American Eurocopter delivers an AS350 B3e

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Pima County Sheriff takes delivery of first AS350 B3e in US law enforcement

American Eurocopter
announced that it has delivered an AS350 B3e to the Pima County Sheriff’s
Department (PCSD), which is based in Tucson,
Arizona. The aircraft was
delivered during a ceremony in American Eurocopter’s Grand Prairie delivery center. This marks the
delivery of the first AS350 B3e to a law enforcement agency in the United States.

“We are very pleased to
be receiving this aircraft,” said Lt. Bob Kimmins, the Air Unit Commander
for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. “Its capabilities match our
diverse needs in terms of the missions we fly and the climate variations we
experience.”

“The benefits of the AS350
B3e will allow the PCSD to redefine and grow its mission scope,” says Ed Van
Winkle, American Eurocopter’s law enforcement market manager. The primary
missions the Sheriff’s Department has flown in the past are border crime
support and tactical insertion. It will continue with these missions and with
the AS350 B3e the PCSD can expand its scope to include search and rescue. “The
added power boost will make hoist missions much more feasible should this
become an area of future need for the Department, and the proven reliability of
the AStar will continue to meet their needs for many years to come,” adds Van
Winkle.

The search for a new
helicopter came after a tragic accident in early 2011.

“We flew with the
Seminole County Sheriff’s Department, the San Antonio Police Department, the
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department,” shared Kimmins.  “All of these agencies were
extremely supportive of our investigation and outspoken advocates of the AS350
series.”

“While we can’t celebrate
this delivery without a sadness for how we got here, we are extremely excited
to have partnered with American Eurocopter to restart our helicopter
program,” said Kimmins.  “It is gratifying to know lives will be
saved as we continue to look toward the future.”

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