CareFlite to purchase its second Bell 429 helicopter

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced a purchase agreement with CareFlite for its second Bell 429. CareFlite, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) corporation based in Dallas Fort Worth, provides air and ground ambulance service from its bases across North Texas. The aircraft will be outfitted to perform Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) missions throughout the region. This sale comes on the heels of a previous order for one Bell 429 that was delivered in May and four Bell 407GXs that were purchased in 2013.

“We will continue to rely on the Bell 429 for the advanced situational awareness and performance the aircraft offers our pilots,” said James Swartz, President and CEO of CareFlite. “It is important to get our patients the care they need quickly and safely, and our fleet of Bell helicopters will help us do just that. The Bell 429 provides the space and lift needed for advanced, team transports.”

CareFlite, America’s oldest joint use air medical program (founded in 1979) is sponsored by Baylor Scott and White Health, JPS Health Network, Methodist Health System, Parkland Health and Hospital and Texas Health Resources. CareFlite provides helicopter EMS service to North Texas and Southern Oklahoma from its bases in and around the DFW Metroplex. The new Bell 429s, along with the four Bell 407GXs, will be used to further support these extensive services.

“We’ve been supporting CareFlite’s lifesaving missions since 1979 and are truly honored by their trust in our operations,” said Anthony Moreland, Bell Helicopter’s vice president of North American sales. “The safe and reliable characteristics of the Bell 429 will provide peace of mind when transporting patients.”