But that isn’t all that’s new! In Q1 of 2025, the company introduced its new R66 Transition Course. The overarching goal of Guillaume, known as “G” to his colleagues and students, was to design a course that would ensure pilots are not only qualified to operate the R66 but do so with the utmost efficiency and safety. “G” and his team spent hundreds of hours developing a comprehensive program that covers all essential aspects of the R66 aircraft and its systems. “I work for you, the customer, the student, the owner, the operator of our brand. I want to ensure that you are armed with every ounce of knowledge to operate that aircraft safely,” said Guillaume. In developing the course, their training materials went through a rigorous vetting process by numerous members and disciplines of the RHC team.
It should come as no surprise that an official airframe-specific transition training program was developed. Generally speaking, all manufacturers offer factory-level courses for their turbine models, and the timing couldn’t be better because the R66 has made a name for itself throughout the world with more than 1,500 R66 airframes delivered since the first delivery in October 2010. The proverbial tipping point for the course came together
as the new leadership settled into their roles. Guillaume noted that during their safety courses, alarming observations were made: several recurring gaps were observed not only in pilots’ knowledge of helicopter systems, but also in the consistent application of standardized safe operating procedures with their airframes. While many of these areas are addressed during their Safety Course, the team recognized the need to delve deeper by examining each model in greater depth, starting with the R66. Another glaring observation was that many pilots reported they never received any formal transition on the R66, often being told, ‘It is just a big R44.’ The RHC team felt that this mindset and folklore about the aircraft overlooks the significant operational differences between the two aircraft and leaves pilots underprepared for the unique characteristics of the R66. “To correct this, we developed a comprehensive course and a dedicated systems manual to provide pilots with a reliable, structured source of training and reference material,” said Guillaume. Although in its infancy, the course has already had attendees from various sectors of the industry, including external load operators, corporate pilots, and instructors.
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