SFAR 73: Robinson R22/R44 Training, Hours, and Endorsements
Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 73 (in 14 CFR Part 61) applies to anyone who manipulates the controls of, acts as PIC of, instructs in, or gives a flight review in a Robinson R22 or R44. Its requirements are in addition to the rest of Part 61 (SFAR 73 §1). A 2024 final rule renamed "awareness training" to ground training and removed in-flight low-G maneuvers from the flight training. Low-G is still covered in ground training (89 FR 59608, July 23, 2024).
1. Ground training (before you touch the controls)
No one may manipulate the controls of an R22/R44 until they've completed SFAR 73 ground training and an authorized instructor has endorsed their logbook (§2(a)(1)). The topics (§2(a)(3)) are:
- Energy management
- Mast bumping
- Low rotor RPM and rotor stall
- Low G conditions, effects, and proper recovery procedures
- Rotor RPM decay
Completing the manufacturer's safety course can substitute, with an endorsement from an FAA aviation safety inspector (§2(a)(5)). Endorsement: AC 61-65K A.60, "R-22/R-44 ground training: SFAR 73, section 2(a)(1) or (2)" (AC 61-65K).
2. Solo for students without a helicopter rating
| R22 | R44 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dual before solo | 20 hours flight training in the R22 from an SFAR-authorized instructor (§2(b)(3)) | 20 hours in the R44 (§2(b)(4)) |
| Endorsement | Solo proficiency, valid 90 days. AC 61-65K A.61 | Solo proficiency, valid 90 days. AC 61-65K A.65 |
| Required training content | Autorotation/energy management to avoid over- or undershooting, autorotations at max-glide configuration, RPM control without the governor, low rotor RPM recognition and recovery | Same, plus autorotations at minimum rate of descent and max-glide configuration |
3. Acting as PIC (after certification)
- R22 (§2(b)(1)): either 200 helicopter hours including 50 in the R22, or 10 hours of R22 flight training plus an instructor endorsement (AC 61-65K A.62).
- R44 (§2(b)(2)): either 200 helicopter hours including 50 in the R44 (up to 25 R22 hours creditable), or 10 hours of Robinson flight training, at least 5 of them in the R44, plus an endorsement (A.66).
- If you qualified through the 10-hour endorsement path, you can't act as PIC starting 12 calendar months after that endorsement until you complete an SFAR 73 flight review and get it endorsed (§2(b)(1)(iii), (2)(iii)). The flight review endorsements are A.64 / A.68.
4. Instructors
Instructors need the ground training, specific R22/R44 experience (200 helicopter hours with 50 in type or in Robinsons, with limited R22 credit for the R44), and an SFAR 73 instructor authorization endorsement (§2(b)(5); AC 61-65K A.63/A.67).
Logbook self-check for an R22 student (example, not a real student)
- A.60 ground training endorsement is dated before the first R22 flight. ✔
- R22 dual before the first solo totals 20.0 hours or more. In this example, an 18.6-hour total would be a problem.
- A.61 solo endorsement is dated within 90 days before each solo flight. A solo flown 97 days after the endorsement is a gap to raise with your instructor.
Expiration: SFAR 73 §3 says it expires August 22, 2029, unless revised or rescinded sooner.
Training in a Robinson? Cleared 2 Checkride checks SFAR 73 items for R22/R44 as part of its 61.109(c) logbook check when you select helicopter, alongside the AC 61-65K endorsement checklist, your hour totals, and a CSV export. See the sample report on cleared2checkride.com. $24.99 per check. It's a prep aid; your instructor and examiner make the final call.