Company Is Delivering U.S. Built Aircraft To Agencies Faster Than One Per Month

Airbus Helicopters is showcasing its role as the North American market leader for new law enforcement helicopters at the Airborne Public Safety Association Conference (APSCON) Expo this week at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY.

An H125, the best-selling, high-performance helicopter for airborne law enforcement, owned by Seminole County Sheriff’s Office will be on display by Airbus at the show. When the time came for Seminole County to select a replacement helicopter in 2017, the Florida department chose a second Airbus H125 to add to their fleet.

“It’s an incredible machine that’s perfect for what we do,” said Seminole County Lieutenant Steve Farris. “We were already sold on the Airbus products since we bought our first aircraft 12 years ago. We purchased a new H125 in 2013, and when it came time to replace a 2006 AS350 model, we knew exactly what aircraft we needed.”

Seminole County flies patrol, search and rescue hoist mission, fire suppression, and SWAT team fast rope deployments with the H125. “For our law enforcement missions the open cockpit gives us great visibility and allows everyone to be in one open cabin, and the high capacity cargo hook allows us to carry 210-gallon Bambi buckets for firefighting,” said Farris.

The Airbus H125 accounts for nearly half of all new law enforcement aircraft delivered in North America since 2007. Airbus has delivered 20 H125s to law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada in the last 18 months. This year alone, H125s have entered service for organizations including Seminole County, Broward County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, San Bernardino County (CA) Sheriff’s Department, and Ontario (CA) Police Department.

Airbus builds the H125 for North America at its final assembly plant in Columbus, Miss., which also produces the UH-72A Lakota for the U.S. Army.

“We continue to lead this market by producing highly capable and versatile aircraft and providing industry-leading support to our customers,” said Chris Emerson, President of Airbus Helicopters Inc. and head of the North America region. “We’re proud to build the cutting-edge H125 helicopter in Mississippi. It’s a prime example of how Airbus is expanding its presence and industrial footprint in the United States."

(Image provided with Airbus Helicopters news release)

FMI: www.airbus.com