Bell's iconic workhorse helicopter, the Bell 412, has surpassed 40 years of service, having been introduced to the industry in January 1981.
A development of the Bell 212, the 412 has heritage going back to the military UH-1B Iroquois, known mostly as the Huey.
More than 1100 of the type have been placed into service around the world, with the fleet massing 6.5 million hours across 11 variants.
"The evolution of the Bell 412 is a testament to the incredible flexibility and durability of the aircraft, a utility helicopter with designs originating from the world-renowned and venerable Huey," Bell Helicopter said in a statement marking the milestone.
"Customers continue to rely on the rugged and reliable Bell 412, which carries operators through parapublic, offshore, emergency medical and even VIP missions every day.
"From moving employees to oil rig sites off the coast of Africa, to fighting fires in Australia, to presidential duties in Asia, the platform brings exceptional performance, impressive cargo-carrying abilities and power to each job."
Bell announced the 412 project in September 1978, with the first development aircraft–a modified Bell 212–flying the following year.
Further development introduced the 412SP and 412HP, both of which increased fuel capacity, higher MTOW and better hover capability.
The current version is the 412EPI, which features two Pratt & Whitney 1122-shp PT6T-9 turbine engines, giving an MTOW of 5398 kg, a top speed of 122 kt and an endurance of nearly four hours. The 412 can carry 2 tonne on sling and seat 14 passengers in standard configuration.
There are around 40 Bell 412s in service in Australia.