-KATHMANDU
Simrik Heli Trade, an Independent Local Agent of Bell Helicopter for Nepal conducted Experimental and Demonstration Flight of Bell Jet Ranger X helicopter at the Everest-Langtang region for the first time in Nepal.
The Bell 505 helicopter took off from the Tribhuvan International Airport Eastern helipad on February 11, 2019.
Captain Y. Lavalee was the test pilot for the Bell Jet Ranger X helicopter. The helicopter on the next day conducted the demonstration and experimental flight that landed Kala Patthar, Synaboche, and Local from Lukla.
The helicopter also conducted the demo flights to Langtang mountains region from TIA airport on 13th February. Engineering team is working on the test reports on the basis of the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X performance in Nepalese sky.
The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X with registration N505LQ of US landed at Tribhuvan International Airport, East Helipad from Gaya Airport (India) for Experimental and Demonstration Flight for the helicopter operators of Nepal.
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc earlier stated that, the company had shipped a Bell 505 Jet Ranger X from Canada to Singapore and begun a Four-month-long tour in the region. The aircraft starting from Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier this month, the Bell 505 made stops in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and finally in Nepal.
According to a source, officials from Simrik Heli-Trade on behalf of Bell Helicopter will be working for the documentation procedure of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to commence the demonstration flight.
Currently, two Nepalese helicopters operators; Summit Helicopters, Simrik Air and Nepalese Army Air Service operate their Bell 206 and 407 GXP helicopter, manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron Inc in Nepalese Sky. Rest of all the helicopter operators operate AS350 B3 and MI17 series helicopter manufactured by Airbus Helicopter in France and Russia respectively.
