Flight Notes— how to fly the Robinson

Performance, price, and low cost of operation have made the Robinson R22 the helicopter of choice in its class. Speaking of class, it's also a popular training helicopter for the same reasons.

Some pilots say the Robinson feels like a small Bell 206 in flight, with similar lateral instability. With a fuel burn of around 8 gallons (30.27 liters) per hour, the Robinson doesn't cost much to operate. It has one of the best records of reliability for all helicopters. This is a fun aircraft to fly and there's nothing particularly tricky about flying it. That's the hallmark of a good trainer.

Specifications

	U.S.	Metric
Maximum Speed	102 knots	189 km per hour
Cruise Speed	96 knots	178 km per hour
Engine	Lycoming O-360, 150 brake horsepower
Maximum Range	200 nm	371 km
Service Ceiling	14,000 feet	4,267 meters
Hovering Ceiling	9,450 feet	2,880 meters
Fuel Capacity	29.7 gallons	112 liters
Empty Weight	830 pounds	376 kilograms
Max Gross Weight	1,370 pounds	621 kilograms
Length	28.75 feet	8.75 meters
Rotor Span	25.2 feet	7.68 meters
Height	9 feet	2.74 meters
Seating	2