On January 13th, Robinson Helicopter Company delivered an R44 Cadet to the University of North Dakota (UND). This is the first Cadet to be used in UND’s prestigious flight training program.

UND Aerospace owns the largest civilian flight training operation in the world with three campuses and over 150 aircraft and flight training devices. The helicopter training division is located at the Grand Forks, ND campus and logs over 5000 hours in helicopters annually.

According to Ron DePue, UND’s Chief Helicopter Pilot, the flight department plans to replace its existing fleet of helicopters with more mission specific and technologically advanced helicopters. UND’s Cadet is configured for VFR and IFR training with Garmin’s G500H Flight Display, a GTN 750 navigator, a GTX 345 transponder, and a GMA 350Hc audio panel. Accessory bars were also added to the cockpit to accommodate personal navigation devices.

“We feel this will be a perfect platform to help us provide our students with the most technologically advanced training helicopter on the market. Our plans are for this to be the first of many R44 Cadets which will keep us on the leading edge of flight training,” said Don Dubuque, Director of UND Extension Programs.

Robinson’s two-place R44 Cadet was FAA certified in May 2016. Designed for maximum utility, the Cadet offers a spacious aft cargo compartment, increased performance margins at high altitudes and a 2400-hour Time-Between-Overhaul.