Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today an agreement with LifeFlight Eagle for the supply of two Bell 407GX aircraft. LifeFlight Eagle will utilize the helicopters to transport critically ill and injured persons in the Kansas City, MO area.

“Our current fleet of Bell 407’s has demonstrated a high degree of safe, reliable and cost-effective performance,” said Roxanne Shanks, CEO at LifeFlight Eagle. “We are excited by the opportunity to upgrade our fleet to the new 407GXs, and are very pleased at the high residual value the current aircraft held after 10 years in service.”

LifeFlight Eagle, established in 1978, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing safe, quality emergency air transport and patient care to communities surrounding Kansas City in Missouri and Kansas. The two new Bell 407GX aircraft will replace their two hard-working analog Bell 407s.

“The Bell 407GX integrates reliability, speed, performance and maneuverability,” said Danny Maldonado, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing at Bell Helicopter. “With the proven ability to cruise at 130 knots, the Bell 407GX can quickly get to the scene, provide fast and easy patient loading, and a smooth ride to safety.”

Built on the success of the Bell 407, the 407GX is the only helicopter equipped with the innovative Garmin G1000HTM integrated glass flight deck, making it the most advanced light, single-engine rotorcraft on the market. The Garmin G1000H™ enhances mission awareness with HTAWS, TIS, moving map display and Garmin’s Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology (HSV™).

“Bell Helicopter is proud to be a part of the life-saving missions carried out by LifeFlight Eagle every day,” said Maldonado. “We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with them as they expand their operations.”

The Bell 407GX safety features include a rupture resistant fuel system, engine exceedance monitoring and a collective mounted throttle. The Bell 407GX is backed by Bell Helicopter’s #1 ranked Customer Support and Service with more than 100 customer service facilities in 34 countries.

[Photo shows a current 407 of Lifeflight Eagle]