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[ChuckMK23]

From today's COPT-R social media post - explaining the end of Bell 206 based primary training and justification for choosing the Robinson R66...

Today marks the graduation of U.S. Navy COPT-R Class 19 - and a historic milestone for military rotary-wing training.
With the Navy’s final flight of the TH-57 SeaRanger on September 19, 2025, Helicopter Institute made a deliberate decision to ensure long-term training continuity. That meant moving away from the Bell 206B platform and identifying a more appropriate helicopter to carry the mission forward. Given the decades-long legacy of the Bell 206 in U.S. military training, this was no easy task.
After an in-depth evaluation of every viable training helicopter available today - placing emphasis on training quality, reliability, and affordability - the Robinson R66 was selected.
For our military training operations, including the U.S. Army IERW Demo Program in Marianna, Florida, the R66 is operated as the TH-66®, reflecting unique cockpit configurations and mission-specific equipment not found on the standard production aircraft.
Today, however, we pause to honor history.
We celebrate the final Navy COPT-R class to graduate in the Bell 206B, highlighted by the final solo flight in our trusted workhorse N107LH - better known as SAGE 23. As a parting tribute, each student in Class 19 was presented with a signed piece of an actual Bell 206B SAGE main rotor blade - bearing the names of the Helicopter Institute instructors and staff who supported them throughout their journey.
The Bell 206 has been a true workhorse, shaping the skills of thousands of U.S. military aviators. These young Naval aviators now carry a unique and permanent distinction: the final class of Bell 206-trained military pilots. That legacy matters.
We extend our sincere thanks to Robinson Helicopter Company for delivering a training helicopter capable of fulfilling - and in many cases improving upon - the full range of Bell 206 training missions. As Bell is not currently supporting military initial training, and the Bell 505 did not meet HI COPT-R requirements for this role, RHC’s commitment to building safe, high-quality helicopters aligned with customer needs has proven essential.
The TH-66® embodies that mission, and the U.S. Navy COPT-R program is now positioned to benefit from a modern, capable training helicopter for years to come.
Congratulations to COPT-R Class 19.
History made. The mission continues.

 

[ChuckMK23]

@Lawman what do you think? Control retooling of a Blackhawk...(Airbus inspired?) (@IKE , @hscs , @Gatordev )

 

[phrogdriver]

@Lawman what do you think? Control retooling of a Blackhawk...(Airbus inspired?) (@IKE , @hscs , @Gatordev )

Good to see "Angus" Curry doing well.

Skyryse whole thing is reducing helo cockpit workload. I'm not sure about the "everything on a joystick" thing--I think that's just to keep people satisfied that the pilot can control things somewhat directly.

I think that the services will embrace anything that gets helo cockpits from 2 people to 1. The manpower overhead drives so many other things, from the aircraft itself to the logistics and training infrastructure.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Good to see "Angus" Curry doing well.

Skyryse whole thing is reducing helo cockpit workload. I'm not sure about the "everything on a joystick" thing--I think that's just to keep people satisfied that the pilot can control things somewhat directly.

I think that the services will embrace anything that gets helo cockpits from 2 people to 1. The manpower overhead drives so many other things, from the aircraft itself to the logistics and training infrastructure.

Even with current configurations, there is little need for Helo two pilot ops, especially in commercial for hire ops unless the type specifically requires (eg S-64)

 

[ChuckMK23]

Some very fortunate young people are going to have a summer event to remember!

We're so excited for the inaugural year for Air Force Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training-Helicopter Orientation Course.
The opportunity of a lifetime for anyone considering a career in military aviation, this activity provides unparalleled access to the people, places, and systems that comprise a pilot trainee's world.
Each student receives academic instruction, time on virtual reality and full-scale simulators, aircrew flight equipment and egress training, access to maintenance facilities and aircraft, and much more. Cadets eighteen and older may even get the opportunity to fly with an Air Force instructor in the helicopter trainer aircraft, subject to availability.
Course instructors include current and former Air Force pilots drawn from CAP, CAP-USAF, and host base instructor pilots, ensuring that each student receives thorough and personalized instruction and mentorship as they explore the field.
SUPT-AL-Rotary (Helicopter)
Dates: 20-27 June 2026
Location: Fort Rucker, AL

 

[Griz882]

Some very fortunate young people are going to have a summer event to remember!

We're so excited for the inaugural year for Air Force Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training-Helicopter Orientation Course.
The opportunity of a lifetime for anyone considering a career in military aviation, this activity provides unparalleled access to the people, places, and systems that comprise a pilot trainee's world.
Each student receives academic instruction, time on virtual reality and full-scale simulators, aircrew flight equipment and egress training, access to maintenance facilities and aircraft, and much more. Cadets eighteen and older may even get the opportunity to fly with an Air Force instructor in the helicopter trainer aircraft, subject to availability.
Course instructors include current and former Air Force pilots drawn from CAP, CAP-USAF, and host base instructor pilots, ensuring that each student receives thorough and personalized instruction and mentorship as they explore the field.
SUPT-AL-Rotary (Helicopter)
Dates: 20-27 June 2026
Location: Fort Rucker, AL

View attachment 44133

Very nice for CAP to be giving some RW love.

 

[Lawman]

@Lawman what do you think? Control retooling of a Blackhawk...(Airbus inspired?) (@IKE , @hscs , @Gatordev )

I think if given what we’ve seen AI do to move us toward adaptive training models, getting a simpler aircraft and listening to old guys opining for “back to basics” training is a step backwards because this is an example of how much technology we plan to expose people to when they get to the end machine. Downsize to this program with skyOS is as amazing as their work is, it will never get through the stupidity at the PMs much less Huntsville which acts like if they didn’t develop it it doesn’t exist.

I sat through a seminar on AI use in flight training two weeks ago. AF research labs has taught an AI to read the T-6 FMS and learn what the perfect maneuver looks like, programmed a deviation algorithm to establish the task condition and standards of the maneuver. Now it’s a tool that provides immediate feedback and prevents of subjective observation and over repetition of training. A couple other similar programs have used macro tracking of similar data to see and adapt training models off observations of effective performance. The Koreans were programming “tactical perfection” and then using it to see at what aggregate experience level do you get a population of aviators that can do what the tactics department wrote. Now you’ve got math to say to the bean counters “we could get there but we need X hours to maintain proficiency across 85% of the population.”

We could empower our aviation training with a toolkit by developing these types of systems and Rucker sent absolutely nobody from Flight Training branch to see all this stuff. We need more complex aircraft introduced earlier, or we need intermediate trainers that can port this kind of data so we get effective training. Trying to just look back at “how great we used to be” and listening to the dinosaurs at Rucker go on about how important it is to learn to hover with no force trim is not the right answer.

 

[IKE]

@Lawman what do you think? Control retooling of a Blackhawk...(Airbus inspired?) (@IKE , @hscs , @Gatordev )

Let me fly it, and I'll tell you

 

[Gatordev]

Let me fly it, and I'll tell you

Obviously they'll get there eventually, but it's interesting that in the video, we never see the flight controls move with the side stick, only with the conventional controls. Seems like they're still a ways off from fruition.

Trying to just look back at “how great we used to be” and listening to the dinosaurs at Rucker go on about how important it is to learn to hover with no force trim is not the right answer.

It really is weird how adverse the Army is to effectively using (and I'd argue understanding) force trim. And it seems to cross-over into the CG, no doubt due to the DCA program.