Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today its received Level 6 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for its 429 flight training device.

Certification of this simulator is a critical element of the flight training curriculum and clears the way for final regulatory approval of the overall 429 flight training program.

“This accomplishment is the culmination of a multi-year effort by Bell Helicopter and our supplier partner, FRASCA. Providing outstanding training to our customers that is second to none is a top goal for Bell Helicopter,” said R. Danny Maldonado senior vice president, Customer Support and Chief Services Officer. “This certification enables the successful achievement of that goal.”

This certification, under Bell Helicopter’s Part 141 Training School, provides customers with 20 hours of approved flight training time that can be applied toward an Instrument Rating. This is significantly higher than approved flight time on similar devices in the industry.

Bell Helicopter’s world-class training academy is located at its Alliance, Texas, facility. Since the training academy opened more than 60 years ago, Bell Helicopter has trained more than 120,000 customers from around the world.

The 429 is the world’s newest and most advanced light twin-engine helicopter. Certified in 2009 by Transport Canada, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the 429 has been designed, built and certified to the most stringent airworthiness standards.

About Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell’s global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.