Up To 15 AS350B3e Aircraft May Be Acquired By The State Of California

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has awarded a contract to Airbus Helicopters for the purchase of up to 15 AS350B3e AStar helicopters. The initial order is for three helicopters, with deliveries beginning in December. The contract is for three years, with two one-year options. Other state and local government agencies in California can purchase new AStar helicopters through the contract.

The CHP helicopters will include an advanced avionics and mission equipment suite that enhances crew safety and law enforcement operational capabilities. This suite includes the Garmin G500H electronic flight information system, FLIR Systems 380HDc thermal imager, Spectrolab XP searchlight and the Churchill Augmented Reality System (ARS) moving map system displayed on an Avalex 15-inch HD monitor. Each helicopter will be equipped with a Goodrich 500 pound hoist, a key tool for CHP since it conducts many search and rescue missions.

Completion services for this contract will be performed by Hangar One Avionics of Carlsbad, CA.

“CHP has been operating Airbus Helicopters products for the past 30 years, starting with an AS350B model in 1984. They have flown more than 130,000 hours with their current fleet of 12 AStars,” said Ed Van Winkle, Sales Manager for Airborne Law Enforcement for Airbus Helicopters Inc. “This order to begin replacement of the fleet demonstrates the high level of trust that CHP has in the AStar to perform their wide range of missions.”

Airbus Helicopters says the AS350 series are the most widely purchased helicopters by U.S. law enforcement agencies. More than 220 are in use nationwide with 44 different law enforcement agencies, 75 of them delivered in the last five years.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.airbushelicotpers.com