Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced recently that Horizon International Flight Academy has logged more than 1,000 flight hours in its Bell 505 fleet, mainly utilized to train military pilots. Horizon’s training academy is in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Crossing the 1,000-flight hour threshold in less than three months from its latest aircraft registration is a testament to Horizon and the Bell 505s ability to quickly meet mission requirements,” said Sameer A. Rehman, managing director, Africa and Middle East. “It’s a privilege to work with the Horizon team to redefine flight training for the next generation of military and commercial pilots with the Bell 505s proven operational capabilities in desert environments.”
Horizon took delivery of its first aircraft in January and completed its 12th helicopter registration by mid-April. Since then all the Bell 505s are in operations and currently training academy students. Among them is Sheik Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the first student to fly the Bell 505 for his Commercial Pilot License (CPL).
“We are proud to be operating Bell 505s in our training program,” said Hareb Al Dhaheri, chief executive officer of Horizon International Flight Academy. “With the integrated glass cockpit, it enables our pilots in training to experience modern controls on a single engine aircraft. We look forward to logging more flight hours and hitting milestones in our Bell 505s.”
With a speed of 125 knots (232 kilometers/hour) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms), the Bell 505 is designed to be safe and easy to fly while providing significant value to the operator. The customer-driven design of the aircraft places safety, performance and affordability at the forefront, blending proven systems with advanced technology and a sleek, modern design.
