Bell 407 GX Helicopter review
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- In part one of this two part review as I visit ZIP Aviation and take a tour of their Bell 407 GX with pilot Andrew Woods.
www.zipaviation...
Skip ahead by clicking on the times below
0:48 Intro
2:33 Engine and specs
6:40 Cabin and size
11:35 Inside and G1000
16:00 Engine start
20:30 Pickup and depart
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It's good having these videos available, because it's always hard to decide which helicopter to buy this week. ;)
Lmao ikr
Do u know that maintenance will be expensive for them?
Brock Henry not to mention that thing is a complete gas hog
Brock Henry the Robinson doesn't crash a lot. The people in control of it does.
The helicopter rarely is the cause. Pilot error is. I love flying the Robinson as much as the bell 206. Better tail rotor authority in the Robinson.
I lovee the fact that the pilot is explaining everything. He doesn't say; "well this is irrelevant so I'll keep my mouth shut".
Give us more of this Nick. Here, have my like.
Best helicopter walk around/tour I have ever seen on UA-cam!!! The pilot was spectacular. Your work is very inspiring Nick...don't ever stop doing what you do!
Thank you for the kind comment
@Nick Murray ေဆဈဆဆဆဆဆရဆတတနနှျေေျေဗေေဖေ္
That pilot made many comments true of an exceptional pilot. Aircraft knowledge, harness off for fast evac, door open listening, viewing the platform on lift off, controls in control at all times, always thinking ahead, and more. I would feel very safe with him at the controls.
Yes he is a real professional
Well done Andrew, it’s being a while. All the very best Robin.
Andrew is one of the most laid back pilots I know, he was my flight instructors way back in 2007 when I got my PPL, A very knowledgeable guy who explains everything to you and is fun to fly with, safe flying Andrew.
How fortunate. Watching this, I thought man, I'd like this guy as an instructor!
He's a great pilot. That pull up to hover was flawless... No yaw, held on the heels briefly and perfect pick up. Great pilot!
It's easy when there is no wind. :-)
WOW Nick, the audio is GREAT. Even with planes starting up around you the voices are still picked up perfectly!
I worked on OH-58D in the ARMY. I always saw her as a rugged and surgical instrument of precision war fighting. I always wondered what she would look like all dressed up in evening wear. Now I know. Thank you Sirs.
Thanks to you Nick I took my wife on a helicopter tour around Manhattan with Zip Aviation for he B-day after seeing this video and she loved it.
This video increases my chances in life to be come a chopper pilot one day,i wish you could be my instructor,just because you take your time to explain to your student in a very calm and simple manner for any student to understand easily.i love your passion
amazing how smooth that is even on a clear day. When I did my intro flight in the R44 it felt like I was constantly fighting the wind horribly and it was relatively calm with a steady breeze with some gusts.
I could watch videos like this all day for the rest of my days! God, I so love helicopters! :D
do you fly them (or have flown them)?
A-bit late (actually really late, hehe) As an Ex-Helicopter pilot (HU-BH), I find the 407 to be a stunning work of art. I left the industry as the Montreal team introduced the 407 back in the day. Andrew has an outstanding procedure for his start-ups and I learned something new here, very professional approach and the way I approached the machines I flew. Thank you Andrew (and Nick) enjoy learning new things. :) NC
That pilot was awsome. What a nice dude and would be great to fly around with, cool as a cucumber. Great job Nick. Great photos as well.
I meet this captain at a airport on long island yesterday. He was nice enough to chat with me for a few moments before his flight
I'm a volunteer firefighter from Tennessee and we have life star units that are this same aircraft, I know from experience that these helicopters will navigate the toughest terrain and can land almost anywhere, and on top of that they just sound badass when there coming from the horizon
Love this video and what a nice guy Andrew is, really informative but not patronizing. Keep them coming
What a coincidence! I live in Brazil and have been around Nick Murray's channel for some years. When in NY three months ago, I flew a tour trip exactly with this guy, Andrew Woods! He even did let me take the front seat of the sistership N79ZA because I was helicopter private pilot by the time. Again, what a coincidence!
Youve really set the standard for these excellent helicopter walkarounds! Thanks for a great video. One of my fav helis, they make a nice noise!
No socks and loafers, one frikkin cool Irish pilot.
The Best Irish people are the The Best of the Best ;-) sláinte!
I'm Irish & Scottish, I can't keep calm :-) ;-)
Broncho Gillespie Top of the fuckin morning to ya bitches.
+sainglain you cant be fucking both
yes i he is really cool Broncho Gillespi the Irish pilot.
Dude's got style for miles...Not to mention, he's rockin' a Rolex Yatch-Master Platinum dial!
This pilot is the most interesting to listen to yet. Loving the aircraft videos. Can’t believe I have not looked at them before. 👍
Boy ! Brought back lovely memories of the actual 407. I worked on the original helicopter SN: 53000 .
Thank's for that really great video of that beautiful machine that is the Bell 407 and for that amazing view of NY !
Great video and the audio really was terrific! Thanks for taking the time and effort!
What a beautiful Helicopter, nice pilot and another great review Nick....I really want one..
You and me both : )
Saw this helicopter landing at TEB on Friday afternoon, 2-16-18. What a beautiful sight and extremely quiet!
all that photography equipment probably worth as much as the heli ;-p
great videos. i'm not a pilot, i've never even been in a helicopter but for some reason i find these videos impossible to turn off. God bless youtube (and Irish pilots)
Another great helicopter review, Nick. I have a friend who has his own 407 although not with a glass office. It is a beautiful machine... Keep up the great heli reviews!!!
Thanks
Great video. Love watching these. As someone who is not in the aviation field, or a pilot at all, this video and all the others are satisfying and informative.
What a brilliant video, big heli fan but barring a lottery win never going to learn and/or own, but this is great. Crystal clear and good pace, thanks a lot!
Now that's a great machine.! Thumbs up and greetings from Switzerland
Just flew in a 407 for the first time today. Much nicer than the usual 206 I find myself in occasionally. Was rough in the winter winds up here in Yellowknife, but not nearly as much as the 206.
I design helicopter liveries and interiors for mostly the corporate sector and I must say in the 407 world the zigzag is dominant so this scheme is very refreshing and very well thought out/clever, compliments the airframe strikingly.
With both of your accents I thought to myself no way this is Caldwell airport in Essex County NJ. Sure enough! Cool to see a video at my local airport. Great professional pilot
This shows the difference between private and professional piloting, well done!
great little flight and video! Your pilot sounds like a flight instructor. Informative and clear with all his explanations.
Mr. Woods is the business. This was your best heli review I think Nick. I'm not a big fan of the 206 platform, but I must admit Bell has really stepped up their game it seems. Can you do a "Top Gear" head to head tour helicopter comparison with Clarkson doing a guest cameo? I think I would probably still rather be in an EC120 or EC135.
The Aussie interviewer and Irish interviewee, in America. How delightful.
By far my favorite helicopter to fly. It has to be the most powerful/maneuverable for it's class.
They upgraded this aircraft to a huge S-76 now. That N number is assigned to an S-76 photos show it with ZIP Aviation on it, but the registration shows it as owned by N76ZA LLC.
Correct ! N76za was moved to an s76 . The 407 then became n79za and was sold to a Police Dept in California in June 2021.
This guy is a very thorough and knowledgable pilot, Zip should be proud of him. Also Nick, you always forget to include cost and most important, operating cost per hour; huge factor in the cost and ownership of any aircraft. That 407 cost per hour is probably 600 bucks an hour compared to a 206 at $450 a flight hour.
Love these videos! As a student rotorcraft pilot, the information in these vids is great! Very helpful!! Thank you.
Tank you so much Nick for this videos,its so awsome to see how a helicopter works,and how pilots to their jobs,that its so cool....ty again nick you are the best.
Thanks for the kind comment
It feel so good finally seeing nice youtuber with helicopters
Piotr Dobrenko flightchops has you covered on the fixed wing front. Great videos
Does it just seem to me or are everybody in aviation so laid back and chill? :D
P2nkzSB comes with the territory your taught to relax you have to be in case of emergency you have to be able to think and react kinda like a black belt in martial arts
Plus think about it instead of sitting in traffic you get into a chopper and laugh as you fly over them
Some say arrogant pilots are I say we walk a little taller 😉
Besides being taught to relax, airforces and airlines etc actually carefully psychologically assess and select individuals who are have low neuroticism - people who dont get stressed, angry, excited, frustrated etc easily...
Because they all have high EQ.
Cause we all smoke so much weed.
I don't recall being trained to relax specifically but it's inherent in the type of procedures and repetition training a pilot goes through... and panicking in an evaluation would likely fail you so it's more a character trait honed through procedures and repetition, a panicky, impulsive personality wouldn't, or let me say shouldn't get through initial training, even if he/she does that kind of person would not last long with most operators. Also, spinny-wing jocks smoke a ton of weed.
Andrew is a great pilot. Great teacher.
Thumbs up to Nick and Andrew and company, nice video, beautiful aircraft.
Been waiting over a week for the car review man and got this now 😏
Specifically RC F vs M4
I enjoyed this. Thanks for the tour & explaining everything
Hey Nick another really good video. You really stepped up from the 206 on this flight. I will be subscribing.
love the 'remove before flight' tag on the back of Andrew's shirt @17:55
1) I used to be of the same mind about not strapping in during the start. However over the years I've changed my philosophy on that and now I make sure I'm securely strapped-in *ANY* time the blades are turning. If I have to bail, I'm confident that I can get the seatbelt released quickly. Different strokes for different folks though.
The very recent (January 2019) ground accident in which a Bell 230 got into some weird rotor oscillations during startup that resulted in the death of a man outside of the aircraft (perhaps the PIC!) underscore for me the fact that a helicopter rotor is *always* a dangerous thing even when turning "slowly" (i.e. less than 100%). Not a time to be thrown about the cockpit because you're unrestrained when the rotor starts doing the funky chicken as it comes up to idle. Just my opinion...
2) All that jibber-jabber on takeoff caused the PIC to miss *two* calls from Caldwell Tower. Good thing that pipeline patrol pilot was looking out for you guys! Nick, you need to learn to talk less during critical phases of flight. The PIC should've told you to hush-up (and he should have as well).
3) One of my pet peeves is checklist usage. Yeah, the 407 is a fairly simple helicopter. But we dumb pilots are only human and we forget things. Obviously the PIC did too, because just before pulling pitch he stops and then reaches up and flips a switch on the overhead panel (avionics master?!). I hear you ask: "Hey Mr. Perfect, haven't *you* ever forgotten anything?" Hell yeah! Especially when I don't use a checklist in a "simple" aircraft. That's what checklists are for.
Having made those criticisms, I have to say it was a pretty good overview of the 407! As a lifelong 206 pilot, it sure would be nice to have something where power isn't really an issue. 300 pounds per hour isn't even that bad! Great aircraft :)
4 stripes and not a checklist in sight! Amazing. He must be one lucky guy that never forgets anything! FAA calls that a BUST!
Brilliant video ! Cool, laid back pilot too. Very interesting, informative and watchable. Thanks for posting.
i like how he keeps talking about smoothness and comfort yet when it started flying it was vibrating like hell...
Fantastic video, really enjoyed listening to Mr.Woods
Thanks for the upload, cheers!
Best chopper vid on the tube 👍🏿thanks Nick
I love this video so much. i watch it so many times. and i dont get tired of it. its just a beautiful aircraft. and the pilot is just literally walking you through the steps. it would be a good idea if maybe you can do a 2nd video of the 2nd helicopter the pilot said they had in order. i watch all of your videos. thanks nick!
Great Video. I love helicopters and one of my instructors showed me a Bell years ago, and the electronic system said, "READY TO FLY".............
Had a ride in one of these this week. Cairns airport over the beauty of far North Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef and to a place called Bedarra. Love NYC but I think I got the better ride Nick.
I'm confused, it says the range is 372 miles and approximately 4 hours, but it cruises at 153mph, thats only 2.43 hours at cruising speed. Am I misunderstanding something?
Amazing aircraft, amazing city tour, amazing video. Well done guys and thanks.
Regards Mark in the UK
loved this tour... never been in a helicopter but man id love to fly like this.
I'm a helicopter freak and I truly Looooove your review's Nick, keep up the good work! :-)
Thank you
Such difficult content to make. Very few people care about helicopters. Thankfully I have grown my interest in aviation greatly over the past few years so this will be a good one!
Excellent video. Love the pilot, very detailed. Also, lol I love the slip ons shoes. I will look for him when in the area.
Awesome video ! Greetings from Italy, Venice
Wonderful machine and a great video. Your various camera views are excellent! Thanks for sharing!
Being a helicopter pilot , nice video , very competent Heli pilot , great chopper , feel like I'm right there flying it !
Excellent video. Many thanks for your efforts. Greetings from sunny Jamaica.
Us Irish are everywhere :) awesome pilot with great technical knowledge.
haha great reply Nick, this is why I love your channel :)
Brian Except for the moon landings which never took place 😂😂😂
Andrew really seem to be a wonderful human being.
A very knowledgeable pilot, Very impressive.
I've been in a 206 in the same seat. It wasn't noisy or shaky at all. The weather was like this though.
Ok nick keep that big fan moving thanks for Moore time that cool video 😀😀
Nick, Can you do a video about how you got into flying helicopters and how much it costs to learn? I'm an aspiring recreational helicopter pilot and I'd love to hear how you got into it and what it takes to learn how to fly.
Do you still plan to do your licence? I see you had no reply yet. You can email me at as3502003@yahoo.com
We give Helicopter courses through emails only, you can study in your spare time, the cost is $16,000, we are located in Vimanapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560037, India
This is our website: www.hatsoff-training.com/
I love this copter, it’s my all time favorite.
I feel like thats a true pilot! I love these reviews
Forget the Porsche, get one of those
Jim D there's always UBER to get you to the pad
2-3 mil
You meant to say “Forget a Bugatti Chiron”
You could get 30 Porches for one if these
What a freakin awesome pilot…next charter…just curious,how much /hr?
Something about that pilot just makes a person seem confident in a safe flight.
Good to know Bobby Boucher became a helicopter pilot. Way to go waterboy!!
My father was the chief pilot for South Florida water management and they flew two 407's that replaced there a Stars after the helicopter crash. also had a bell jet Ranger floats to land in the swamp. also a King Air to fly governing board members. 407 was one of my favorite helicopters to fly in I also like to the belll 412, it was like a huey on steroids. also the Sikorsky s-76. Greg Norman used to and keep his helicopter at the same FBO. father was best friends with his helicopter pilot and the s-76 reminded me of Airwolf.
Great video! Very detailed and informative, I even saw the red "remove before flight" tag behind the pilot's shirt! Wait wait...!!!! How come he didn't remove his shirt before flight???
Next to my gf and our dog there's two things in life I love... Bimmers and Helicopters .. You do both.. I'm jealous (in a damn I want to do that as well kind of way) :) Thanks for the review great info and a beautiful bird!
Two things that are hard to have if you fly helicopters are a girlfriend and a dog. This pilot seems lucky to have what seems a more predictable schedule and hopefully be home every night. My dogs passed away and so far I managed to keep my wife so I am lucky. I have a bike too but I rarely get to go on any tours because summer is fire season. The flying part is very interesting and challenging but the lifestyle is very unpredictable.
Pretty cool, I used to be a blade repair technician for Bell.
There are a lot of knowledge here. It's not only about flies with helicopter but we can know much more. But anyway your toys are awesome
22:30 "I got a liquid dropping here" sounds reassuring haha
He he yes, I just wanted to be sure it was not hydraulic fluid... that would have been a problem.
Kia Ora Nick, love your helicopter reviews but am just wondering if you have any intentions of reviewing the Guimbal Cabri G2 which seem to becoming quite popular. Im in Auckland.
The pilot was really cool and accommodating
love these helicopter reviews
Another great review Nick!
What if you had huge heavy lead balls rolling around loose inside the rear compartment? I hope that wouldn't break the doors.
Yeah I was going nuts trying to decide which helicopter I was gonna buy this week. I gotta spend some of this money I got just sitting around.
Question. I am not a pilot. I would like to ask why was his hand not on the throttle from 22:09- and on? Does the governor just take care of that? I noticed in the 206 people generally kept their hand on the collective. And I didn't know that it would be so rigid. I thought you always had to have your hand on it. Or is it just in the 407 it's like that?
Almost all helicopters manage the throttle via a governor but most pilots keep their hands on the collective at all times in case of engine problems as the stick needs to be lowered fast. In larger aircraft like this one you have a few more seconds so you can take your hand of the collective.
Thank you
Did he know you were a pilot, Nick?! He seems like a nice guy but the way he was going, I was waiting for him to pull out a helicopter model and tell you how a helicopter flies.
ha yes he does, I think he is just enjoys the work
Great vids nick and great sound ! Thanks
@3:20 I believe I'd replace that red hose and check out the other rubber hoses on that craft.
Why is that
Sorry , @18:00 , why keep seat belts off?, i have seen helicopters go wild during start and the pilot been toose about violently , is this SOPs ?, i fly airplanes , we do have to wear seatbelt and shoulder harness before Engine start . thanks .
I see it has inflatable floats, you should do a course in escaping a submerged aircraft, if you do any over water flying.