At a ceremony yesterday at the Bell Helicopter booth Waypoint Leasing signed a letter of intent for 20 Bell 525 Relentless helicopters, a deal that represents the largest commitment thus far for the still-under-development super-medium helicopter. “This landmark agreement is one of the largest commercial helicopter orders in Bell Helicopter’s 80-year history, and demonstrates that the marketplace recognizes the capabilities and unmatched value of the Bell 525 Relentless,” said Bell president and CEO John Garrison.
If the certification process goes smoothly for the 20,000-pound-class helicopter, which has yet to make its first flight, Waypoint CEO Ed Washecka told AIN he expects deliveries to his company to begin next year and spread over the course of four years. “It gives us a chance to get in early with a new model, do the leg work with Bell of marketing it to the user base and have some role in how that aircraft is going to be designed and fielded,” he said. Waypoint plans to provide the 525, which will be the first fly-by-wire commercial helicopter, to its customers in a wide variety of roles including oil and gas, aeromedical transport, search-and-rescue, firefighting and governmental support.
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