I'm a dinosaur, I went to flight school in 1968 and trained in the TH-55. The throttle gave me more trouble than anything but it helped when I was learning tail rotor failures. Ever since the mid-1980's (I think) students have trained on something with a turbine engine and a governor. And now the Army wants to back up to more basic aircraft training methods. Any thoughts.

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2025/06/05/back-to-basics-army-revamps-flight-school-after-deadly-crashes/

OldArmyCT said:

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I'm a dinosaur, I went to flight school in 1968 and trained in the TH-55. The throttle gave me more trouble than anything but it helped when I was learning tail rotor failures. Ever since the mid-1980's (I think) students have trained on something with a turbine engine and a governor. And now the Army wants to back up to more basic aircraft training methods. Any thoughts.

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2025/06/05/back-to-basics-army-revamps-flight-school-after-deadly-crashes/

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Flew the TH-55 in primary in 1984. Started thinking about that little bugger last night. Do you remember the over speed governor. Our IP's called the overspeed governor "George". Do you have the recollection? I would think all of the automation would breed complacency. I was a scout driver and I can't imagine not doing everything. Navigating, with a map, UHF, VHF, FM1, FM2 while leading those dumb attack pilots around through rain, snow, dust, mountains, sand dunes, jungle. LOL. Great time to be an aviator. Aeroscouts…unarmed and unafraid.

I flew the TH-67 (B206) in flightschool. Moved on to the OH-58D and now the UH-60A/L. I dont have an issue with the glass cockpit in the trainer, but it needs to be more basic. Make students learn to fly, give them the basis to build on. The -72 is too expensive and too complicated for a basic training aircraft.


And manual throttle in the -58D drive me up the wall.

That's my point ,if you could fly the TH-55 you could fly anything, and it was probably the cheapest helicopter on the market.

Per AI a Schweizer 300, formerly Hughes 300(TH-55) cost $375 per hour to operate. We can't have that. Who's going to make all the contracting money?

OldArmyCT said:

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That's my point ,if you could fly the TH-55 you could fly anything, and it was probably the cheapest helicopter on the market.

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Is that Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells?

ABATTBQ87 said:

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OldArmyCT said:

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That's my point ,if you could fly the TH-55 you could fly anything, and it was probably the cheapest helicopter on the market.

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Is that Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells?

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FORT Wolters, yep. I took that picture a hundred years ago, converted it from a slide which is why it's so grainy.

Blackhorse83 said:

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Per AI a Schweizer 300, formerly Hughes 300(TH-55) cost $375 per hour to operate. We can't have that. Who's going to make all the contracting money?

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Is that you? I was Contact/NQ IP at Rucker at that time before taking over the Blackhawk branch.

OldArmyCT said:

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Blackhorse83 said:

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Per AI a Schweizer 300, formerly Hughes 300(TH-55) cost $375 per hour to operate. We can't have that. Who's going to make all the contracting money?

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Is that you? I was Contact/NQ IP at Rucker at that time before taking over the Blackhawk branch.

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Yes Sir. That is me in the summer of 1984. Graduated from A&M in December of 1983 then headed straight to the Armor Officer Basic Course then on to Mother Rucker. All of our IP's were Vietnam vets. Boy, did they (I mean you), teach us how to fly. I could do RTTs like nobody's business. Thank you OldArmyCT.

OldArmyCT said:

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ABATTBQ87 said:

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OldArmyCT said:

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That's my point ,if you could fly the TH-55 you could fly anything, and it was probably the cheapest helicopter on the market.

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Is that Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells?

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FORT Wolters, yep. I took that picture a hundred years ago, converted it from a slide which is why it's so grainy.

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My grandparents lived in Mineral Wells, and during WWII the Army expanded camp Wolters, which included their 150+ acres. As a kid i would find M1 garand casings, grenades, rifle grenades, coins, etc from WWII.

We'd also visit them every Sunday and I remember helicopters flying all around the area

Blackhorse83 said:

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OldArmyCT said:

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Blackhorse83 said:

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Per AI a Schweizer 300, formerly Hughes 300(TH-55) cost $375 per hour to operate. We can't have that. Who's going to make all the contracting money?

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Is that you? I was Contact/NQ IP at Rucker at that time before taking over the Blackhawk branch.

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Yes Sir. That is me in the summer of 1984. Graduated from A&M in December of 1983 then headed straight to the Armor Officer Basic Course then on to Mother Rucker. All of our IP's were Vietnam vets. Boy, did they (I mean you), teach us how to fly. I could do RTTs like nobody's business. Thank you OldArmyCT.

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While I was in primary do you recall a bunch of students getting in trouble for linking up on their cross-country solos and landing on water towers and taking pictures. I was not involved.

Nope, don't remember that. Got there in late 1980, stayed at Lowe for 2 years then went to Cairns.

Fun. I was born in Beech Army Hospital at Wolters. My dad was an IP there for several years. Mid-late 60's to 72 when they closed her down. Then we were off to Fort (then Camp) Drum for a few years. Famous last words from my parents: "it will be nice for the kids to see some snow..."

cavscout96 said:

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Bring the 58s out of mothballs and let then learn all the fancy gizmos when they transition to their permanent platforms.

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That's (kinda) what Bell is proposing.

The Bell 505 they mentioned is the drivetrain and rotor system out of a 206. Still a single engine aircraft, and not nearly as expensive to operate as a UH-60 or -72.