U.S. Army resumes solo cross-country flights for student pilots for first time in decades

Published Jul 17, 07:02 PM UTC

The U.S. Army announced that student pilots will fly solo cross-country for the first time in decades as part of a curriculum overhaul by the 1st Battalion, 223rd Aviation Regiment. The new program, launched after a series of fatal crashes and a 55% rise in severe aviation accidents between 2020 and 2024, aims to produce more skilled pilots. Students receive two weeks of cross-country instruction, then fly 50-100 nautical miles from Shell Army Heliport without an instructor. Second Lt. Kyler Suerth, a West Point graduate, completed his solo flight this week, citing radio calls and switching to civilian language as his biggest challenge. Students will take at least two solo flights and up to five cross-country flights before moving to tactical terrain training without GPS. The Army is also moving toward contractor-run training for its rotary-wing program.