SINGAPORE AIRSHOW – Singapore (February 19, 2016) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced the first Bell 505 letter of intent (LOI) in the Philippines to PhilJets Group. The aircraft will be outfitted for corporate and VIP transport for flights throughout the region. This signing is testament to the growing demand of this aircraft and brings the current LOI count to more than 350 worldwide.
Founder and CEO of PhilJets Group, Thierry Tea and Bell Helicopter’s Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Patrick Moulay signed the LOI for the Bell 505 at the Singapore Airshow.
“We are thrilled that our Group’s clients are the first in the Philippines to sign for the new Bell 505,”said Mr. Tea. “The value and performance capabilities will complement the range of our expanding fleet. It is exactly what some of our growing clients segment are looking for, to quickly and comfortably transfer our customers and partners at a very competitive cost throughout the region.”
PhilJets is a fast growing boutique aviation company in the Philippines. Through its subsidiary, PhilJets Aero Charter Corp, its aim is to provide comprehensive solutions for both helicopter and jet owners on one side and timesharing or charter clients on the other side, at international standards. The operator also highly promotes helitours around the country. Aside from aircraft management and chartering, PhilJets also assists with aircraft acquisitions, maintenance and spare parts management.
The five-seat, single-engine, turbine helicopter leverages Bell Helicopter’s proven technology and nearly half a century of experience defining the short light single market with the original Bell JetRanger.
“The Bell 505 offers an exceptional combination of value, performance and features available on the market today and customers continue to respond,” said Mr. Moulay. “With more than 100 letters of intent throughout Asia Pacific alone, the Bell 505 is proving to be a strong contender to address the corporate and VIP market.
With a cruise speed of 125 knots (232 km/h), range of 360 nautical miles (667 km) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (608 kg), the Bell 505 is designed to be safe and easy to fly while remaining affordably priced. The customer-driven design of the aircraft places safety, performance and affordability at the forefront, blending proven systems with advanced technology and a sleek, modern design. The Garmin G1000H Integrated Avionics Suite provides pilots critical flight information at a glance to maximize situational awareness. Pilot workload is further reduced by the Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine with dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).