FORT WORTH, Texas — Bell Textron Inc. announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has issued an instrument flight rules supplemental type certificate for the Bell 407GXi helicopter. The certification is a requirement for the U.S. Navy Advanced Helicopter Training System competition, enabling the Bell 407GXi to replace the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger as the Navy’s training helicopter.
Should the Bell 407GXi be selected for the Navy’s helicopter trainer program, the company plans to conduct final assembly of the aircraft in Ozark, Alabama.
“The team did a great job ensuring the Bell 407GXi achieved the FAA’s IFR certification necessary to meet all of the Navy’s requirements,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO of Bell Textron. “Bell is an instrumental part of the Navy’s training program and has been for more than 50 years, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for the next generation of naval aviators.”
A Bell to Bell transition offers low risk to the Navy by streamlining instructor pilot and maintainer transition training as well as using common support equipment and infrastructure. The 407 airframe has proven capabilities as the platform for the MQ-8C Fire Scout for the Navy.
Bell supports more than 1,600 Bell 407s globally. These aircraft have nearly 6 million flight hours across the fleet and are actively performing flight training as well as military and para-public missions helicopter mission-set. The 407GXi’s Garmin G1000H NXi Flight Deck enhances situational awareness and reduces pilot workload by delivering easy-to-read information at a glance. The Bell 407GXi’s new IFR capability will allow all-weather operations while continuing to provide multimission capability safely, reliably and effectively.
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