Fort Worth, TX – October 23, 2012 – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today that it will showcase two of its newest aircraft, the Bell 407GX and the Bell 429, at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) 2012 in Seattle, Oct. 22-24. The Bell 407GX and Bell 429 will be on static display, both configured for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), highlighting the capability of the aircraft to meet the mission needs of air medical crews.

The aircraft on display belong to Bell Helicopter customers Idaho Helicopters/St. Luke’s Hospital and Kearney Air Care/Rodgers Helicopter Service. The Idaho Helicopters/St. Luke’s Hospital Bell 407GX is customized with Life Port Interior and was completed at the Bell Helicopter Piney Flats facility in Tennessee. The Kearney Air Care/Rodgers Helicopter Service Bell 429 is equipped with an interior designed and completed by United Rotorcraft.

“Air medical transport is absolutely critical in rapid emergency response,” said Danny Maldonado, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing at Bell Helicopter. “The Bell 429 and Bell 407GX are ideal solutions for air medical operators. The Bell 407GX is equipped with superior navigation equipment and the Bell 429 has a spacious cabin for unobstructed access to patients. These aircraft offer the exceptional speed and maneuverability that are essential when lives are on the line.”

The Bell 407GX provides a smooth ride with its all-composite, four-bladed rotor system that also provides excellent hover performance and speed. The Bell 429 is the only light twin-engine helicopter on the market with true two-litter capability with enough cabin space for two medical attendants and two crew members. The Bell 429 is also the only helicopter certified through the MSG-3 process to streamline maintenance, increase safety and availability of the aircraft.

“We are proud to be a part of the life-saving missions performed by the men and women in the air medical profession,” said Maldonado. “Bell Helicopter will continue to be a leader in the HEMS market with our exceptional aircraft and industry-leading customer support.”

Bell Helicopter will demonstrate its commitment to the air medical industry through sponsorship of two leadership awards: the Marriott-Carlson award, which honors outstanding contributions to the emergency medical transport community, and the Program Manager of the Year award.

Bell Helicopter has also made a significant donation to the MedEvac Foundation for air medical research and advancement of the air medical field. Larry Roberts, Bell Helicopter’s vice president of Business Development, has been nominated as an industry “hero” and will be working with the community to raise additional funds for the MedEvac Foundation at AMTC.

The Air Medical Transport Conference is the world’s largest air medical convention and exposition, designed to provide leadership and education for emergency medical transport professionals. The exhibition features over 120 companies displaying products and services applicable to air and ground critical care. More than 2,500 attendees from clinical, administration and aviation industries attend in year.

Source: Bell Helicopters
Photo: Rob Vogelaar Z.A.P.P.