Texas Expo yields strong Eurocopter sales.
This year’s Heli-Expo 2010 at Houston has been good news for American Eurocopter, with significant major orders from the law enforcement and emergency services sector.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has entered into the first option year on the Light Enforcement Helicopter (LEH) contract, placing an order for a further six AS350B3s. This is the second order on the LEH contract that was awarded to American Eurocopter by the Department of Homeland Security in July 2008.
The LEH contract with the DHS is a multi-year contract and may result in orders for a total of 50 AS350B3s which could be worth over US$150 million. The first helicopter on the contract was delivered in December 19, 2008 and to date, 14 aircraft have been delivered.
Responsible for nearly 7,000 miles of shared borders between the United States and Canada and Mexico, as well as 2,000 miles of coastal waters the CBP Air and Marine has the largest airborne law enforcement fleet in the world and is. It also oversees. The agency has more than 270 aircraft in its fleet including 53 AS350s and 18 EC120s.
Next came Air Methods Corporation, the world’s largest air medical transportation provider, which has ordered eight EC130 and four AS350B3 helicopters. The deal was finalised during a breakfast meeting at the Eurocopter booth on February 22.
All 12 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered this year and they will join Air Methods’ considerable fleet of 330 helicopters providing emergency medical services throughout the United States.
The order is part of an ongoing Air Method’s program to maintain the upgrade of its fleet despite the economic challenges throughout the country. All 12 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered this year and they will join Air Methods’ considerable fleet of 330 helicopters providing emergency medical services throughout the United States.
The company operates a variety of Eurocopter products, including EC130s, EC135s, EC145s, AS350s, AS365s, BK117s and BO105s and its Air Medical Services Division is the largest provider of air medical transport services for hospitals.
American Eurocopter also announced that TEMSCO (Timber, Exploration, Mining, Survery, Cargo Operations) Helicopters has signed for an AS350 B3 helicopter as it begins a fleet upgrade program. TEMSCO’s fleet includes 56 helicopters, 39 of which are Eurocopter aircraft.
“TEMSCO was one of the launch customers for the AStar in North America and they played an integral part in the development of the AS350 B3,” explained Larry Roberts, VP of Sales, Marketing and Customer Support for American Eurocopter. “This is just the first B3 in the upgrade plan and we look forward to working with them in the future as they continue to upgrade their fleet.”
“We have operated AStars since 1983 and we are very comfortable with the reliability and performance of these helicopters,” said Joe Hicks, Senior Vice President of Operations at TEMSCO Helicopters. “The B3 is a workhorse and it is perfect for our fleet upgrade plans. It provides us with the extra power and performance we need, plus the added safety features including dual hydraulics and dual FADEC.”
The AS350 is a powerful and reliable aircraft that has established itself with its unmatched performance, extensive mission equipment options and the safety of its multiple-redundancy system design. With built-in maneuverability, super visibility and low vibration levels in the cabin, the AS350 has earned its reputation as a true multi-mission workhorse. The hot-and-high AS350 B3 version—outfitted with a FADEC-equipped 847-shp Turbomeca Arriel 2B1 – retains the B2’s spacious cabin while boosting the speed up to 140 knots and adding extra lifting capability.
Other orders announced at the Expo are a further AS350 B2 for the Suffolk County Police Department; another EC130 B4 for Papillon Helicopters’ aerial tour operations in the Grand Canyon and the surrounding area, the fourteenth EC130 B4 in the company’s fleet. Papillon Helicopters has been the world’s oldest and largest sightseeing company, flying an estimated 600,000 passengers a year on its daily tours.
