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The Turkish National Police's Bell 429 helicopter

Bell 429 fleets reach 95 percent operational availability rate in Turkey

Bell Helicopter Press Release | August 29, 2016

Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 57 seconds.

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, has announced that the Bell 429 fleets of the Turkish National Police and Turkish General Directorate of Forestry have reached a 95 percent operational availability rate and that the aircraft is continuing to be successful in country supporting public safety, assisting to prevent fires and preserve Turkish forests.

The Turkish National Police's Bell 429 helicopter
The Turkish National Police and Turkish General Directorate of Forestry’s Bell 429 fleets have reached a 95 percent operational availability rate. Bell Helicopter Photo

“I am proud that the Turkish National Police have achieved such excellence. They are superior aviators, and the Bell 429 is a fantastic helicopter,” said Clay Bridges, Bell Helicopter, regional manager, Turkey. “In operating these 15 Bell 429s while performing such difficult police missions, they have saved lives and helped make Turkey safer in challenging times.”

Turkey has been a very successful market with Bell garnering over 50 percent of the total market for the last five years. There are 26 Bell 429s in the country used in parapublic, emergency medical services, and corporate missions in the skies over Turkey every day.

The Bell 429 is not just successful in Turkey; it continues to gain customers for supporting public missions around the world. Bell Helicopter has recently delivered seven Bell 429s to the Swedish National Police, four Bell 429s to the New York Police Department, and the first of two Bell 429s to the Slovakian Police. The multi-mission Bell 429 delivers exceptional speed, range, hover performance and enhanced safety margins.

“The aviation department of the Directorate General of Forestry has been truly amazing. Even though the 429 is a superior helicopter, the performance and professionalism of the forestry pilots and technicians make it easy to achieve results like this,” said Bridges. “We, at Bell Helicopter, are honored to be able to support the Directorate General of Forestry to preserve the resources of Turkey.”

The state-of-the-art technology in the Bell 429 includes a fully integrated glass cockpit, advanced drive system, best-in-class wide area augmentation system navigation and instrument flight rules capability.

The Bell 429 has more cabin space than any other light twin helicopter, with flat flooring and seating for seven passengers and one flight crew. When time is of the essence, the Bell 429’s 60-inch-wide side doors and optional rear clam-shell doors provide quick and easy access.

Bell Helicopter provides its customers with local support in every corner of the world and has one of the largest support networks in the industry with more than 100 authorized customer service facilities in 34 countries.

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