Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced a signed a purchase agreement with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee, Florida for a public safety-configured Bell 505 Jet Ranger X.
“Leon County has an advanced aviation unit that is responsible for a broad range of critical missions including aerial searching for lost or missing persons, aircraft and boats, SWAT team deployment and storm damage assessment,” said Doug Schoen, managing director, North America. “The addition of the highly customized Bell 505 will allow the aviation unit to continue serving and protecting the citizens of the greater Tallahassee area.”
The Bell 505 public safety configuration and on-board equipment includes:
- A Trakkabeam A800 Searchlight mounted on an AA AFT Hardpoint,
- A Macro-Blue MB 15W display,
- A Wescam MX-10 camera mounted on an Aeronautical Accessories’ FWD Hardpoint,
- A Becker AMU6500 Digital Audio System with pilot and copilot individual audio controllers,
- An AerocomputersUC6000 Map System interfaced to the MX-10 and Searchlight,
- Two dual USB charging ports,
- AeroDynamix NVG Cockpit lighting,
- High skid gear,
- An expanded instrument panel,
- An expanded avionics shelf,
- A mission equipment master switch.
“Our aviation unit is responsible for operating over the City of Tallahassee and in the darkest areas of the county including the Apalachicola National Forrest where visibility is extremely limited. It is critical we have highly advanced technology onboard to ensure the safety of our pilots,” said Lieutenant Lee Majors, aviation section commander, Leon County Sheriff’s Office.
With a speed of 125 knots (232 km/h) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kg), 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.
