/ TURBINE PILOT / X factor T-18 AOPA PILOT / August 2022 The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X impresses new owners The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X shouldn't be a great helicopter. Always inclusive but rarely exceptional, major projects done by committee are usually predictable and boring. Now, approximately five years after the helicopter's certification, it's clear Bell's approach was a major success and the 505 is, by all accounts, a fantastic helicopter. BY IAN J. TWOMBLY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID TULIS