Why are Army Helo pilots Warrant Officers, rather than Commissioned?

I don't know the real reasons why most Army Aviators are Warrant instead of Commissioned. But I was in an Aviation Unit for about 2 years (72nd AVN (ATC) ) We had a Captain who was the Unit S3 and a pilot and I knew a Lt who also was a pilot though I don't remember what his Officer duty position was...

SN Greg Wright Good Query! I can only relate One Story Joe Bauer a Neighbor (Big Influence on My Choice to Serve) He went to Korea as an Enlisted Railroad Man, end of the War they Offered him the Proverbial Deal You don't say No To. Sign Back Up in the Reserves and Well teach You to Fly Helos, Make You a Warrant Officer. He Did, Bad Part of the Deal. He Got to Go to Vietnam. 2 Wars and He is still around.

In the mid 80s the Army tried to make all of the helicopter pilots 0 grades I don't know why but it didn't happen and that was a good thing. A warrant officer don't take no sh#$ from anyone. You can not have a ignorant Maj order a pilot to fly!

in WWII there were enlisted pilots but only for cargo aircraft, any combat plane, fighter or bomber had to be piloted by an officer, had a geology professor who was an enlisted pilot for the Army flying meteorological planes back and forth across the atlantic, and a classmate at the time was a retired raisin farmer who had been a Navy enlisted pilot in WWII, sometime after the war they decided to upgrade the requirements

I would imagine it's for expediency, such as during Vietnam when helicopter pilots were needed in great numbers without the delay of the commissioning process, and probably now it's the cost. But as a Marine I really have no idea. I have a few friends that flew Hueys as WOs and CWOs during Vietnam and all think it was the numbers. Although the Marine Corps has a WO program, all pilots are commissioned O-grade officers, and as such having greater opportunities for command in the future. I really think all Army aviators deserve the O-grade ranks.

Because a commissioned officer is like the bank manager. He has a degree, but can’t do shit on his own. A Warrant officer is like the head teller. They are actual professionals that know WTF they are doing.

Warrant Officers are cheap help for the Army.

During the Vietnam conflict the ARMY realized it needed 10s of thousand helo pilots. If they were made Comissioned Officers there would be a huge glut of Officers all competing for officer positions ( number regulated by Congress) That would completely screw up the career progression.
As a result Helo Pilots were made WOs the ARMY controls this so when the demand for pilots precipitously declined the WOs could be released from service.

The Air Force did not follow suit thus a series of busts and booms in pilot availibility. Today we have a huge genorational pilot shortage in the military and in Civil Aviation. The current genoration of pilots are aging out of the cockpit.

I find this a little... sad in a way.
There are enlisted walking around with active pilots licenses but aren't allowed to become warrant or officers due to time in service and therefore can't become army pilots.

Prior to WWII I have read that a lot of pilots were enlisted.