Television station WJZ of Baltimore, Maryland, has taken delivery of a new Robinson R66 Newscopter. Owned and operated by CBS, WJZ services the 2.8 million residents in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Sky Helicopters, a longtime Robinson dealer in Garland, Texas, leased the helicopter to WJZ and will provide ongoing aviation and technical support.
According to Ken Pyatt, president of Sky Helicopters, WJZ has been operating a Robinson R44 Newscopter since early 2019. Impressed with the R44’s performance and reliability, the station elected to move up to the larger, more powerful R66 Newscopter.
The R66 was delivered with the latest electronic news gathering (ENG) technology, including an upgraded stabilized gimbal that houses an Ikegami HDL-F3000 ultra low-light camera equipped with Canon’s HJ 40x10B lens, three two-way FM radios, and a microwave system with a high-gain directional pod. Other options included a HeliSAS autopilot.
Robinson’s R66 Newscopter is an economical, turnkey aerial platform capable of providing three hours of continuous live TV coverage.
Founded in 1973, Robinson Helicopter Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of civil helicopters.
