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Press Release
Issued by Bell, a Textron Company.
October 31, 2023
Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced today that Life Flight Network, the largest not-for-profit air medical programme in the USA, has added two additional Bell 407GXi helicopters and plans to accept delivery of an additional Bell 429 in December. With 22 Bell aircraft, Life Flight Network is the largest air medical operator of Bell helicopters in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West regions.
“This year, Life Flight Network celebrates 45 years of operations, and Bell is honoured to support its incredible history of providing critical care transport,” said Lane Evans, director, North America sales. “By expanding Life Flight Network's air ambulance fleet with two 407GXis and a Bell 429, Life Flight Network will continue to have the latest Bell aircraft to provide life-saving missions when minutes matter.”
Life Flight Network will operate five Bell 429s and 27 Bell 407GX-series helicopters to provide emergency medical transport. Since 1978, Life Flight Network has grown to 29 rotor-wing bases, 10 fixed-wing bases and two neonatal and paediatric bases across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, and is the largest air medical operator in the region. Life Flight Network continues to lead the air ambulance industry in providing ICU-level care to patients in need of emergency medical transport, supporting local hospitals and EMS to bring the highest quality emergency care to the communities and patients who need it most.
“For over four decades, we have put our trust in Bell to provide aircraft with the speed, reliability and safety features necessary to carry out our mission of saving lives with industry leading care and transport,” said Michael Weimer, chief operating officer at Life Flight Network. “The new Bell 407GXi and Bell 429 are no exception, delivering the cabin space and speed our crews require to provide life-saving medical care to our patients.”
Bell proves its mature production and sustainment support capability with more than 1,600 Bell 407s globally, logging six million flight hours across the fleet and actively performing flight training as well as military and parapublic missions. The 407GXi's Garmin G1000H NXi flight deck enhances situational awareness and reduces pilot workload by delivering easy-to-read information at a glance. The Bell 407GXi's new IFR capability will allow all-weather operations while continuing to provide multi-mission capability safely, reliably and effectively.
The Bell 429 is one of the most advanced light twin helicopters ever developed. It delivers exceptional speed, range and hover performance, and offers operators a state-of-the-art single pilot IFR helicopter with top user-rated in-service support. The powerful and reliable Bell 429 serves the full spectrum of segments including air medical, law enforcement, oil and gas, utility and corporate.
