Market Spotlight: Bell 505

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a single engine, light turbine helicopter which was launched in 2013. The first flight took place in November 2014 and certification (by Transport Canada) was received in December 2016. By mid-2026, more than 700 had been delivered worldwide for a wide range of missions, including corporate, sightseeing, law enforcement and training.

The Bell 505 is the successor to the highly popular Bell 206 model, of which more than 7,300 civilian use examples were built. While the Bell 505 is a “clean sheet” design, it does feature some dynamic components carried over from the Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger model. The metal/composite airframe has a 22-square-foot (2.04 m2) flat floor and an 18-cubic-foot (0.51 m3) luggage compartment, with typical seating for four passengers when operating with a single pilot.

The Bell 505 is powered by a single SAFRAN Arrius 2R turboshaft engine with dual-channel FADEC and a 3,000 -hour time between overhaul (TBO). The standard cockpit features the Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite, with upgrades available to include HTAWS, Synthetic Vision, Emergency Locator Transmitter, Flight Stream wireless cockpit connectivity and TAS, as well as a choice of 2- or 3-Axis autopilot systems. Other popular optional equipment includes air conditioning, auxiliary fuel system, cargo hook, high skid gear, emergency floats and dual pilot controls. Interior upgrades such as premium leather seats and full VIP interior kits are popular with corporate operators. Various EMS interior options can also be selected.The Bell 505 has a maximum take-off gross weight of 1,669 kg (3,680 lb.) with internal load and 2,030 kg (4,475 lb.) with external load under International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) conditions. Useful load is approximately 680 kg (1,500 lb.). Maximum cruise speed is around 125 knots and maximum range is up to 566 km (306 nm) with endurance of around four hours.

Data Source: Bell, AMSTAT, Conklin & de Decker, ASG.
Note: Using Conklin de Decker data under the assumption of 400 flight hours per year. The number of total aircraft in operation are from AMSTAT and ASG, which might differ from Bell’s official numbers.

The Bell 505 fleet is well spread globally, with the largest fleet based in North America (28.3%), followed by Asia-Pacific (24.2%), Latin America and the Caribbean (22.2%) and Europe (16.2%).

There were 168 Bell 505s in service in Asia-Pacific (including Oceania) at the end of Q2 2026, with the largest fleets based in South Korea (45), mainland China (44) and Japan (27). The vast majority of the South Korea-based Bell 505s were operated by the armed forces in training and utility roles, with just four examples flying for commercial operators.

Data Source: AMSTAT & ASG

The 44 mainland China-based Bell 505s were deployed a variety of missions including utility, sightseeing and corporate flying, while the 27 based in Japan were mostly corporate examples. The Japan Coast Guard had four Bell 505s in its fleet at the end of Q2 2026. The proportion of military operators being amongst the largest in Asia-Pacific highlights the popularity of the Bell 505 in non-civilian missions in the region.

With limited initial production volume and high demand, the Bell 505 was a much sought after helicopter in the pre-owned market during its first years of service. It is a modern and capable light turbine helicopter to supplement or replace older types such as the Bell 206, Airbus EC120 and Robinson R66. With an increase in both comfort and performance over older helicopters, as well as more customizable options, the Bell 505 is particularly appealing to corporate and private operators. It is also an ideal entry level turbine helicopter for start-up operators.

The first available pre-owned Bell 505s in the late 2010s and into the early 2020s often transacted at above market values, highlighting the demand for this type, in particular for corporate configured examples. Market Values for the Bell 505 have remained high and value retention has remained strong throughout the years.

With production volume increased and wider availability of pre-owned Bell 505s, the pre-owned market has stabilized during the past two to three years, with availability, asking prices and actual transaction prices now much more in line with expectations for this category of helicopter. However, the Bell 505 is still a popular type on the pre-owned market and is expected to remain so with more replacement and upgrade requirements for existing helicopters in the coming years. Pre owned availability has remained fairly stable over the past six months or so at around 30 listed for sale. Just 4.0% of the total Bell 505 fleet was listed for sale at the end of Q2 2026, the lowest percentage recorded for at least the past three years, demonstrating the continued popularity of pre-owned Bell 505s.

Average days on market has remained fairly consistent over the past 12 months, with a more notable increase during Q2 2026, which can be accounted for by some less desirable examples which have remained on the market for an extended period without a transaction,
but also offset by some relatively quick sales. A total of 25 Bell 505 transactions were recorded during the first six months of 2026.

A selection of Bell 505s available on the market is listed in the accompanying table, with the vast majority being low time examples. These are the most desirable pre-owned Bell 505s –corporate configured with low utilization and options including air conditioning, premium interior with leather seats, upgraded avionics, dual controls and auto pilot. Other optional equipment such as Emergency Floats, Frahm equipment and cargo hook are preferred for certain missions.

The Bell 505 is expected to maintain its popularity well into the next decade, with high demand for replacements of older generation helicopters, as well as additional mission requirements from new and existing operators.