Increases Helo Fleet To Three Aircraft

Airbus Helicopters Inc. has delivered a new H125 AStar to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Ft. Myers, FL. The new H125, when completed, will increase the Lee County AStar fleet from two to three helicopters.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office performs a wide variety of missions including law enforcement patrol and searches for lost and missing persons. The agency will have a hoist installed on their new H125 in order perform additional search and rescue missions in the coastal area around Ft. Myers. Hangar One Avionics in Carlsbad, Calif. will perform the law enforcement completion on the Lee County H125.

“The power and performance of the H125 will improve our unit’s capabilities and enable us to perform additional missions as we expand our fleet,” said Michael Warner, Aviation Division Commander for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. “We have a long relationship with Airbus Helicopters, and they have given us the support we need to keep our helicopters in the air.”

Lee County recently picked up an older AStar after it underwent a 12-year inspection at Airbus Helicopters Inc.’s maintenance and repair facility in Grand Prairie. The thorough 12-year inspection, which includes new enhancements, Federal Aviation Administration mandated upgrades and a factory paint job resets FAA maintenance cycle times.

“Florida sheriffs continue to depend on Airbus Helicopters to provide airborne support for the deputies on the ground,” said Ed Van Winkle, Senior Sales Manager for Airborne Law Enforcement for Airbus Helicopters Inc. “Lee County’s selection of the H125 AStar demonstrates the trust they have in our aircraft and our ability to support their missions.”

The H125 (formerly AS350 B3e) is the latest version of Airbus Helicopters long-running AStar series of helicopters and is built at the company’s Columbus, MS assembly plant. The aircraft features dual hydraulics, dual channel engine FADEC, 30-minute take-off power and advanced glass-panel cockpit displays. With a Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine, the H125 boasts a significant power reserve, along with unmatched tail rotor authority. The H125 is the ideal platform for a wide variety of law enforcement missions in varied operating environments.

(Image provided with Airbus Helicopters news release)

FMI: www.airbushelicopters.com