Chile validates the Bell 429 helicopter
Chile has certified the Bell 429 and the validation includes the high takeoff weight.
Bell Helicopter has announced that Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC) has validated the Bell 429 for operations in Chile. Additionally, DGAC has endorsed the operation of the Bell 429 at 7,500 lbs. Chile is the fourteenth country to increase the maximum gross weight for the Bell 429 from 7,000 lbs.
“Chile’s validation of the Bell 429 and endorsement of the gross weight increase enable Bell Helicopter to better serve the multi-mission needs of our customers in Chile,” said Danny Maldonado, Bell Helicopter’s executive vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. “We are pleased to be able to meet the growing demand for reliable commercial rotorcraft in Chile as the country’s strong economy continues to expand.”
To date, the Bell 429 increased gross weight has been approved by Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.
“The performance boost of the increased gross weight will allow our customers to fully utilize the capabilities of the Bell 429 to carry more fuel and vital equipment in their various missions across Chile’s diverse terrain from the coastal mountains across the central valley to the rugged Andes in the east,” said Maldonado.
