The Sikorsky S-76

First delivered in 1977, Sikorsky’s S-76 remains the grande dame of corporate helicopters. Accounting for head-ofstate transportation in 10 countries, and with more than 178 other examples flown by major business enterprises and VIPS, the model was the first Sikorsky copter created for the civilian market and shares mechanical DNA with its military-purposed sibling, the UH-60 Black Hawk. Offering an alternative to regional business jets, the twin-turbine S-76 has a maximum range of 411 nautical miles (with no reserve) and a top speed of 178 mph. Plus, as it was designed in part to fly personnel to offshore oil rigs, it provides safe operation in a wide range of weather conditions.

“The pedigree is unparalleled,” says Eli

Flint, president of Flexjet’s Vertical Lift division, a 15-chopper fleet that’s largely composed of the versatile Sikorsky. Each features an eight-passenger cabin with leather seating, sizable windows, and sound-dampening technology. One interior is even inspired by Flexjet chairman Kenn Ricci’s Bentley Bacalar—fitting when you consider that the design concept, from 1974, called for a chopper cabin with the comfort and quiet of a luxury automobile. “It was the first helicopter with ‘slam-shut’ doors sounding like a limousine,” says

Flint, who adds that “the aerodynamic shape appeals to people who love cars.”

The S-76 evolved through six updates over more than four decades before Sikorsky announced, in 2022, that it would cease production, though the company maintains service infrastructure and a supply of spare parts. (Rumors that the model might be built outside the U.S. continue to circulate.) For his part, Flint believes the S-76 is a viable platform for another decade. “It’s still one of the most compelling corporate helicopters out there,” he says.