The JetRanger can trace its lineage back to an unsuccessful contender for a US Army competition for a light observation helicopter, which was won by the Hughes 500.
JetRanger production was transferred from Texas to Mirabel in Canada in 1986, where the current production model remains the 206B3 JetRanger III.
The JetRanger was also accepted by the US Army as an observation helicopter as the OH58 Kiowa, and variants of the Kiowa remain in production in the USA.
The Bell 206 Jetranger first flew on 10 January 1966, and on 20 October 1966 it received FAA certification.
The capacity and reliability of the Jetranger family resulted in Bell developing a medium-lift version, designated the Model 206L Longranger.
It used the same powerplant as the Jetranger III, but differed from previous versions by having the fuselage lengthened by 0.63m (2ft 1in) to accommodate a total of 5 passengers.
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