Robinson R66 receives EASA certification

On April 30, 2014, four years after initial FAA certification, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued its type certificate for the Robinson R66 Turbine helicopter. Robinson says that it is pleased to add the EASA member states to the now over fifty countries (including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Russia, South Africa, and the U.S.) that have certified the R66.

The EASA certification marks an important milestone for Robinson, as two-thirds of the company’s sales have historically come from foreign customers. With certification finally in place, Robinson can deliver its current backlog of European orders and focus on strengthening its presence in the European market. Presently, there are sixteen R66 service centres, of which thirteen are dealers, approved in Europe.

Currently priced at $839,000 USD, Robinson designed the 5-place R66 to be a mid-size, low maintenance turbine helicopter that would perform as well or better than its competitors, but at a lower cost. To date, Robinson has delivered over 500 R66s and estimates total fleet hours at over 160,000. In response to customer feedback, glass and touch-screen avionics were recently added to the R66’s options list.

When the R66 reaches the Nordic Helicopter Industry, it will join a market that currently sees a 33% share of light single-engine 4-5-seat helicopters (R44, Jet Ranger, EC120 and MD500). The share is dominated by the R44, which has 19% of the market.