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The Bell 206 JetRanger HelicopterExtremely Popular Helicopter for Private, Commercial & Military Use
With more than 6,000 flying worldwide, the JetRanger is one of the most well-liked rotary machines ever made. A professional helicopter pilot looks at the reasons why.
For most people, the Bell 206 JetRanger represents their first introduction to helicopter flying. Anyone who flies as a passenger, whether for sightseeing, business use, or a photographic flight, will be most likely to find themselves in this type of rotary aircraft. It is also used to a large extent by the military and in business. So why are JetRangers so popular? The Origins of the JetRangerThe Bell 206 started life as a loser. Designed to meet a US army requirement for a light observation helicopter in 1964, it lost the bid to the Hughes OH-6. So Bell went back to the drawing board, modifying the aircraft for civilian use. They fitted their new helicopter with a bigger fuselage, producing the more streamlined shape that so many people know and love. This meant it could carry 5 people in comfort, and their baggage too. A new concept in passenger flying was borne, and from then on, the helicopter was a winner in the civilian world….and later began to have a number of other uses too. Uses of the JetRangerJet Rangers fly worldwide in roles as diverse as corporate transportation, police surveillance, crop spraying, pleasure flying, and photographic sorties. Despite having originally been rejected by the US Army, it is also used in the USA for army aviation training. It is an excellent training helicopter, and is commonly the first turbine machine which piston helicopter pilots convert on to. Advantages of the Bell 206Helicopters are inherently unstable and difficult to fly, but the B206 is relatively stable and easy to handle, even for low hours helicopter pilots. It is fairly fast, with a cruise speed of 115 knots (around 125 mph), and also enjoyable to fly. It is comfortable and roomy for passengers, and visibility is excellent, even from the back of the cockpit. The machine is also one of the world’s safest helicopters. Overall, it has much to recommend it, and very few vices. This is proved by the fact that JetRangers have flown more than 26 million flight hours in total. ‘Eye in the Sky’Jet Rangers can be seen orbiting over every major American city, acting as the ‘eye in the sky’. Equipped with powerful cameras, they are a vital tool in the fight against crime. They are also used extensively for ‘traffic watch’ – reporting on the state of freeways and other major roads during morning and evening rush hours. In Europe, police forces use the JetRanger for traffic control, rescue work, searches, etc. Round the World…by JetRangerThe first three flights round the world by helicopter were all made in Bell 206s (two JetRangers and one LongRanger), and each set a new record. Dick Smith’s 35, 257 mile solo flight took place in 1982. He was followed by Ross Perot Jr, whose record stood for twelve years, until Ron Bower managed to beat it, covering 24,800 miles. Since then Bower’s record has been beaten, but in other helicopter types. Of course, there are now many newer, perhaps more sophisticated helicopters around. But the JetRanger is a perennial – a safe, reasonably fast, comfortable, easy-to-fly helicopter with no major disadvantages. That is why everyone loves it - and probably always will. More information on helicopters may be found at The Robinson R44 Helicopter. Further ReadingThe Aviation Factfile: Helicopters, Robert Jackson (General Editor), Grange Books 2005
The copyright of the article The Bell 206 JetRanger Helicopter in Aviation is owned by Helen Krasner. Permission to republish The Bell 206 JetRanger Helicopter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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