be configured to meet the needs of any pilot or helicopter flight department.”
35,000 36,400
The number of rotary pilots who have been “winged” at NAS Whiting Field. The Pensacola, Florida, base reached the milestone in November when Lt. j.g. Robert Woods, a native of Northlake, Illinois, walked off the stage at Lassen Auditorium as the Navy’s newest helicopter pilot. “I feel incredibly honored and lucky to have the distinction of being the 35,000th winger,” Woods said. “We all work extremely hard to earn our Wings of Gold, and this milestone is a reminder of all who have gone before us.”
The median dollar price of a helicopter air ambulance flight, according to a 2019 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titled “Air Ambulance: Available Data Show Privately-Insured Patients are at Financial Risk” that reflects 2017 data. The report found “Privately-insured patients transported by air ambulance providers outside of their insurers’ provider networks are at financial risk for balance bills, which are for the difference between prices charged by providers and payments by insurers.”
200
rotorcraftpro.com
The dollar price to ride Blade’s helicopter taxi from Manhattan to JFK International Airport. The flight takes six minutes. By comparison, catching a cab from Manhattan to JFK is a flat $65 fare and takes an hour or more.
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