Chairman of the Jordanian Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Yousef Huneiti, inaugurated last week the aviation simulator building and Bell 505 hangar at the King Hussein Air College. The ceremony was attended by the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) Commander and Senior Armed Forces Officers.
Huneiti toured the premises and was briefed by the Fifth Squadron Commander on the simulator operation systems and equipment in an aircraft cockpit that are used to train pilots.
He also toured the Bell 505 hangar, “a qualitative addition” to air force crews, supporting basic and advanced training in helicopter flying, Petra news agency reported.
The Army Chief hailed the level of preparedness of Royal Jordanian Air Force personnel, noting their efforts to keep pace with modern advancements in aviation and achieve efficiency and combat readiness to protect the Kingdom’s skies and the country's security and safety of its people.
Huneiti also led a graduation of the Drone Operations 1, Public Safety 2, and Aircraft Maintenance Technology 1 courses for students of the 54th Aviation Candidate Course and the Prince Faisal Technical College Pilot Course, both held at King Hussein Air College.
Towards the end of the ceremony, attended by graduates' families, he handed out awards to outstanding cadets.
On 24 July 2024, Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced the successful delivery of the remaining five Bell 505 aircraft to the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF), completing the 10 Bell 505 fleet order.
This significant milestone coincided with the graduation of the latest cohort of pilot cadets in a ceremony attended by His Royal Highness, Crown Prince of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, underlining the RJAF’s ongoing commitment to excellence in aviation training and operational readiness.
In a landmark event, the RJAF celebrated the graduation of its cadets, showcasing the Bell 505 aircraft that will be instrumental to the training of future generation of Jordan’s pilots.
On July 6, 2022, the RJAF signed a purchase agreement for 10 Bell 505 helicopters, aimed at enhancing the RJAF’s training capabilities. Bell worked closely with regional partner, BGS, to support this initiative with RJAF and is grateful for its collaboration in expanding Bell’s fleet in the Middle East. The first five helicopters were delivered in November 2023, marking the beginning of a new era in rotorcraft training at the King Hussein Air College in Mafraq, Jordan.
The Bell 505 is a versatile, five-seat aircraft designed for reliability and efficiency, equipped with the latest technology to meet the demands of modern flight training. The aircraft features a fully integrated Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite and a Safran Arrius 2R engine with dual-channel FADEC, making it an ideal platform for military and commercial training. (Petra; Bell; Photo: Bell 505 © Royal Jordanian Air Force)
