US Army seeks information on contracted helicopter pilot training, potential UH-72A replacement

A US Army Airbus UH-72A Lakota. Aside from the US Army, the UH-72 and its civilian equivalent, the H145, are rarely employed in a training role. (US Army)

The US Army has released a request for information (RFI) seeking to learn how contractors might provide initial flight training for helicopter pilots, including potentially replacing the Airbus UH-72A Lakota as the service's primary flight training helicopter.

The RFI, issued on 8 October, requests information on both government-owned, contractor-operated and contractor-owned, contractor-operated helicopters.

“The UH-72 is [a] very capable aircraft. It might be too capable to teach a basic aviator,” Major General Clair Gill told reporters on 17 October at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, DC.

“We look at what we've trained on in years past – and we have been through a couple generations of aircraft; they've been simpler aircraft, and if that's what trains a better aviator, then I'm interested in that,” Maj Gen Gill added, referring to the Bell UH-1 and TH-67, as well as the Schweizer TH-55, all of which were single engine; TH-55 and -67 were derived from popular civilian training models.

“The second thing that I want is an affordable model [of helicopter],” added Maj Gen Gill. “I'm agnostic about the platform, but [the UH-72] is an expensive aircraft to operate.”