Bell and PhilJets launch 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters in PH

Bell Textron, Inc. and PhilJets the other day officially launched the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter in Manila. The partnership is expected to pave the way for more Bell helicopters acquisition in the archipelago.

Close to 40 Bell 505s operate in Asia Pacific today across a wide variety of segments. These include tourism flights in Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam and for the training of new Japan Coast Guard cadet pilots.

PhilJets is to operate an increasing number of Bell helicopters that will join its growing fleet in the country. Bell and PhilJets are working closely to boost Bell Helicopters orders in the

Philippines and focus on customer satisfaction for aircraft owners. "We strongly believe the Bell 505 Helicopter is the best aircraft in its segment," according to Willyn Villarica, PhilJets CEO. “Bell has also had the reputation of being the number one OEM as far as customer support is concerned for the past years so we expect to see a lot of the 505 flying here soon.”

"The demand from our customers wanting to fly with the Bell 505 Helicopter highlights its growing success in the Philippines. PhilJets is delighted to operate more Bell Helicopters, and has been extremely well satisfied with excellent customer service, parts availability," noted Thierry Tea, Chairman of PhilJets.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X incorporates the familiarity of the Jet Ranger family with new advanced avionics technology. Its reliability, speed, performance and maneuverability are integrated with a flat floor and open cabin that is configurable for a wide variety of missions and payloads. With a speed of 125 knots (232 km/h) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kg), the Bell 505 is designed to be efficient while providing significant value to the operator.

Its cabin consists of front-facing seats for 4 passengers and a pilot, and large windows that enable all passengers to have an outstanding view during touristic flights. The Bell 505 also has large doors that make boarding VIPs more comfortable and loading cargo easier.