U.S. Army helicopter crews are flying one-third of the hours they did at the peak of the past two decades, as the number of manned aircraft has declined by 20%, according to a government report. The report also noted that the Army saw the availability of aircraft increase while the fleet has largely gotten younger. The Congressional Budget Office’s findings are based on service aviation data from 2000 to 2023.
In 2011, the Army saw its peak of average flying hours in manned aircraft, with air crews flying an average of 302 hours each year. As of 2023, the average flight hours have dropped by more than one-third to 198 hours. The availability of aircraft for training and operations has increased over the years, with the mission-capable percentage of manned aircraft rising from just over 50% in 2000 to 68% in 2023.
Report authors credit the additional flight time to overseas operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, noting a drop in flight hours as the wars wound down. The Army is overhauling its aircrew training as it adapts to new threats and added capabilities to its aircraft. Since October, there have been 14 soldier deaths in 10 Class A mishaps, with a mishap rate of 3.22 per 100,000 flight hours.
The number of manned aircraft has decreased over the years, with increases in unmanned aircraft. The Army’s manned aircraft fleet includes Black Hawk, Chinook, Apache, UH-72 Lakota helicopter, and fixed-wing C-12 Huron. The average age of the fleet has decreased somewhat, with plans to extend the service of the Chinook, Apache, and Black Hawk through upgrades.
