The Best 4 Light Helicopters to Take You Anywhere

Despite new entrants like Hill Helicopter’s HX50, the light-helicopter category tends to be a stable, established niche that continues to see heavy demand. Light helicopters were first developed in the 1960s as part of a trend to create small, agile rotorcraft for observation, reconnaissance and the transport of troops into challenging terrains. The US Army’s 1960s call to select a Light Observation Helicopter for military applications was answered by Bell, Hughes and Hiller all submitting new designs. The winning Bell YOH-4, which later became the Bell 206 Jet Ranger, set the standard for light helicopters. But the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse, which also saw extensive military use, helped popularize the light helicopter in the civilian world, thanks to its compact size, ability to operate in tight spaces, and cost-effectiveness compared to larger helicopters. The reasons for owning a light helicopter haven’t changed that much in the last 60 years, but the offerings are thoroughly modern. From swank multi-passenger craft to utilitarian two-seaters, the light segment owes its popularity to design efficacy, a suite of safety features typically found on larger helicopters, and innate versatility. Whether whisking you to a city center or the middle of nowhere, here are four birds you can bank on.