Nautilus Aviation, a helicopter service provider based in northern Australia, has taken delivery of the last of an order for five customised Bell 407GXis. The first aircraft was delivered to Nautilus in Q4 2022, and all were reconfigured to meet a wide range of requirements including transporting charter and tourism passengers, and utility and support work such as flood relief efforts and firefighting. The five aircraft were sold by Jet Aviation, a Bell independent representative in Australia, and fully customised for specialist use at Jet Aviation Bankstown in Sydney.

“One of our primary reasons for selecting the Bell 407 GXi aircraft as the flagship of our fleet was the versatility of the airframe and the upgrades made to enhance both customer and pilot experiences,” says CEO Aaron Finn. “The after sales support has been exceptional, and we continue to work closely with Jet Aviation and Bell on specialised maintenance programmes and training for our teams across all company bases.”

The modifications included role equipment installation, including air conditioning, emergence pop-out floats, emergency locator transmitters and cabin audio, in addition to regular aircraft reassembly from shipping. Jet Aviation also managed the issuance of the Australian certificate of airworthiness.

“We pride ourselves on offering our customers a full, personalised in-house service, from sale of the aircraft to full customisation and ongoing MRO,” says Ian D'Arcy vice president MRO operations Pacific and rotary sales. “The delivery of these five aircraft is the latest milestone in our decades-long relationship with Nautilus, and we are honoured to remain its partner of choice for rotary sales, bespoke modification and MRO. As a Bell independent representative and customer service facility, Jet Aviation has delivered a total of 13 new Bell aircraft in Australia and New Zealand in the past year, cementing our position as one of the foremost rotary partners in the region.”