Grand Prairie, Texas – American Eurocopter announced today that the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office has selected an AS350 B2 helicopter to replace its aging military surplus helicopter. The new rotorcraft will augment the mission capabilities of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit and will increase the availability of aerial support to the citizens of Fayette County, GA.

“We are proud that the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office has selected the AS350 B2 to enhance and update its Aviation Unit,” said Ed Van Winkle, American Eurocopter’s Law Enforcement Market Manager. “The AStar family is a proven leader in law enforcement across the United States. The AS350 B2 will provide the FCSO with more power, flexibility and reliability, which translates into lower maintenance requirements and more time in the air.”

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit performs a wide variety of missions that include daily patrols and traffic enforcement for Fayette County. The unit is also on call to support emergency calls, manhunts, car chases and drug interdiction, so it needs a reliable aircraft.

“Our previous aircraft was in service with the U.S. Army long before it served the citizens of Fayette County, and we were running into high maintenance costs and down time issues,” explained Captain Greg Craft, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit. “We selected the AS350 B2 because it provides performance and durability that has been proven throughout the U.S. law enforcement community.”

The AStar product line has become the law enforcement aircraft of choice in the United States and has become an essential tool in the fight against crime. The AS350 B2 is equipped with a powerful 732 shp Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 engine, and it offers a large cabin with room for five plus a pilot. It also has a sling capacity of more than 2,555 lbs.

About American Eurocopter
American Eurocopter is the U.S. affiliate of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world, and a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings, the North American operations of EADS, the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. American Eurocopter is a helicopter manufacturer and markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer. The product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. American Eurocopter’s headquarters and main facility are in Grand Prairie, TX, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, MS.