San Bernandino County
Sheriff’s Department in California has strengthened its public
safety capabilities with the acquisition of two new Airbus
Helicopters H125 AStars, the best-selling law enforcement helicopter
in the country.
The new aircraft are
part of a long-term plan to update San Bernandino’s fleet of six
AS350 B3 helicopters, an earlier model of the AStar.
“The H125
offers the versatile, multi-mission platform we need. This was the
right choice for us,” San Bernandino Sheriff’s
Capt. Jeff Rose
said. “We are excited to continue our long relationship with Airbus
Helicopters.”
San Bernandino will
use the helicopters for patrol, high-altitude rescues and fire
suppression. With more than 20,100 square miles, San Bernandino
County is the largest county in the United States, and the
department flies about 22,000 hours each year.
“The H125 is
the single most popular law enforcement helicopter in the United
States. It accounts for more than one-third of deliveries over the
past decade,” said Treg
Manning, Vice President of
Sales and Marketing for Airbus Helicopters Inc. “More than 220
H125/AS350s are in use across the United States with 54 different
law enforcement agencies.”
Public safety
agencies tout the H125 for its performance, reliability and
versatility, and it is renowned for its superior hot and high
performance.
Built in Columbus,
Miss., the single-engine H125 is powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 2D
engine that delivers a higher cruise speed than its predecessor and
is equipped with a new dual-channel FADEC and Engine Data Recorder,
which enhance the systems management. The aircraft is capable of
carrying a wide range of thermal imagers, searchlights, hoists and
mission gear.
Airbus Helicopters
Inc. is exhibiting one of San Bernandino’s H125s at the 2017
Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) Annual Conference and
Expo this week in Reno, Nevada. |