Fri, Nov 04, 2011
Aircraft Part Of Fleet Replacement Program For South Florida
Police Force
The Miami-Dade Police Department’s (MDPD) Aviation
Unit has taken delivery of another AS350 B3 helicopter. This is the
fourth AS350 B3, and it will join the department’s Special
Patrol Bureau’s Aviation Unit that includes a fleet of
rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft.
The MDPD AS350 B3’s are equipped
with thermal imagers, searchlights, moving map systems, and
platforms for tactical team transport and deployment. American
Eurocopter delivered each helicopter with night vision goggle (NVG)
compatible cockpits and provided NVG training for all MDPD pilots.
“MDPD’s selection of the AS350 B3 demonstrates the
continued appeal of the platform for law enforcement
operators,” says Ed Van Winkle, American Eurocopter’s
Law Enforcement Market Manager. “The AStar family of
helicopters provides agencies with maximum performance and the
ability to expand their mission capabilities with additional
equipment or crew.”
The AStar platform has become the standard for law enforcement
agencies throughout the nation. The AS350 B3 is a powerful and
reliable aircraft and with it, the MDPD has expanded its law
enforcement capabilities by adding specialized mission equipment
and a tactical flight officer (TFO).
“The AS350 B3 is a safer, more stable platform that has
allowed us to incorporate more mission-based equipment and a TFO,
without sacrificing performance,” explained Sergeant Tom
Turpin, Miami-Dade Police Department’s Aviation Unit.
“This makes us more efficient, more productive and quite
simply, allows us to catch more bad guys.”
The latest AS350 B3 also includes a six gigahertz video downlink
system that allows the helicopter to broadcast images to a central
receive site, as well as portable handheld units. The downlink
capability is installed on each of MDPD’s aircraft, both
rotary- and fixed-wing. “The AS350 B3 has without question
enhanced what we do and brought next generation law enforcement
capabilities to our unit,” continued Turpin. “Our new
helicopters have certainly increased safety for officers on the
road and the residents of Miami-Dade County.”
The AS350 B3s were part of an upgrade program to replace the
MDPD’s fleet of aging patrol helicopters. MDPD took delivery
of its first AS350 B3 in 2008, and this delivery completes that
replacement program.
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