Strana 36
#972012BOXART STORY
In 2018, the Mi-2 helicopters were replaced
with the new Enstrom 480 type at the Pardubice
Flight Training Center (CLV).
Until then, Mi-2 helicopters had been
the basic training platform for many years.
They were robust, structurally durable
machines of Soviet origin, which made it
possible to train several generations of
pilots. However, their technical concept
hearkened back to the time of their creation,
complete with analogue instrumentation,
higher operational requirements and limited
possibilities for integrating modern systems,
gradually decreasing their ability to meet the
requirements of the current air force.
The choice of the Enstrom 480 for basic
helicopter pilot training means a transition to
a lighter and more technologically advanced
platform as compared to the Mi-2. The new
technical maintenance system and better
operating economy are positively reflected in
the better availability of equipment for training
and a higher number of flying hours. However,
the Enstrom brings even greater advantages in
terms of flight characteristics and the range of
tasks performed in the helicopter pilot training
system. In contrast to the past, when helicopters
were only flown after previous training on
fixed-wing aircraft (Z-142), the Enstrom is the
first real flight experience for most novice
helicopter pilots. The new helicopter, with its
design and flight characteristics, is a suitable
combination for mastering the often breakneck
beginnings of flying, practicing emergency
procedures such as autorotation or directional
control failure, as well as more complex flight
tasks, such as flying with night vision goggles
(NVG) or tactical flights.
One of the most significant benefits offered
by the type is the modern avionics fit, based on
the Garmin G1000H system, which allows pilots
to work with a ‘glass cockpit’ concept from the
very beginning. This element is key, especially
in terms of continuity with further training on
more advanced types of helicopters, specifically
the Bell H-1 for the Czech Air Force, where
digital data displays are a standard. Despite
the relative simplicity, students already at the
basic stage master working with more complex
information systems, which simplifies the
demands when switching to more sophisticated
technology.
A fundamental advantage over the Mi-2
helicopter is the possibility of flying with night
vision goggles (NVG). The ability to operate
in night conditions is now an integral part of
not only military helicopter operations. The
integration of NVG training at the basic type
level represents a fundamental qualitative shift,
as young pilots get used to the specifics of this
type of flying from the very beginning. Flying
with NVG was, until recently, the domain of only
the most experienced military pilots.
The new training curriculum includes
a considerable number of solo flights. The
Enstrom 480 helicopter is historically (for
many decades) the only helicopter on board
which military pilots of the Czech Armed
Forces have to rely only on themselves, and the
popular saying of instructors on the Mi-2 ‘if you
mess up while flying solo, the on-board flight
engineer will land for you’ has ceased to apply.
A solo flight, during which you only look at the
empty seat next to you, undoubtedly represents
an important psychological and professional
milestone for every pilot, during which the
student must demonstrate full responsibility
for the flight without the possibility of direct
intervention by the instructor. Despite a certain
stress factor, it is an experience that the older
generation of helicopter pilots envy the younger
ones for.
The Enstrom 480 CLV Pardubice helicopter
fleet recently reached a total of 15,000 flight
hours. This is undoubtedly a sufficient number
to conclude that the ideal type of helicopter
was chosen for the basic training of a new
generation of military pilots. Maybe not the
prettiest and most powerful, but definitely
reliable and perfect for training during the first
150 flight hours in a pilot's career. On this basis,
the bar for the top pilots of combat, transport
and rescue helicopters of the Czech Air Force
has been raised.
Text: Martin Janďourek
Illustration: Antonis Karydis
Training with the Enstrom
INFO Eduard36
March 2026