Texas-based Helicopter Institute has been awarded a follow-on contract by the US Navy (USN) for pilot training services that runs until 2030.
An extension of the existing Contractor Operated Pilot Training-Rotary (COPT-R), running since late 2023, the latest agreement is worth $57.4 million, according to the US Department of War (DoW).
Detailing the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, the DoW says it “provides designated rotary-wing naval flight students with basic, primary flight instruction in a commercial helicopter in support of the Chief of Naval Air Training”.
COPT-R marks a significant shift in the way student helicopter pilots are trained, moving straight to rotorcraft instruction rather than first completing a fixed-wing syllabus.
Having completed their basic flight training with Helicopter Institute, student pilots then transfer to the USN’s rotary-wing flight school at NAS Whiting Field in Florida where they will fly the Leonardo TH-73A Thrasher.
Helicopter Institute has been using the Bell 206B Jet Ranger for the contract, but under an agreement with Robinson Helicopter disclosed last October, the operation is switching to the latter’s R66-based TH-66 Sage trainer.
But in future the USN may not be the only service to embrace the TH-66. Earlier this month, a TH-66-based bid from M1 Support Services was of one of three contenders selected by the US Army to move to the second phase of its Flight School Next competition.
Under Flight School Next, the army is seeking to move away from its current training fleet of Airbus Helicopters UH-72 Lakotas, believing the twin-engined type is too sophisticated to teach basic flying skills.
M1 Support Services faces competition for the requirement from Bell, which is offering the 505 light-single, and Lockheed Martin, which has yet to disclose its preferred platform.
