One on One with David Smith from Robinson
 

While at European Rotors Paul sat down and chatted with DavidSmithHeli and got the latest updates on the R88 as well as other projects. Have a watch of the video. Thing I love about chatting with David is there are not many other OEM CEOs that take the time to sit down and chat with the media. Ryan from MD is quite easy to approach - others well not really interested or able to get through to them so kudos for being so open for the media.

Great, now how about making the Safety Course affordable again? In 2020 I paid $700 for the R44, now its up to $1,800! DUDE!

I used to go every two years for my BFR. Been there 6 times. It was always a fun little vacation at helicopter camp,...oh well. :(

David Smith often comments and answers questions on this forum. I’m impressed by the calm factual responses to questions which are often at the other ends of those spectrums.

The price of the safety course has increased primarily due to increased labor cost over the last several years. We have fantastic instructors and it was important that we paid them higher rates for the flight time to ensure we keep the quality high.

Ultimately we cover our costs with the fees but don’t make anything off the course. It is still the best value training of any OEM anywhere. $1800 for 4 days of instructions and over 1 hr of flight time with world class instructors. Plus you get to visit SoCal and see our factory. It’s a great bargain!

I think you and I have different definitions of the word, "bargin".

No, its just you.
$450 per day inclusive of some air time? I paid more for a decent meal in California than that.

"Thank you sir, may I have another"?

Terrible misquote from Dickens.
Rather go eat some cake..

Could you kindly enlighten us as to other options that you know of that offer similar levels of training in addition to the additional opportunities that Robinson offer within this package at a better price point?

Yeah,...the same damn course from 2005 to 2020!

Robinson is like McDonald's. They used to offer a good value of a decent product for much less than everyone else. Now its slightly lower quality for a much higher cost.

,,.."but hey everyone else is still higher so you should be grateful". /s

In 2020 I got two and a half days of ground, a 1.1 in the R44 and my BFR endorsement for $750. In 2024 they axed the BFR endorsement and doubled the price to $1,500. If that's a "bargin" then it must also come with the deed to the Brooklyn Bridge. :ok:

Just in case you're curious, my BFR that year ended up costing about a grand,...and before you say that those two and a half days of ground are worth the extra $500 bones, remember, there's also four nights in a hotel attached to that course (but not included in the price) plus gas (I drove from NorCal) or airfair/rental car for a lot of other poor chopper jocks.

,...and don't forget, this course is often an insurance requirement for entry level helicopter jobs that pay live in your car wages!

A lot has changed since 2005, almost as much as changed since 2020.
One of the explanations was that Robinson doesn’t want to pay their Instructors “live in your car wages”.

Have you seen the price tags on their helicopters? That alone should keep their instructors out of their cars. No need to shove a poker up the ass of even lower time instructors/tour pilots just trying to meet ridiculous insurance requirements.

Times change yes, and Robinson just hasn't been the same since Frank died.

So buy another brand.

Why? I love the R22. Not its fault the company has become less pilot freindly.

Can Robinson please address 'chugging' & the recovery techniques once established before a mast bump occurs? Thanks in advance

I went in 2005 and it was a two day course, I can't see how it needs to be four days. Seems expensive now.

Mast rock and mast bumping are not related

It is an accurate quote from Animal House however:ok:​​​​​​​

Comparing 2020 rates and 2025 rates is nonsensical; apparently that guy never heard of inflation. For a *real* comparison, the Bell 505 course I did a few months ago was $17.5k! Of course that's for a much more expensive helicopter and included 3 hours of flight time plus a bit of time in a fancy sim, but it was really only a 2-day course plus a flight or two on each of the next few days, and did not include a factory tour since it wasn't at the factory (dedicated training facility).

$1800 is dirt cheap for a helicopter course. If you're a helicopter owner or even renter, you can obviously afford that cost (it's the equivalent of renting a R44 for 3 hours). If you're a professional helicopter pilot, your employer would pay the cost.

$1,800 plus travel plus hotels etc is an lot to find for a new R22 CFI looking for work, and lots of employers in the USA expect you to have the RHC course done in order to apply for jobs