By Bryle B. Suralta
With all the car-booking services available right now, it isn’t far-fetched to say that we might be booking aircrafts to save us from traffic gridlock in the near future. And we might be closer than we think, according to the team at Bell Textron, Inc. The company and PhilJets recently launched the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter through demonstration flights and static displays at the PhilJets hangar in Manila recently.
“We are pleased with the reception the Bell 505 got from people who attended the static display and demonstration flights,” says Bell Asia Pacific managing director David Sale. “The aircraft performed exceptionally well, and we believe our Philippine customers saw the value and versatility that the Bell 505 can bring to their operations.”
There are close to 40 Bell 505s operating in Asia Pacific right now across a wide variety of segments. These include tourism flights in Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Because of its specifications, it is also used for the training of new Japan Coast Guard cadet pilots.
PhilJets is set to operate an increasing number of Bell helicopters that will join its fast growing fleet in the Philippines, especially following the recent successful joint launch of the Bell 505 in Manila.
“Our teams at PhilJets are excited to be operating the Bell 505 Helicopter. We strongly believe it is the best aircraft in its segment,” muses PhilJets CEO Willyn Villarica. “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 to be flying the Philippine skies soon,” she emphasized.
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 four 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 more comfortable and loading cargo easier.
PhilJets chairman Thierry Tea adds: “The tremendous demand and requests 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.”
Bell and PhilJets are working closely to establish a successful entry into service of brand new Bell Helicopters orders in the Philippines, as they focus on customer satisfaction for aircraft owners, which is what has separated Bell from the market worldwide. The partnership will pave the way for more Bell helicopter acquisitions in the archipelago.
Who knows? We all might be flying in helicopters soon.
