Rotorcraft
Bell 505 Hits 700 Deliveries at Farnborough Airshow
Type has logged more than 390,000 flight hours
Bell’s 700th Bell 505 delivery went to a private VIP operator at Farnborough 2026, as the type surpasses 390,000 flight hours across more than 55 countries.
Bell’s 700th Bell 505 delivery went to a private VIP operator at Farnborough 2026, as the type surpasses 390,000 flight hours across more than 55 countries. © Image courtesy Bell Textron

Bell Textron delivered the 700th Bell 505 on Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow, a milestone for a helicopter that has accumulated more than 390,000 flight hours across more than 55 countries and six continents since entering service in 2017. A private VIP operator received the light-single helicopter, which is based on the rotor and drive system of the Bell 206L4 and features Garmin avionics.

Besides the VIP and corporate segment, the Bell 505 serves as a military pilot training platform in Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Montenegro, Indonesia, Iraq, and South Korea. The helicopter’s open cabin and glass cockpit make it suited to training environments where student visibility is a priority.