Agreement Designed To Advance Aeronautical Education And Aid Disadvantaged Communities

The Eurocopter Corporate Foundation has launched its first outreach initiatives through agreements with two France-based non-governmental organizations: the Castel Mauboussin Association and Acting for Life.

By partnering with the Castel Mauboussin Association, which helps people with disabilities pursue careers in the aerospace industry, the Foundation will support the training of flight assistants for helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) flights – a new occupation now mandated by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The new regulation, which requires the presence of one flight assistant per HEMS flight starting in 2014, will further enhance mission standards and flight security, creating approximately 130 new jobs in France. The Castel Mauboussin Association will train three disabled individuals with financial support from the Foundation over the coming year, beginning with a young woman in September.

Working with Acting for Life, the Foundation will support disadvantaged communities in developing countries, beginning with the implementation of a three-year integrated community development program in Mexico, where Eurocopter has been present for more than 30 years.

Launching this month, the project endeavors to improve local health and nutrition and foster economic development in the poverty-stricken Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Assistance for families will include access to training, micro-financing services, organic food plots, and clean sources of water collection. The model will then expand to other rural areas of Mexico. “Supporting initiatives that promote youth development and help disadvantaged people and communities is at the heart of our values, whether it’s through the direct application of our aircraft for humanitarian aid, or by providing assistance for organizations making a difference on the ground every day,” said Eurocopter President & CEO Guillaume Faury. “These two partnerships take our commitments to new heights and represent the first of many that will be supported by our Foundation.”

FMI: www.eurocopterfoundation.com.