Commissioned Officers have been Army Aviators since the Army has had aviators.
Then it beats me why the helicopter pilots were so pissed off. As a matter of fact, when we rode with that butterbar the WO4 talked to him like he was a lower lifeform. Every time he said "SIR" it was dripping with sarcasm. It was kinda funny actually.
And we had not ridden with any other commissioned officers in the year I was there before that day.