Amy Wilder is a private pilot with more than two decades of experience as a writer and editor in a career spanning journalism, marketing, and communications. 
She has worked in aviation journalism since 2023, combining a lifelong passion for flight and a love of the aviation community with a penchant for storytelling. As a licensed pilot, she brings firsthand insight to the stories she covers, lending an authentic, on-the-ground perspective to industry coverage.
She holds a Master of Arts in Eastern Classics and a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, both from St. John&#039;s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Culture.

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Amy Wilder

Bell Textron delivered the 700th Bell 505 on Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow, a milestone for a helicopter that has accumulated more than 390,000 flight hours across more than 55 countries and six continents since entering service in 2017. A private VIP operator received the light-single helicopter, which&nbsp;is based on the rotor and drive system of the Bell 206L4 and features Garmin avionics.
Besides the VIP and corporate segment, the Bell 505 serves as a <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2026-01-15/military-refurbishment-boosting-bells-apac-business">military pilot training</a> platform in Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Montenegro, Indonesia, Iraq, and South Korea. The helicopter’s open cabin and glass cockpit make it suited to training environments where student visibility is a priority.
"The Bell 505 is an incredible multimission aircraft, and we continue to see operators choosing this platform to join their fleet," said Robin Wendling, Bell’s managing director for Europe. "We look forward to welcoming our newest operator to the Bell family, while also celebrating all of our Bell 505 operators across the different mission segments throughout the world."

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Bell Marks 700th Bell 505 Delivery at Farnborough Airshow

Type has logged more than 390,000 flight hours

Bell delivered its 700th Bell 505 at Farnborough 2026, with the milestone aircraft going to a private VIP operator. The type operates in 55-plus countries.

Bell 505 Hits 700 Deliveries at Farnborough Airshow

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Farnborough Airshow 2026

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