Safety
The popularity of Robinson helicopters with pilots and operators is evidenced by the level of demand. For the last several years Robinson piston engine helicopters have outsold turbine helicopters.
In 2003 a new record was set By the Robinson factory with the delivery of 422 new helicopters. By the end of 2004, Robinson had built over 3500 R22 helicopters, and nearly 1600 R44s and sales have accelerated ever since. Despite the number of Robinson helicopters in the industry the safety statistics are impressive. When it comes to reliability, properly derated piston engines, like those used in the R44 helicopter, continue to establish better reliability records than turbine engines. The statistical table below illustrates the R44’s significantly higher engine reliability compared to light turbine helicopters. Despite being the top-selling helicopter in its class during the past eight years, the R44 continues to have an outstanding safety record compared to other light helicopters.
It should be noted that helicopters are most at risk of accident when operating in adverse conditions, such as when fire fighting, or rescuing people in bad weather or operating at very low level, such as when cattle mustering or crop spraying. These are of course, not the conditions normally experienced by passengers on scenic flights.
U.S. HELICOPTER ACCIDENTS - FIVE YEAR PERIOD (January 1996 through December 2000)
| Aircraft Type | Total Number of Accidents | Pilot Error | Engine Failure | Mechanical & Maintenance | Undetermined |
| Robinson R44 Series | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MD/Hughes 369/500 Series | 76 | 42 | 9 | 19 | 6 |
| Bell 206/Jet Ranger Series | 106 | 84 | 13 | 9 | 0 |
Source: December 2001 National Transportation Safety Board data for January 1996 through December 2000.
In the 5 year period to the end of 2006, contrary to popular opinion, there has only been 1 accident involving a fatality in all single engine helicopter charter operations in Australia. Aquila Helicopters fully observes CASA requirements for safe operations and follows factory established maintenance procedures to ensure serviceability of our helicopter. In addition to regular check flights our Chief Pilot has also attended the 3 day Robinson Helicopter Safety Awareness Course and has an approved 'low level operations' endorsement on her license.
