A Third MD 520N Will Join The Fleet In Spring 2018

The Prince George’s County (MD) Police Department Aviation Section is expanding to include a third MD 520N helicopter, with delivery expected in the spring of 2018.

Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) currently operates two MD 520N helicopters, in service with PGPD since 2000.

"We are honored Lt. Cline and the PGPD have decided to expand the Aviation Unit with another MD 520N,” said Craig Kitchen, Chief Commercial Officer for MD Helicopters. “This is an exceptional aircraft for law enforcement operations; especially for operators who serve a demographic and geographic region as diverse as Prince George’s County.”

"As an enthusiastic advocate for police aviation, I am very pleased that our agency is expanding our fleet with MD Helicopters," said Chief Hank Stawinski, Prince George’s County Police Department Chief of Police. "This will allow us to expand our day-to-day capabilities and ensure the future of our aviation program."

This expansion of the Prince George’s County Aviation Section is an example of the County’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the more than 900,000 citizens who live, work and travel through their nearly 500 square miles of jurisdiction.
“In airborne law enforcement you cannot support the citizens of your jurisdiction and the patrol officer on the street if you cannot afford to fly,” said Sergeant Aaron Smith, Chief Pilot, Prince George’s County Police Aviation Section.

“Direct operating costs, reliability, simplicity, maneuverability, quiet technology, and most importantly, safety. All are factors we used to choose the MD 520 18-years ago, and we are choosing the right aircraft again today.”

The MD 520N is one of just three models manufactured by MD Helicopters that feature the NOTAR system for anti-torque and directional control. By replacing conventional tail rotors with the NOTAR system, the margin of safety immediately increases for crew and aircraft, and the noise decreases; making it one of the quietest helicopters in its class and an exceptional choice for effective and efficient operation in highly populous urban areas as well as remote, rural locations.

Prince George’s County Police Aviation Section will be the first law enforcement operator to fly the 450-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R/2-powered MD 520N with the new Block 1 all-glass cockpit. The cockpit features a Howell Instruments Engine Instruments Display, Garmin G500H EFIS and Garmin GTN 650 NAV/COM/GPS, as well as the Garmin GTN 635 COM/GPS.

"We are proud to be part of the Prince George’s County Police Department family, and to play a growing role in their efforts to protect the communities they serve,” Kitchen concludes. “We are excited to see this latest MD 520N join their decorated fleet.”

(Image provided with MD Helicopters news release)

FMI: www.mdhelicopters.com