UK CAA approves Bell 407GXi autopilot

Bell Textron Inc. announced that the Bell 407GXi 3-axis autopilot has received certification from the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

“We are thrilled to offer the Bell 3-axis autopilot for the Bell 407GXi to our customers in the UK,” said Patrick Moulay, senior vice president, International Sales. “The system allows for decreased pilot workload and assistance in the event of inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC), overall increasing pilot comfort and ease over long distances.”

It is available in the two and three-axis configurations: the two-axis version includes pitch control (altitude hold, IAS hold) and roll control (HDG hold, NAV, vertical navigation mode), and the three-axis option adds yaw control.

In addition, the system is equipped with:

• • Stability augmentation system to automatically recover the aircraft to near-level flight attitude at all speeds in the event of adverse roll or pitch
  • Stability engagement throughout all phases of flight
  • Envelope protection to prevent over speeding and under speeding

Owners can specify the autopilot system on new Bell 407GXis or have the system retrofitted.

With the autopilot, advanced Garmin avionics, and a dual channel FADEC-controlled engine, the Bell 407GXi continues to set high standards for single-engine aircraft with its advanced technical features. There are currently 1,500 Bell 407s operating across all six continents totaling more than six million flight hours.