At this year’s ALEA Conference in Reno, American Eurocopter will be showcasing the performance and technology available in its product offerings for airborne law enforcement. Two helicopters will be featured on American Eurocopter’s booth #112: an AS350® B3 from the Placer County Sheriff’s Department Air Support Unit and an EC120® from the Fresno Police Department Air Support Unit – “Skywatch.”

The AS350 series has become the helicopter of choice for airborne law enforcement in the United States. The AS350 B3 offers high-performance with multi-mission capability, which makes it the aircraft operated by agencies like the Placer County Sheriff’s Department Air Support Unit. It chose the AS350 B3 for the aircraft’s cabin size, multi-mission flexibility and hot & high performance. The Arriel 2B1 engine with dual-channel FADEC produces 847 shp, which allows the AS350 B3 to conduct high-altitude missions with the safety benefit of a large power reserve. The mission equipment suite on Placer County’s aircraft includes a high-definition thermal imager, searchlight and moving map system. The Air Support Unit also added a 500-lb. rescue hoist that is regularly utilized in search & rescue operations throughout the county’s 1500 square miles, in addition to a cargo hook for sling load operations of seized marijuana and other payload.

The EC120 offers a high-technology, low-cost solution for airborne law enforcement patrol and Homeland Security missions, such as those flown by the Fresno Police Department Air Support Unit, Skywatch. It operates a pair of EC120s to patrol the skies over Fresno. The EC120’s Fenestron® provides excellent tail rotor authority for pilots, while minimizing the aircraft’s noise signature and increasing the ability for “Skywatch” flight crews to arrive on-scene with little warning to criminal suspects on the ground. Extensive use of composites keeps aircraft weight down to increase useful load for a wide variety of missions. Fresno PD EC120s are equipped with thermal imagers, searchlights, moving map and public address systems. The Arrius 2F engine in the EC120 has earned a reputation for low operating and maintenance costs and for a reliability which translates to optimal aircraft availability.

American Eurocopter’s wide product line has become the reference standard for U.S. airborne law enforcement. For more information on industry leading helicopters, stop by American Eurocopter’s ALEA booth #112.

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 parapublic 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. Company headquarters and main facility are in Grand Prairie, TX, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, MS.