Bell debuts the Jet Ranger X in South Africa

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X mock-up at LABACE 2014 (via Bell Helicopters Facebook page)

Bell Helicopter will showcase the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X for the first time at the Africa Aerospace and Defense show (AAD) in South Africa, being held from 17-19 September.

Steve Suttles, Bell Helicopter’s managing director in the Middle East and Africa, says: “We are excited about having such a great opportunity to expand our presence in Africa and allow our regional customers the chance to see the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X mock-up.”

“With an installed fleet of nearly 180 aircraft in South Africa, we are excited to showcase this modern commercial product and generate new excitement and growth opportunities, especially for our customers currently operating older Jet Ranger models,” Suttles adds.

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Bell Helicopter estimates that there are more than 170 Bell 206 JetRangers operating in Africa, with nearly all of them more than 20 years old.

“We anticipate a great response to our products in South Africa this week,” continues Suttles. “The Bell 505 is perfectly suited for the missions that are most commonly operated in this region, especially corporate transport, game management and training.”