Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Robinson Helicopter's 2016 annual delivery numbers dropped sharply from 2015. Last year Robinson delivered 234 aircraft, down from 347 the previous year. The delivery mix included 63 R66 turbine singles, 114 R44 Raven IIs, 26 R44 Raven Is, 12 Cadets, and 19 R22s. That compares with 2015 deliveries that included 117 R66s, 152 R44 Raven IIs, 44 R44 Raven Is and 34 R22s.


While delivery numbers were down, the average unit price sold increased substantially thanks to customer-specified options, such as new glass panels with the Garmin G500H and Aspen autopilot recently made available by the company, said CEO Kurt Robinson. "Our sales may have been down, but the people who are buying aircraft are buying them fairly loaded. They are putting all the bells and whistles on them."


Robinson said sales of the new two-seat R44 Cadet are going well as the helicopter gains certification in more markets. "We're not worried about the Cadet at all; we think it is going to do very well given its price and the options it gives you,” he noted.


This week, Robinson delivered a Cadet to the University of North Dakota's (UND) flight-training program. Robinson said he expects 2017 to be better than 2016. "We have seen orders spike up a little bit. Maybe it's the optimism about the economy. I've got to kick the R44 production line up a little bit. We're doing three helicopters a week right now and I think by summer we are going to have to increase that to four."

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Robinson Deliveries Down, but Hopes Are Up for 2017

While delivery numbers were down, the average unit price sold increased substantially thanks to customer-specified options.

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