Less than a month is missing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Robinson Helicopter Company, the US aircraft manufacturer founded on June 20, 1973 by Frank Robinson, who had the idea of a new type of aircraft characterized by simplicity and reliability without compromising on quality. Today the company maintains these cornerstones, reinforced by the interaction between engineering, training and culture.

In March 1979, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the manufacturer with the first certificate for the R-22 helicopter, a two-seat light aircraft designed six years earlier by the founder. After the first delivery the company stated that it had already received orders for another 587 units. And by 1981 one hundred had been delivered.

After a series of investigations into some accidents ordered by the FAA, in 1982 the first company safety course was started for the pilots of the R-22 Robinson helicopters. To date, the industry has produced more than 13,500 aircraft and is one of the largest helicopter manufacturers globally, employing 1,300 people worldwide. Three units in production: R-22, R-44 and R-66. 

On the matter see also the article published by AVIONEWS.