Bell 505 - When Was the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time?
We all know the thrilling feeling of trying something new. The first time you ride a bike, drive a car, meet someone new, or perhaps see a new place. That exhilaration of the unknown that we continue to seek out; constantly pushing further to experience it. As we age, this feeling becomes more and more fleeting. What if, though, you could step foot on an untouched mountain peak, stumble upon a hidden beach or take to the sky to see the world from a whole new perspective right from your backyard? Often these places can only be seen by plane, looking down at the world from 35,000 feet. These new places seem almost unobtainable without a runway. Seemingly no way you could ever set foot in that location with not a road nor a path to it. When you remove the requirement of an airport or road, however, you need the ultimate adventure machine. A helicopter.
Providing the ability to go places no other vehicle can reach, a helicopter gives you a veritable first with every flight. With the right permissions, helicopters can be seen landing in remote rivers for fishing trips, outside of ice caves not yet explored, or on buttes for a camping trip under the stars. Because of their unique ability to land anywhere, helicopters can fly lower to the ground and access places where no airplane is allowed - creating an entirely new experience from the air. Cyrus Sigari, a Bell 505 pilot and owner with extensive fixed wing experience as well states, “I have flown over the southwestern United States for 30 years in airplanes, and I thought I was an expert on that and I was at 45,000 feet, not at 500 feet. Once you go down to 500 feet there’s a whole new world down there. There’s not a minute that goes by where you’re not thinking, ‘Wow, this is incredible.’” Helicopters can also be parked at your home, ranch, resort, cabin, or wherever you will be staying. Landing areas can be anything from small fields to parking lots to driveways. Typically, no hangar is required either, opening the sheer number of places your helicopter can reside overnight.
As Neil Mclean, Bell 505 pilot and owner, puts it, “ I enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, and activities like that, so I want to be able to get somewhere that I can’t get with a fixed wing; to reach places that no one else can is pretty amazing.” Helicopters, like the Bell 505, give owners the ability to fly to altitudes in the tens of thousands of feet and 300 miles on a single tank of fuel. Much like a SUV, a large open cabin and cargo bay provide ample space for any type of gear from sleeping bags to rolling suitcases. Room for a pilot plus four passengers means you won’t be traveling alone either. The open cabin with large windows provides panoramic views for all passengers as you cruise over beautiful terrain 500 feet above the ground and approach a landing spot no one will ever forget.
The efficiency of traveling by air is not something to be overlooked. Dodging Friday traffic heading across the city or skipping winding roads on your way to a remote cabin can add precious hours back to your day. The ability to keep a helicopter at home also eliminates driving to and from the airport on either end of your flight. With even smaller helicopters capable of cruising along at 130 mph, you’re sure to reach your destination in a fraction of the time. As the world reopens, the need to get out and see the world is stronger than ever. If you truly desire to see the world in a new way, what better way than to explore than through a Bell 505 helicopter. Whether an experienced pilot or completely new to aviation, aircraft ownership may be simpler than you think. So ask yourself, when was the last time you did something for the first time?