St. Augustine Communities Get Boost to Flight Operations for Rescue, Survey Capability

Bell Textron inked a purchase agreement for one Bell 407GXi aircraft to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) of St. Augustine, Florida.

The aircraft will join the office's Aviation Operations Unit and undertake missions throughout the local area and its surrounding counties, including a number of smaller communities including Ponte Vedra, Hastings, Switzerland, Crescent Beach, Tocoi, Bakersville, Picolatta, Orangedale, Fruit Cove, Summer Haven and Vilano Beach. Like many buyers, the County opted for a top-of-the-line loadout for their aircraft, looking for maximum future-proofing with a simple glass panel layout, with the usual synthetic vision and mapping expected in an mission-ready unit.

“St. Johns County has selected to replace its Bell OH58 aircraft with the latest advancement of the Bell 407 platform, the Bell 407GXi,” said Lane Evans, managing director, North America. “The new avionics and upgraded engine will deliver increased readiness and reliability that is critical to the vast mission portfolio of St. Johns County Sheriff’s Aviation Operations Unit.”

FMI: www.bellflight.com