Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, a division of Donaldson Company (NYSE:DCI), is helping a sheriff’s office safeguard thousands of citizens by protecting the department’s law enforcement helicopter from damaging debris and contaminants with a Donaldson Inlet Barrier Filter.

Few rotorcraft cover a more beautiful and challenging territory than “Henry-1,” the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Bell 407.  With this single helicopter, the Sheriff’s Office must protect more than 1,600 square miles of mountainous forests, rocky Pacific coastline and steep, rugged canyons in the heart of wine country 60 miles north of San Francisco.  Henry-1 and its crew are constantly on call, flying day and night on law enforcement, search and rescue, aeromedical transport and fire-fighting missions to keep county residents and many others safe.

To enhance Henry-1’s turbine engine capabilities, the Sheriff’s Helicopter Unit recently contracted with Rotorcraft Support, Inc., of Van Nuys, California, to install a new Donaldson Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) kit.  As advertised, the IBF has improved the 407’s performance significantly, and results were immediately evident.

Since replacing the commercial Engine Air Particle Separator (EAPS) filtration system in June, Henry-1’s IBF has increased engine power margin by about 20 degrees C, a critical issue because the helicopter typically operates at high gross weights that limit engine temperature margin.  In addition, the IBF’s effective filtration keeps the engine compressor clean, reducing wear and potential maintenance costs.  Filter protection is important because the Sheriff’s Helicopter Unit must respond to continuous requests for help in undeveloped coastal areas and in state parks and forests where rotor downwash churns up dust, dirt and debris that could quickly damage a turbine’s compressor.  At the same time, with an IBF the flight crew knows they are more protected from grit and other Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on the helicopter ramp as well.

The Sheriff’s Helicopter Unit selected the Donaldson IBF over competing systems due to its overall lower cost and ease of maintenance.  The Donaldson design permits filter element changes in minutes with no fuselage disassembly.  Another Donaldson feature that sets its system apart from competitors is the cockpit IBF bypass switch’s night vision goggle (NVG) compatibility, and not all IBF manufacturers have adapted cockpit controls to this requirement.

“Henry-1’s experience is an excellent demonstration of IBF benefits,” said Robert Stenberg, Business Development Director at the Donaldson St. Louis operation.  “Our IBF systems provide better filtration and function continuously, independent of flight condition or power level.  The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Helicopter Unit often flies at high gross weight, and that prevents them from activating the EAPS scavenge when they most need it during takeoffs and landing.  With the current budget constraints that helicopter operators face, our IBF virtually eliminates the possibility of an expensive FOD repair, quickly providing a return on investment.” Stenberg said.

“IBFs provide unmatched improvements in flight performance, operational safety, reliability and reduce helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul costs,” Stenberg concluded.  Donaldson produces IBFs for Bell 407 and many other popular commercial helicopters used in law enforcement today.

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 location, Donaldson provides certified IBF solutions for the following:

• •    AgustaWestland A119 Koala, AW119 Ke 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
• •    MD Helicopters MD 369H Series, MD 500H/D/E/F and MD 900/902

IBF solutions for the AgustaWestland AW109 Power and Grand as well as the Bell 206L are currently in development.

To learn more about Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, visit www.donaldson.aero or www.afs.donaldson.com.

About Donaldson Aerospace & Defense
Donaldson Aerospace & Defense 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.