Aircraft Is The First Bell 412 Type Certified Helo In China

Bell Helicopter has delivered a Bell 412EPI to Chongqing General Aviation (CQGA). The helicopter is the first certified Bell 412 type aircraft to operate in China and will be used for fire-fighting missions. A delivery ceremony was held at Bell Helicopter’s customization and delivery center in Piney Flats, TN on April 22.

“We are pleased to deliver the most rugged and reliable medium helicopter on the market to Chongqing General Aviation,” said Chad Nimrick, general manager of Bell Helicopter’s Piney Flats Customization and Delivery Center. “This will be the first Bell 412 type aircraft in China, and we are certain interest in the Bell 412EPI will only grow as its superior performance and capabilities are demonstrated during life-saving missions.”
 
“We are proud to accept this fine aircraft into our operations, and we are excited to deploy its integrated avionics, payload and lift capabilities to complete firefighting, forest protection, emergency rescue, and law enforcement missions,” said Gong Wei, Chairman of CQGA. “We look forward to continued partnership with Bell to bring helicopter and maintenance capabilities to China as the demand for helicopters grows.”

The new Bell 412 EPI was outfitted with a fire-fighting water tank, Bambi bucket, hoist, cargo hook, radar altimeter, and search light and will join CQGA’s fleet of aircraft that also includes two Bell 407GX helicopters.
 
Introduced in 2013, the Bell 412EPI continues to garner interest from international customers, including the Canadian Coast Guard who recently signed an agreement to purchase seven of the aircraft.

(Image provided by Bell Helicopter)

FMI: www.bellhelicopter.com