Fourth Bell 525 Flight Test Vehicle Takes Flight

The fourth Bell 525 Flight Test Vehicle (FTV) took flight recently. Â “This is another significant milestone for the Bell 525 Program and a testament to the hard work being completed at our Flight Research Center,” said Byron Ward, Vice President, Bell 525 Program. “We are focused on certification and delivering the most technologically advanced helicopter to market.”

The Bell 525 FTV fleet has completed over 400 hours of testing since returning to flight in July 2017. The fifth and final Bell 525 FTV will join the airborne fleet later this year to perform function and reliability testing. Additional Bell 525 testing activities have included cold weather and cabin and component fatigue testing.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.