Farnborough, England (July 21, 2010) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, and Hawker Pacific Airservices Ltd., signed another contract for the sale of an additional Bell 412. This aircraft represents the eleventh Bell 412 Hawker Pacific has purchased over the past two years.
“At Hawker Pacific our aim is to exceed customer expectations,” said Paul Giles, senior vice president Hawker Pacific helicopter group. “This aircraft sale demonstrates our continued loyalty to support the offshore oil operator and the region; providing them with consistent, reliable and competitive aircraft.”
Purchased for a Middle East offshore operator, this is the first Bell 412EP in the region with the BLR FastFinTM System installed on the aircraft. This capability will allow the customer to more effectively operate in hot and high conditions and improve the payload performance in these conditions by 30 to 60 percent.
Chosen for its value and outstanding mission capabilities, the helicopter will significantly enhance the ability of the customer to perform a wide-range of offshore oil field support missions.
“The Bell 412 is a proven, safe and reliable helicopter, ideally suited for operations in the Middle Eastern region,” said John L. Garrison, president and CEO Bell Helicopter. “Our customers rely on Bell helicopters to go to work every day, we are committed to supporting those duties and providing them a complete mission solution well beyond the initial sale.”
Bell Helicopter and Hawker Pacific have a long-standing relationship, partnering to inaugurate aircraft in the Middle East for more than 30 years.
“We are pleased partner with Hawker Pacific to deliver this aircraft and we look forward to continuing our partnership well into the future,” said Larry D. Roberts, Bell Helicopter senior vice president commercial business. “We are especially gratified that this helicopter was sold during the Farnborough International Airshow signifying increased interest in the commercial helicopter market.”
The Bell 412 offers operators the highest dispatch reliability of any twin-engine and is designed with rupture-resistant fuel cells, energy-absorbing crew seats and a resilient fuselage. With rugged military-grade components and exceptional utility operations the 4-bladed Bell 412 employs high cruise speeds and low noise signatures. Since its inception in 1981, advancements in technology have yielded 412 upgrades with greater performance and endurance, making it one of the most mission-ready medium utility helicopters available in the market.
