User Guide

Flight Simulator
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Microsoft
Bell 206B JetRanger III
The Bell 206 series has accumulated an astound-
ing array of impressive statistics. More than 6,000
JetRangers are flying worldwide in roles as
diverse as corporate transportation, police
surveillance, and United States Army Aviation
training. The series has flown over 26 million flight
hours, and a few JetRangers are flying with more
than 30,000 hours on their airframes.
The JetRanger design derived from a Light
Observation Helicopter (LOH) proposal Bell
submitted to the United States Army in the 1960s.
Though it lost out to a Hughes Aircraft Company
design, Bell decided to develop the model as the
206 for the civilian market.
Despite Bell’s best efforts, the original LOH design
was found unsuitable for conversion to civilian
use, primarily because of its limited carrying
capacity. Engineers started over with an entirely
new fuselage, resulting in an elegant teardrop-
shaped aircraft that would seat five and carry their
baggage.
Due to rising costs of the Hughes helicopter, the
LOH competition was reopened in 1967 and Bell’s
206 won this round. The 206 was purchased by
the Army and put to work under the designation
OH-58A. JetRangers are still serving in the armed
forces. The newest model in uniform is the TH-67
Creek primary trainer. The United States Army
credits a rise in student grades and a drop in
course failures to the use of the Creek in training
programs.
But it’s as a civilian that the JetRanger has seen
its biggest success. The original 206 has evolved
into the JetRanger II and the JetRanger III, both
incorporating major upgrades to more powerful
engines.
According to the National Transportation Safety
Board, the Bell 206 has the best safety record of
all single-engine aircraft. Reinforcing its safety
record, the Bell 206B JetRanger III is the only
helicopter in its class to offer rupture-resistant
fuel cells and shoulder harnesses as standard
equipment.
Although helicopters are inherently unstable and
difficult to fly, testimony to the JetRanger’s ease of
handling is the fact that it can be certified for
single-pilot IFR operation. In 1994, Texas busi-
nessman Ron Bower flew a Bell 206B JetRanger
III solo around the world. Bower navigated across
21 countries and 24 time zones in 24 days. By the
end of the journey, he’d flown over 23,000 miles
(37,015 km) and had broken the previous around-
the-world helicopter speed record by nearly five
days.
The JetRanger III costs less to operate and
maintain than any other craft in its class and has
the highest resale value of any light helicopter. A
winning formula for safety and value has made
the JetRanger the world’s most popular helicopter
series.
For details on flying this aircraft, see the Aircraft
Information section of Help.