Sustainability and Environment
Bell 505 Helicopter Racks Up the SAF Flight Hours
A Bell 505 has achieved more than 700 flight hours using blended SAF
Bell 505
A Bell demonstrator 505 Jet Ranger X has logged more than 700 flight hours on sustainable aviation fuel.

Bell has reached a milestone in sustainability, logging more than 700 flight hours burning blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on one of its light-single Bell 505 helicopters. In 2021, the rotorcraft manufacturer stated it would incorporate the use of SAF in its demonstration fleet and at its helicopter training academy.

A year later, Bell announced a partnership with Safran Helicopter Engines to explore technical performance and economic impacts of SAF on the Safran Arrius 2R-powered Model 505. The 505 made its first flight on unblended, 100% SAF in early 2023, making it the first single-engine helicopter to do so.