Simrik Air receives Bell 505
The Nepalese helicopter operator has acquired its first Bell 505, which will support medical evacuation and search and rescue missions
Nepalese helicopter operator Simrik Air has acquired a new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter. The aircraft will complement its existing fleet of Bell 407GXP and Airbus H125 helicopters, and will be used by Simrik to support ‘medical evacuation, search and rescue, survey, adventure, training, public safety, corporate and chartered operations’.
Simrik stated that it had ‘agreed to acquire this aircraft after testing its capabilities in the terrains of Nepal in 2019’. However, it added that the process of purchasing the aircraft was subsequently ‘delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic’.
The Bell 505 has a maximum cruise speed of 231km/h, with a range of 566km and an endurance of around four hours. Importantly for Nepal’s mountainous geography, the aircraft has a hover ceiling out of ground effect (OGE) of 3,188m, and up to 4,404m in ground effect (IGE).
In standard configuration, it has onboard capacity for one pilot and four passengers, and is fitted with a Garmin G1000H flight deck with twin LCD screens.
Three Bell 505 helicopters were also delivered to the Royal Bahrain Air Force earlier this month.