Press Release

Issued by Jet Aviation Australia.

July 22, 2013

Hawker Pacific, leading aircraft sales and product support company in Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East, today confirmed the Bell 412EPI helicopter, the newly upgraded version of the 412EP, is now compliant with single pilot, Category “A” operations for elevated helipads. Hawker Pacific will bring a new 412EPI demonstrator to Australia in August to coincide with the upcoming 2013 ASA+FNA Aeromedical Conference in Melbourne. The aircraft will also be available for demonstration flights.

Manufacturer, Bell Helicopter, unveiled the 412EPI model at Heli Expo 2013 in Las Vegas, which improves on the 412EP with the Bell BasiX Pro fully integrated glass flight deck and incorporates Pratt & Whitney's PT6T-9 Twin Pac® engines with the BLR Strake and FastFin System. The aircraft has a 15% increase in shaft horse power (SHP), enabling improved performance and exceptional single-engine capabilities.

Tony Jones, Hawker Pacific's senior vice president, aircraft sales and flight services group said: “We have just had confirmation from Bell that the 412EPI is now compliant with single pilot, Category A operations for elevated helipads – which means almost no mission or operating environment is beyond reach for the 412EPI. The new certification further adds to the aircraft's incredible appeal and capability as a special mission, off shore and emergency medical services(EMS) aircraft.”

“It is timely that we kick-off a regional demonstration tour so soon after its release in the US, and in time for the 25th Scientific Meeting of the Aeromedical Society of Australasia (ASA) and Flight Nurses Australia (FNA), 28-30th August in Melbourne. Australia represents a solid market for EMS, special mission and utility helicopters, and the 412 is valued by operators and crew alike for its outstanding performance, ease of maintenance and overall reliability. We're excited to present this aircraft to the local industry so they can see first-hand the significant improvements to this already well respected aircraft.” 
“The Bell 412 has a solid history, with over 4.5million flight hours, and remains the most mission flexible medium helicopter. It is reliable, backed by the Bell Helicopter legionary customer support, and is very competitively priced,” Tony Jones concluded. 
The Bell 412EPI offers a rugged airframe built with safety in mind, as well as upgraded engines that provide 15% more horsepower than the Bell 412EP. The Bell BasiX Pro system features four 10.4” high-resolution LCD primary/multi-function display units for vital flight information in an easy-to-scan layout. The system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of twin-engine helicopters and is optimised fo, Category A and JAR OPS3 compliant operations. The avionics suite also includes high-resolution digital maps, electronic charts and approach plates, ADS-B transponder and optional HTAWS and XM satellite links.