Bell 505 - First of Type On Australian Register

[Grahame Hutchison]

After arriving in shipping containers last week, the two brand new Bell 505 helicopters have been up flying since Friday. After tracking their movements on my ADS-B Stations, I wanted to catch them before they departed Bankstown.

Being registered to Nautilus Aviation, I am assuming they will be on their way to North Queensland very soon. The Serial Numbers are 65030 and 65031, although from the Bell 505 Production List, they appear to be the 24th and 25th built.

The Bell 505 was announced at the 2013 Paris Airshow, and received Type Certification on 21st December 2016 (FAA Certification in June 2017). The first customer delivery was on 7th March 2017. Max Speed is 232kph and Range is 565km.

This morning, both VH-VSB and VH-VTB operated Bankstown, Meadowbank, and then along the Parramatta River to Fort Denison for a few orbits, before returning to Bankstown via the same track. They have been out several more times today, including a visit to Sydney Airport.