Whirlybirds Fly South

Bell Textron, the Texas-based, Texas-sized manufacturer of military and civilian helicopters, has announced the signing of a purchase agreement that will see two of its Bell-505 helicopters delivered to the state of Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The aircraft will support the multi-mission law enforcement operations of the commission’s Division of Law Enforcement.

Bell managing director Lane Evans said of the deal: “The Bell 505 is a proven platform for public safety agencies around the world. The Bell 505 advances an agency’s ability to readily respond to emergencies on the ground, sky or water. Bell is proud the FWC has selected the Bell 505 as its choice aircraft to advance the vast mission of the agency.”

Headquartered in Tallahassee, FL, and established in 1999, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sees to the wellbeing of Florida’s fish and wildlife and manages their sustainable harvest. The FWC Division of Law Enforcement is responsible for patrolling and carrying out investigations over more than 8,400-miles of Florida coastline, 13,200-square miles of offshore waters, and more than 34-million acres of Florida land.

The Bell-505—a clean-sheet evolution of the company’s hale and hearty 206-Jet Ranger family—makes excellent use of contemporary avionics and engine control technology while offering users a large, open cabin conducive to Helicopter Air Ambulance (HAA); Search and Rescue (SAR); and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The Bell-505’s flight-deck features a fully-integrated Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite and a dual-channel FADEC-controlled Safran Arrius 2R engine rated at 505-shaft-horsepower. The aircraft’s balance of power, agility, and up-to-the-minute avionics affords pilots of all skill-levels maximized situational awareness and workload reduction conducive to a multitude of flight-environments and missions.  

Bell’s propensity for turning out highly functional, reliable, and desirable aircraft derives of the company’s rich tradition of engineering and manufacturing excellence. Lest the world’s Millennials and hipsters forget it, Bell is the outfit that broke the sound-barrier.

FMI: www.bellflight.com