Ontario Police Dept takes delivery of third AS350B2

Ontario Police Dept takes delivery of third AS350B2

9-Aug-2011 Source: American Eurocopter

American Eurocopter announced today that the Ontario (CA) Police Air Support Unit has taken delivery of its third AS350 B2. The aircraft is scheduled to join the fleet in December when it will go into service performing patrol and surveillance missions for the City of Ontario, California.

“The AS350 family of helicopters is recognized throughout the U.S. airborne law enforcement community as a powerful and reliable platform that provides the performance and flexibility for a variety of missions and environments,” says Ed Van Winkle, American Eurocopter’s Law Enforcement Market Manager. “The AS350 B2 has provided the Ontario Police Air Support Unit with nearly a decade of service with low maintenance requirements and low cost of operation.”

Each of the Air Support Unit’s B2s are equipped with Spectrolab searchlights with 30 million candlepower, L-3/Wescam forward looking infrared (FLIR), and avionics for communication and navigation. Seventy to 80% of the Unit’s missions are flown at night, so outfitting their helicopters with additional high-tech equipment is a necessity, including NVG capability.  Carrying a modern mission equipment suite may have been a problem for smaller, less powerful helicopters, but the AS350 B2 is able to do so with useful load to spare.

“The AS350 B2 gives us the power, cabin size and flexibility we need to accomplish our missions,” said Sergeant Eric Weidner, Officer in Charge of the Ontario Police Department’s Air Unit. “Because of these features, we have been able to create a spacious cockpit work environment even with all our advanced equipment, which allows our teams to operate at a higher level. The B2 is the right tool for the right job.”

The Ontario Police Department’s Air Support Unit was founded in 1989 and it converted to Eurocopter and the AS350 B2 in 2002. In addition to performing the normal patrol and surveillance missions, the Unit’s helicopters also provide assistance to the Identification Unit for aerial photography, the SWAT Team for their specialized operations, the Detective Bureau, the Narcotics Unit, and they occasionally assist other agencies within the City of Ontario.

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.

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