To Serve and Protect

The 2023 iteration of the Airborne Public Safety Association’s Conference (APSCON) saw Robinson Helicopter Company display a new R66 Police helicopter recently added to the rotary-wing fleet of Florida’s Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Robinson personnel were joined at the 19-21 July, Orlando, Florida event by aviation officers of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, who fielded attendees’ operational and tactical questions. 

The cost-effective and turnkey-ready R66 Police helicopter is gaining popularity in law enforcement agencies throughout the world due to its economical operation. The three R66 Police helicopters flown by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have reduced their operating and maintenance costs by as much as fifty-percent. The Brazilian Paraná State Police operates two R66 Police helicopters and is awaiting delivery of two more.

The four-place R66 Police helicopter arrives ready to patrol with a Wescam MX-10 imaging system and the latest in navigation and communication technology. Options include, but are not limited to, moving map systems, Technisonic FM transceivers, and NVG compatibility. The R66 Police helicopter aerodynamic fuselage optimizes airspeed and fuel economy, allowing the helicopter to remain on station for up to three hours.

June 2023 marked fifty-years in business for storied American rotorcraft designer and manufacturer Robinson Helicopter Company. Founded by Frank Robinson on 20 June 1973, Robinson's goal was to design and manufacture simple, reliable helicopters, as efficiently as possible, without compromising quality. Robinson's half-century milestone occasions more than the passing of time, it is a compelling affirmation of the man’s and his company's success.

Certified by the FAA in 1979, Robinson’s simple two-place R22 instantiated the beginning of a new generation of helicopters. The straight-forward, affordable machine brought flight-training and private helicopter ownership within the purview of the average citizen. The aviation industry responded enthusiastically, and by 1988, the R22 had become the world’s top-selling civilian helicopter—a distinction to which it held fast until …

In the 1990s, following the R22’s remarkable success, Robinson—realizing the potential for a light mid-size helicopter—introduced the four-place R44. Orders for the larger, but still comparatively simple and easy-to-fly platform quickly piled-up and the Robinson Helicopter Company gained genuine status within the brutal oligopoly that is the aerospace industry.

In 2010, Robinson once again expanded its product line with the five-place, turbine powered R66. While the R44 maintains its status as the world’s top-selling civilian helicopter, an accolade it has enjoyed since 1998, it is Robinson’s sleek, powerful R66 that is the company’s pièce de résistance.

Designed utilizing the same template as the R22 and R44, the R66 offers operators increased capacity and improved high-altitude performance. What’s more, the model runs on readily available jet fuel. In 2021, sales of the R66 surpassed those of the popular R44 Raven II.

Robinson’s steadfast commitment to simplicity, reliability, and affordability has paid-off—handsomely. In 2023, the worldwide fleet of Robinson helicopters eclipses thirteen-thousand units comprising north of five-thousand R22s, seven-thousand R44s, and one-thousand R66s.

Company founder Frank D. Robinson passed away in November 2022 at age 92. He was mourned by the entirety of the aviation community.

FMI: www.robinsonheli.com