Second Bell 505 Jet Ranger X In New Zealand

Oceania Aviation

Last month one of Oceania Aviation’s long-time clients flew away in their brand new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X and the second to enter the New Zealand aircraft registry.

Their North Shore team who have looked after Mark and Annette’s trusty 206BIII Jet Ranger for years were thrilled to get the call about a brand spanking new Jet Ranger coming through their hangar before hitting the clear blue New Zealand skies.

“The new owners told us nearly 4 years ago that they had ordered a new Bell 505 and we very pleased that they wanted us to assemble it for them. The assembly and import C of A were straightforward and following an extended check flight I was sold on the helicopter especially in regards to the comfort of the seats, visibility, and the very smooth ride,” says Russell Keast, Manager of the North Shore branch.

Being only the second Bell 505 to touch down in New Zealand within the last two months, the North Shore team were assisted by Bell’s Customer Service Engineer (CSE) Peter Empson and Safran rep Mike Evans during the assembly and test flights. The NZ CAA team were then able to successfully complete the import Certificate of Airworthiness within a day, allowing the proud new owners to fly away that afternoon.

“Russell and the team did a great job as usual; we were really happy with how the assembly process went,” said Mark & Annette.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is Bell Helicopter’s new open cabin, five-seater helicopter that comes with a fully integrated glass flight deck featuring the Garmin G1000H avionics suite. Marketed as “A Legend Reimagined”, the 505 has been designed to offer owners with the same reliable benefits of the “classic” but to a twenty-first-century standard. Key changes include its Dual FADEC engine, large open cabin, Long Ranger ‘B206L-4’ blades and transmission, Garmin G1000H and increased useful load.