Training with the Enstrom

Text: Martin Janďourek

Illustration: Antonis Karydis

Cat. No. 672012

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.