412s Credited With Saving 'Tens Of Thousands' Of Lives

Bell Helicopter is confident their proven 412 helicopter will be able to fulfill the US Army's requirement for a new Light Utility Helicopter, or LUH -- and they cite the chopper's performance following the catastrophic events of 2005 as proof.

A number of natural disasters occurred on a global scale last year -- from devastating earthquakes to Cat-5 hurricanes. Through it all, Bell Helicopter's 700+ strong, worldwide fleet of 412 helicopters was there to answer the call for help all over the world, resulting in tens of thousands of saved lives.

"The Bell 412 and the teams who so professionally operate and maintain them are literally saving lives all over the world," said Mike Redenbaugh, Chief Executive Officer of Bell Helicopter

As Aero-News reported last month, Bell 412s like the ones used during the Asian Tsunami, the earthquake in Pakistan, Hurricane Katrina -- as well as many domestic law-enforcement and first responder organizations -- have logged more than 3.1 million flight hours.

Within hours of the devastating October 8 earthquake in Pakistan, the Pakistani Army's helicopter fleet -- including Bell 412s -- flew into action to respond to the disaster. The helicopters were used to reach remote mountain locations bringing food and supplies and returning with injured people.

"We received letters and testimonials from Pakistani Army Aviators telling us how much they appreciated the performance of their Bell 412s, especially during the ongoing earthquake relief operations in Northern Pakistan," Redenbaugh said.

In the 45 days following the earthquake, the 16 Pakistani Army 412s flew 4,580 missions, an average of 102 missions per day. They logged 2,743 hours and were credited with rescuing 54,960 people. The Pakistani Army 412s were supported by the nine-member Bell Team located in Pakistan.

Disaster response and MEDEVAC are just two of the many missions the Army's new LUH will perform.

"We offered the 412 to be the Army's next LUH because it is performing the LUH mission today in more than 30 countries all over the world with a mission availability rate of more than 95%," Redenbaugh said. "Our soldiers deserve to have the best equipment with the best training and logistic support network available on the market today. The Bell 412, coupled with Bell's award-winning customer support and logistics networks, offer a proven, ready and able, low-risk solution for the Army's next LUH."

FMI: www.bellhelicopter.textron.com