Robinson Safety Course Coming Up in Chesapeake Virginia

September 21-25, 2026, Hampton Roads Helicopters will be hosting a Robinson Factory Safety Course. The Safety Course is the same one taught at the Robinson Factory, and will be taught by Robinson Instructors. This course is a great refresher on lots of material specific to Robinson Helicopters, and offers a unique opportunity to engage and fly with Robinson Test Pilots and Instructors. 

Many insurance companies will either require the RHC Safety Course, or offer discounts to pilots that have completed this course. If you haven't before, make sure to specifically inquire with your insurance company if they can offer a discount for completion of the course. For those who use the Robinson Starr insurance program, this flight automatically counts as your annual flight with an insurance auditor. Also, for any individuals who have purchased a new Robinson helicopter in the last few years, this will fulfill the requirement in your purchase addendum to complete the Robinson Factory Safety Course before carrying passengers in your helicopter. 

If you have any desire to fly Robinsons for work, many companies will make factory training a requirement, or at least a huge benefit to see on an application. 

Even if you have been to the course before, the material is continually updated and you will find the content engaging and useful. Especially if you have not been to the course in the last 3 years, the content has been rapidly expanding since then. 

The course consists of 2.5 days of ground instruction, taught by Robinson instructors, covering a wide range of topics. After the ground course, there is an approximately 1.5 hour flight with one of the Robinson Test pilots. This flight can be counted towards an SFAR/BFR if you wish. 

The course will be offered in both the R22 and R44. The ground sessions are combined and share material, with the main difference being which aircraft you will fly during the flight portion. The course will be held at Hampton Roads Helicopters located at KPVG, with an expected start in the morning, and going until the afternoon each day. Flight day schedules are TBD. 

The final cost of the training is determined by how many individuals sign up for the course. However, the cost for the course will be no higher than:

$3000 for owners flying their own helicopter

$3500 for individuals renting an HRH R-22

$3800 for individuals renting an HRH R-44

And of course, remember this saves the travel expenses of flying all the way to California and staying for 5 days ;)

These prices are highly likely to drop fairly significantly as more people sign up for the course. The more attendees, the cheaper it is per-person. All individuals will receive the cheapest rate, even if they signed up early when prices were quoted higher. A non-refundable deposit of $500 will be taken to reserve your space in the course. A $200 discount will be offered to individuals who have signed up and paid their deposit by the end of April 2026. An additional $75 discount will be offered to individuals who have joined and paid 2026 dues to the Virginia Helicopter Association.

If you have interest in the course, or any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to HRH Chief Instructor Mitchell Hynes at mitchell@hrheli.com. If your are thinking about taking the course, make sure to get that early discount by paying your deposit before the end of the month!