Military Helicopters in Czechoslovak Aeroclubs Between 1963–1974

Abstract

In mid-fifties helicopters were already an indivisible part of military air forces all over the world. In terms of the Warsaw Pact the army of Soviet Union and subsequently its satellite states got the first helicopters. In 1956 Czechoslovak military air force also received the first Mil Mi-4 helicopters. Since 1959 Mi-1 light helicopters were used for pilots training, however, in early sixties there was a shortage of backup pilots within military units. The only Czechoslovak liaison helicopter regiment did not manage to train its own pilots, much less backup pilots. Therefore, unused military helicopters HC-102 were incorporated into Svazarm aero clubs (Svaz pro spolupráci s armádou - The Union for Cooperation with The Army). Flying with Mi-1 started in 1965. In course of eleven years a huge number of pilots were trained within aeroclubs, which cooperated with military air force, to join the army in case of need. In 1974 the conception of backup pilots training in aeroclubs was re-evaluated and finished. The numerous group of pilots then got occasional trainings at army till early eighties and many of the pilots were finally employed at the police, air force or in civil sector.