How to Become an Airline Pilot in 2025
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The Diary Of An Airline Captain
January 29, 2025
This article is the update section for subscribers – see the full original article here
I was recently fortunate enough to be given a private tour of the Hill Helicopters Production Center (PC1) facility in Stafford, UK. During the hour-long walkthrough, led by the excellent Amy, I was guided around every part of the building. She walked me through the entirety of the infrastructure, doing a superb job of explaining, in detail, what each machine does and what part it’ll play in each larger process.
From the precision laser welding facility currently used to produce the outer engine casing, to the state-of-the-art gantry mill that’ll play an integral role in the production of the new aircraft, nothing was off-limits. I even got to handle various iterations of engine components that will eventually make up the greatly anticipated GT50 turbine engine.
Finally, the tour ended at the stunning HX50 aircraft. Yes, I know it’s just a mock-up, but seeing the HX50 in person, feeling it, and sitting inside it was something really special.
Only a few buttons in the digital cockpit were active at this stage. However, Amy was on hand to run me through the various technologies that will be implemented in the real thing, such as an infrared fly-through layer, allowing the pilot to see ‘through’ the cockpit displays. The PFD will display the return from an infrared camera located in the aircraft’s nose, allowing the pilot to see what’s behind the instrument cluster and dashboard, and be better prepared to fly at nighttime with the infrared return. While this technology isn’t new, when it comes to being used in GA, it’s groundbreaking.
The icing on the cake was the arrival of Dr Jason Hill himself. I can only imagine how immensely busy he must be, so the fact that he took the time to meet me while I looked around their HX50 is a true testament to his humility.
Unfortunately, but understandably, it wasn’t appropriate to take photos of all of this, but I’ve photo-dumped the few I did get throughout this updated section.
It’s been fascinating to follow Hill’s journey from early on, through to where they are now. Although they do a grand job of documenting it all on socials, it really is absolutely remarkable to be there, in the flesh, seeing this whole operation coming together. The facility was still a work in progress, with some sections still a building site, but it’s extraordinary to see the vision coming together.
A few notable things struck me during my tour: Firstly, the extent to which they’re vertically integrating the entire supply chain to keep the cost to the end customer down. Designing a helicopter is one thing, but manufacturing almost every single component in-house is a whole different ball game. Small components, such as engine bearings and fan blades, are all being designed and produced within the facility.
While this wasn’t always necessarily the plan, it sounds like they understandably couldn’t justify outsourcing these parts to existing manufacturing companies due to the extortionate price premium that companies place on any aviation-related components, not to mention the logistical issues that come with outsourcing. Instead, they’ve gone down the route of manufacturing all components themselves, for a fraction of the cost. The upfront work involved with this vertical integration is obviously on a mammoth scale. The colossal cost of the machines, testing, certification processes etc, to do this, can’t be underestimated. However, I’m optimistic that going down this route will set Hill Helicopters up for long-lasting success.
Another thing that struck me was the evident passion and purpose burning inside the team at Hill. I’m not just talking about the management. Everyone I interacted with, from the engineers working on the GT50 test bench, to their colleagues working on the moulding for the windows, all seemed enthusiastic, happy and genuinely felt a true sense of purpose being there. They were all incredibly open, welcoming, and glad to explain what they were up to and why it was relevant to the project.
Thirdly, something I was naive to before chatting with Dr Hill in person, is that although Dr Hill is giving this project his full attention, there’s a much larger, grand plan that underpins this whole thing. HX50 and HC50 are just one small part of it. The full extent of his plans will become apparent over the next few years. If he achieves what he’s setting out to do, he’ll revolutionise not just the helicopter side of general aviation but also the fixed-wing side.
Admittedly, I’ve not toured many manufacturing facilities. However, the open-door policy at Hill (don’t take this literally; you do need to book before rocking up), along with the calibre of the entire team, is something I think further sets them apart from any competition that’s soon to be trailing in their wake. It’s incredible to see, and I feel lucky to have seen it at this stage of the journey.
What are the key milestones we’re looking forward to this year? 2025 is set to be a huge year for Hill Helicopters, with the first engine run of the GT50, and the first flight of the HX50 planned.
At the time of writing, they’ve finalised the avionics systems for the digital cockpit and are heading into the testing phase. Good progress is being made with the GT50, and the team is on track to have the engine running later this year.
Some key dates for you:
Q3 2025 first full GT50 engine test. 28th June 2025 latest
Q4 2025 first full flight test for the HX50. 20th Dec 2025
I’ll continue to follow Hill’s progress closely. If they’re kind enough to tolerate my presence and endless questions again later in the year, I’d love to update you as the first HX50 takes to the skies.
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