SiriusXM and helicopter manufacturer Bell, have confirmed that Bell will become the first helicopter OEM to provide its customers with a three-month subscription to SiriusXM’s satellite-delivered aviation weather, information, and audio programming services with the purchase of a new rotor wing aircraft.
A three-month subscription to SiriusXM’s satellite-delivered aviation weather, information, and audio programming services are available on the following popular Bell models – Bell 407GX, Bell 429, and the Bell 525.
Bell customers will receive three months of SiriusXM’s top tier of Aviation Weather and Information service, plus the SiriusXM All Access programming package, which offers the full spectrum of SiriusXM audio entertainment. SiriusXM Aviation Weather and audio services are available in the continental United States and Canada.
“We are very pleased to expand the SiriusXM Aviation Weather and Information trial program to Bell, an innovative and highly-respected leader in the industry, as the first participating helicopter manufacturer,” said Dave Wasby, VP, Aviation, Marine and Music for Business for SiriusXM.
“With SiriusXM Aviation, Bell will provide their pilots the ability to receive valuable weather features and information that are not always available via ground based networks, and updated data at a faster refresh rate. Plus with SiriusXM’s All Access package, pilots can enjoy the best in audio entertainment in the cockpit for the duration of their flights, as well as outside the aircraft with the SiriusXM app.”
Bell helicopters come optionally equipped with Garmin GDL69 avionics to deliver SiriusXM Aviation Weather features including:
> High-Resolution Composite Radar updating every 2.5 minutes
> Surface Visibility
> NEXRAD Storm Cell Attributes
> 2.5 minute updates for Lightning strike locations: cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground
> Base Reflectivity Radar
Other capabilities that ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) weather doesn’t offer including:
> No line-of-sight restrictions
> No altitude limitations
> No gaps in coverage coast-to-coast
> Weather & Info from taxi to landing