Army helicopter pilots to resume solo cross-country flights in training after decades

The U.S. Army is reintroducing solo cross-country flights for helicopter pilot trainees at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for the first time in decades. Starting this week, student pilots will fly solo between civilian airports in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, a practice cut during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to speed up pilot production. The training includes two weeks of cross-country instruction, with students required to complete at least two solo flights to advance. Officials say the change restores basic aviation skills like aeronautical decision-making, weather assessment, and radio communication with civilian air traffic control. The program exposes students to a broader range of airports and airspace, including small fields used by private jets and crop sprayers. The Army Aviation Center of Excellence trains 1,300 students annually, and the solo flights are part of a three-phase curriculum culminating in a 'check ride' assessment.