Strana 16
ENSTROM
sightseeing flights with all the helicopters.
So on that memorable day, I turned on the
battery, checked everything I needed, and
pressed the start button.... and crickets… Just
nothing…! So I turned off the battery, a ‘glass
cockpit’ is actually a sort of Windows, and
turned it on again, checked everything, pressed
the button. And nothing again! The Mi-2 next
to me was already spinning, time was running
out and the Enstrom was completely silent.
So I quickly picked up the phone and called the
technicians to get the other helicopter parked
a short distance from the minister ready for
launch. I jumped in the electric cart, the only
available means at the end of the Apron E, put
the pedal to the metal and set off at a speed
of twenty kilometers an hour to the ÚLs. The
helicopters were prepared by our instructor,
Radek Lalak, who knew the Enstrom like the
back of his hand. I called out to him: ‘Mr. Lalak,
I can’t get her started!’ And he just said: ‘what
about the key?!’ Oh, right! The Enstrom has
a key too – on the bottom left by the right
foot… You have to put it in, turn it to the right
and then it can be started. The interesting
thing is that while the engine is running, you
can pull the key out and go for a drive with it…
I slapped myself on the forehead and, swearing
“F***! Key!”, I drove that amazing electric car
back to the stand. Well, of course, I don’t know
why they turn it off on the stand!... Everything
was done, but I never want another helicopter
key in my care again. After the demonstration,
the minister sat in the helicopter with me,
so I described it to her nicely. She then said
to me: ‘And why don’t I actually know you?’
I replied that I didn’t know and gave her my
business card. Well – and the next day she was
fired. Since then, I prefer not to give business
cards to anyone…
Then we converted the first military
instructors and on August 1, 2018, we began
training the first military pilots. Lieutenant
Antonin Onuca was the very first to make
history. That's how military pilots began
training on Enstroms here.
And how satisfied are we with that little
thing? Very much so. I don't know of a better
training helicopter with a turbine engine and
normal control sticks that would be available
today. In fact, no other is being produced!
Thanks to the increasing requirements of the
Czech Air Force for pilot training, a total of nine
machines are or have been operated by the
CLV. First, four camouflaged machines were
purchased, which were later supplemented
by two white ones (0484 and 0485), taken
over from the defunct company LOM PRAHA
Trade. Because that wasn't enough, three
more helicopters were leased from the DSA
INFO Eduard16
March 2026