Redbird Newsroom
The Redbird VTO is the first helicopter trainer capable of teaching hover, autorotations and ground maneuvers at a price even small helicopter flight schools can afford.
Redbird Flight Simulations wants you to learn the toughest part of flying helicopters without leaving the ground—or paying hundreds of dollars per hour. “Flying a real helicopter may always be more expensive than an airplane,” says Roger Sharp, General Manager of Flight Operations for Redbird Skyport, “but there should be an affordable, full-motion trainer that teaches critical skills before burning a single hour in a real helicopter. Now there is.”
Pilots and non-pilots invited to try three flying-skills scenarios that hone their abilities—and could win them a free trip to Airventure at Oshkosh.
A good challenge is irresistible, which is why Redbird Flight Simulations, Bonnier Publications (owner of Flying magazine), and ten other sponsors launched the Flying Challenge Cup at Sun ’n Fun. “It appeals to our competitive nature,” says Charlie Gregoire, VP of Sales and Marketing for Redbird, “but this is much more than a flour-bombing contest amped up to a global scale.”
President Jim Irwin excited about the opportunity.
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co, one of the world's largest distributors of aircraft parts, avionics, and pilot supplies, has been appointed as a distributor for Redbird Flight Simulations. Aircraft Spruce president Jim Irwin said, "From the Redbird Jay and TD simulators which are ideal for small flight schools and home use through the full motion FMX flagship model, Redbird flight simulators are clearly the finest line of general aviation simulators available. We are excited about the opportunity to offer the Redbird line of simulators to the general aviation market."
Founder and largest shareholder, Jerry Gregoire, to focus full-time on design and strategy.
“Soon after starting Redbird Flight Simulations eight years ago, we realized that achieving our vision would take us far beyond engineering simulators and software development,” said Redbird Flight Simulation’s CEO Todd Willinger. “That’s why we’re thrilled to announce Craig Fuller as the new Chairman of the Board while our founder, Jerry Gregoire, will focus on expansion strategies, research, and new product development. This addition to our leadership team is exactly what we need to continue and manage our rapid growth.”
Overwhelming response met goals three weeks ahead of schedule, but supply can’t meet demand
“In preparing for this experiment, we planned for traffic averaging eight times normal,” said Jeff Van West, spokesman for the Skyport experiment to sell avgas for one dollar during October. “Actual response has been four times higher that that—over 30 times our normal volume. By the end of the first week, we’d reached our data collection goal for the entire month.”
