Criminals cringe and citizens cheer the sound of police helicopters overhead, fighting crime from the Arizona skies. Airborne law enforcers from several agencies in that southwestern U.S. state have benefitted from installing high-performance Inlet Barrier Filters (IBFs) designed by Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, a division of Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI). Longtime law enforcement agency customers include Arizona Department of Public Safety, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and Phoenix Police Department.
For more than four years, the Maricopa Sheriff’s Air Support Unit has utilized Donaldson IBFs to prevent damage to its Bell 407’s turbine engine. Based on feedback from aerial teams that serve and protect, like MCSO, the IBFs have made a critical difference in mission capabilities.
“We’ve been able to do so many missions we hadn’t been able to before operating the IBF,” says MCSO Pilot Kevin Kraayenbrink. “It totally changes the dynamics of the ship and the mission.” The Unit provides patrol, rescue, firefighting and other services in its large coverage area in the Phoenix Metroplex. “Hot and high has become very achievable for us, and the IBF has literally allowed us to save lives as a result of better performance capabilities of the aircraft,” he adds.
Potential response scenes in Maricopa County include operations at 8,000 feet in elevation and 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside air temperature. Kraayenbrink adds, “Particle separators did not allow the same performance benefit with this aircraft. The IBF also means a lot less engine maintenance issues for our mechanics and substantially fewer complaints from the pilots flying our ships.”
From Arizona’s desert heat to Australia’s Outback, helicopter operators are choosing to upgrade their engine protection with Donaldson IBFs. Providing the most comprehensive line of IBF solutions, Donaldson Aerospace & Defense is the industry leader in the design, development and manufacture of high-performance engine IBF systems for commercial and military propulsion systems. Through their St. Louis, Missouri location, Donaldson provides certified IBF solutions for the AgustaWestland AW119 Koala, AW119Ke and AW139, Bell 205A1, 206B, 407, 206L-3/4, 206L-1(C30), 429 and 430; Eurocopter EC130, AS350 B/BA/B1/B2/B3, AS350’s with Soloy or Heli-Lynx Honeywell engine conversions and MD Helicopters MD 369H Series, MD 500D/E/F and MD 900/902. IBF solutions for the AgustaWestland AW109 Power and Grand, Eurocopter EC135 as well as the Bell 206L are currently in development.
Visit Donaldson at the upcoming Heli-Expo 2010 Booth: #2847 in Houston, Texas, February 21-23, 2010.
To learn more about Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, visit www.donaldson.aero or www.afs.donaldson.com.
About Donaldson’s Aerospace & Defense Group
Donaldson’s Aerospace & Defense group is a leading worldwide provider of filtration systems for the aerospace and defense industry. Our filtration solutions protect fixed wing aircraft, rotorcraft, military ground vehicles, electronic equipment, space vehicles, missiles, military shipboard systems, and amphibious vehicles. We are committed to advancing filtration technology, providing quality products and prompt customer service. Our group serves customers from sales, engineering, and manufacturing locations around the world.
About Donaldson Company
Donaldson is a leading worldwide provider of filtration systems that improve people’s lives, enhance our customers’ equipment performance, and protect our environment. We are a technology-driven company committed to satisfying our customers’ needs for filtration solutions through innovative research and development, application expertise, and global presence. Our employees contribute to the company’s success by supporting our customers at our more than 100 sales, manufacturing, and distribution locations around the world. Donaldson is a member of the S&P MidCap 400 and Russell 1000 indices, and our shares trade on the NYSE under the symbol DCI. Additional information is available at www.donaldson.com.