Replaces R44 ENG Aircraft In Use Since Early This Year

On July 1st, television station WJZ of Baltimore, Maryland took delivery of a new Robinson R66 Newscopter. Owned and operated by CBS, WJZ services the 2.8 million residents in the Baltimore metropolitan area.  

SKY Helicopters, a longtime Robinson dealer in Garland, Texas, leased the helicopter to WJZ and will provide on-going aviation and technical support. According to Ken Pyatt, President of Sky Helicopters, WJZ has been operating a Robinson R44 Newscopter since early 2019. Impressed with the R44’s performance and reliability, the station elected to move-up to the larger, more powerful R66 Newscopter.  

The R66 was delivered with the latest ENG (Electronic News Gathering) technology including an upgraded stabilized gimbal that houses an Ikegami HDL-F3000 Ultra Low-light camera equipped with Canon’s HJ 40x10B lens, three 2-way FM radios, and a microwave system with a high gain directional pod. Other options included a HeliSAS Autopilot.

Robinson’s R66 Newscopter is an economical, turn-key aerial platform capable of providing three hours of continuous live TV coverage.

(Image provided with Robinson Helicopter news release)

FMI: www.robinsonheli.com