Bell Textron's Bell 505 Jet Ranger X programme has accumulated more than 50,000 flight hours. More than 260 Bell 505s are operating a variety of missions across six continents and 55 countries. Notable deliveries this year have included Southern Utah University, Centaurium and public safety-configured Bell 505s to Leon County and Alameda County in the US.

“Operators around the world continue to compliment the aircraft performance and value in adding a Bell 505 to their daily operations,” states Eric Sinusas, programme director, light aircraft. “This milestone represents the platform's global growth and adoption as it enables operators to complete dynamic missions at an affordable cost.”

Elicompany, an operator based in Italy, completes close to 1,000 flight hours per year on the type. “Another thing to look at is the reliability of the helicopter,” comments Cristian Forghieri co-owner of Elicompany, and flight operations director. “We've experienced very low maintenance and essentially no time grounded. We've logged an excess of 1,100 hours to date. We are really happy because when we plan it, the Bell 505 can do it.”

With a speed of 125 kts and useful load of 1,500 pounds, the Bell 505 is the OEM's new five-seat aircraft designed for safety, efficiency and reliability using advanced avionics technology. It incorporates proven dynamic components, advanced aerodynamic design and a dual channel FADEC Safran Arrius 2R engine.