Orange County Sheriff's Department Selects A-Star B2

Eurocopter tells ANN that helicopters are critically important to the mission of the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD), be it for aiding in suspect pursuits, Search and Rescue operations in Cleveland National Forest, or fire reconnaissance and suppression.

Unfortunately, the two helicopters in the OCSD Air Support Bureau fleet are starting to show their age after years of faithful service. This is why the OCSD recently purchased a new helicopter for its fleet the Eurocopter A-Star B2.
 
"I was asked to put together a 'Wish List' of all the capabilities the Department wanted in a new helicopter," says Sgt. Manuel Pacheco, the OCSD Air Support Bureau's Chief Pilot. "Once we had the list, we went out and evaluated three aircraft against this criteria. The A-Star B2 was the only one of the three to fulfill our Wish List."

The Eurocopter A-Star B2 is a single engine light helicopter that can carry 5 to 6 passengers plus a pilot. It comes equipped with a 732 shp Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D1 engine. The A-Star B2 has a fast cruise speed of 140 kts.

"What sets the A-Star B2 apart from our existing helicopters is its capacity," Sgt. Pacheco says. "For instance, we can load all the equipment we need and still carry a minimum of two crew and two passengers. The A-Star B2's interior is roomy enough to carry a stretcher or backboard during SAR/MedEvac operations, and can hoist our 200 gallon 'Bambi Bucket' for water bombing runs."

The OCSD's A-Star B2 has been fitted with some options to make it more mission-capable. "For instance, we replaced the standard panel with a Geneva law enforcement half panel, to provide more visibility," Sgt. Pacheco. "Even with this panel's lower profile, it still has enough space to hold all our avionics displays; eliminating the need for a supplemental rear panel." The A-Star B2 has also been fitted with a high visibility observer's window door for improved visibility.
 
The Air Support Bureau's new A-Star B2 also is being fitted with a Westcam 12D200 infrared and daytime/lowlight camera system with video downlinking, Nightsun, and moving map system. The OCSD's A-Star B2 also comes with air conditioning and a wire strike protection kit.
 
"With the A-Star B2 in our fleet, we are hoping to increase the number of missions we fly and the types we fly as well," says Sgt. Pacheco. "The A-Star B2's lift capacity means that we won't have to offload equipment to reconfigure for other missions: we can just take off and go."

FMI: www.eurocopterusa.com