Columbus Police adds two Bell 505s to its fleet

Bell Helicopters has revealed Columbus Department of Public Safety has signed a purchase agreement for two Bell 505s. The new helicopters will modernise the department’s aerial public safety capabilities, serving the Columbus Metropolitan Area’s nearly 2m residents, according to the manufacturer at last month’s APSCON 2025 event in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Bell is proud to support the Columbus Division of Police as they upgrade their aviation section with two Bell 505s,” said Lane Evans, MD of North America, Bell. “With the Bell 505’s modern design, contemporary camera system, and advanced technologies, the Division has the option to operate at higher altitudes more efficiently. The Bell 505 continues to be a highly sought-after aircraft in the public safety field for its multi-mission capabilities.”

The Columbus Division of Police plans to utilise the Bell helicopters for critical public safety missions, such as aerial patrol, airborne law enforcement safety and assistance of ground-based officers, along with other critical search missions. In the coming months, the police organisation plans to send its pilots to train on the Bell 505 platform at the Bell Training Academy in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Bell 505 has a Safran Arrius 2R engine, dual channel FADEC, and Garmin G1000H NXi all-glass avionics suite with a moving map display. The helicopter has wide panoramic windows, open cabin design, and Synthetic Vision technology making it useful for all kinds of public sector and police work, according to the manufacturer.

The Airborne Public Safety Association (APSCON) is a non-profit, educational, individual membership organisation, founded in 1968 to support and encourage the use of aircraft in public safety. Currently over 3,000 strong from international to the local level members.