Bell Helicopters has notched another key sale for its Bell 429 model, with the signing of a contract with its independent representative, World Aviation, based in Málaga, Spain. The deal puts the aircraft into the hands of a private owner who will operate the helicopter in the Costa del Sol region of the country.
Now totaling 90 units delivered in Europe, the Bell 429 has hit the mark with corporate VIP customers, including operations in the French Riviera and the French Alps by Helisecurite, Wucher Helicopter in Austria, Starspeed in London, Greece, and Cyprus, and in Switzerland by HeliAlps, Airport Helicopter, Air Zermatt, and Centaurium Aviation.
“Those seeking an aircraft that offers class-leading transport, speed, smoothness, and superior passenger experience needn’t look any further than the Bell 429,” said Alberto Delgado, CEO of World Aviation. “We’re thrilled to be facilitating the purchase of the first Bell 429 in Spain and we’re confident that both passengers and pilots will be delighted by the premium experience this aircraft delivers.” World Aviation was founded in 2014 and provides pilot training, maintenance, and engineering services in addition to transportation.
“The Bell 429 is continuing to showcase its breadth of abilities for our European customers—from mountain rescue in the Swiss Alps to law enforcement in Sweden and soon passenger transport in the Costa del Sol,” said Patrick Moulay, senior vice president of International Sales for Bell. “The combination of twin engines, IFR capability, and Bell’s BasiX-Pro integrated avionics means the 429 is able to fly in more locations and in a wide range of weather conditions, making it a highly versatile aircraft for the corporate VIP mission in Europe.”
The Bell 429
The 429 model is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PW-207D1/D2 engines, electronically controlled, and cruises in level flight at speeds up to 155 knots. It will carry one pilot plus up to seven passengers, or operate to a range of up to 411 nm or a total endurance of 4.5 hours.
The flight deck features:
- Single-pilot IFR capability (with a dual-pilot option)
- Automatic flight control system (AFCS) featuring redundant digital flight control computers (FCCS) and providing 3-axis or 4-axis capability
- Engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS)
- Other aircraft systems interfaces, warnings, cautions, aural alerts, and automated performance features are provided through the remotely located aircraft data interface unit (ADIU)
- Bell’s patented power situation indicator (PSI) gauge
- Communication, navigation and surveillance system: Garmin GTN-750/650 NAV/COM/WAAS GPS
