Bell Helicopter has launched a certified training facility (CTF) programme in order to expand its global training offering. HeliDeal, a Bell independent representative based in southern France, has been appointed the first international CTF for the Bell 505 and will provide initial and recurrent pilot training under the umbrella of the Bell Training Academy.

“The Bell 505 has been a global success story for us,” says senior VP of commercial business Patrick Moulay. “With a rapidly growing B505 international footprint, we are focused on providing local support solutions to our international customer base for the entire lifecycle of their aircraft, and CTFs will play a key role.”

Flight training manager Chad Oakley adds: “Training has been an integral part of our aftermarket programme for more than 65 years. We have trained more than 140,000 customers in 135 countries throughout the world, and we are looking forward to our global training solution expansion.”

HeliDeal president and chairman Jean-Francois Giron is excited to be the launch CTF, which will offer Bell 505 training from January 2019. “We have been operating a variety of Bell aircraft, including the Bell 505, and have been training pilots for more than 25 years," he says.

Bell Training Academies are located in Texas in the US, Valencia in Spain, and Singapore.