Tokyo, Japan (October 18, 2024) – At Japan Aerospace International Exhibition 2024, Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced the sale of one Bell 505 to Heli Service Co., Ltd., an operator in Japan.
This marks Heli Service’s third purchase of the Bell 505 and when delivered, it will join a fleet that includes two other Bell 505s, delivered in December 2018 and September 2019, and a Bell 206. The aircraft will primarily be used for agricultural purposes.
Established in 2008 and based in Tochigi Prefecture, Heli Service offers a variety of services, such as crop spraying, charter flights, aerial filming and photography, disaster relief and aircraft leasing. They also operate two hangars at Tochigi Heliport.
There are over 20 active Bell 505s in Japan and more than 505 Bell 505s have been delivered worldwide since it hit the market in 2017. The Bell 505 is one of the most versatile aircraft in the short light single class and is popular with corporate customers and public safety agencies, thanks to its dual channel FADEC, Safran Arrius 2R engine and Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite. An open cabin design, glass cockpit, wraparound windows and Synthetic Vision technology help improve the pilot’s situational awareness as well.
In February 2023, the Bell 505 also became the world’s first single engine helicopter to take flight on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
